Wait. Android Wear isn't as good as Apple Watch?
In my opinion no, at least for my use case.
What I liked:
- Huawei Watch hardware is beautiful, certainly much more 'traditional watch' if that's your preference. I like both it and the Apple Watch--two highest build quality smart watches presently.
- Always on watch face is nice though I suspect battery suffers a bit for it. My Huawei always ended the day was less battery than my Apple Watch ever would.
- Many more available watch face choices.
Sadly, those are the only areas where I found Android Wear to surpass the Apple Watch,
What I didn't like so much:
- 'OK Google' between the watch and phone. First, saying 'OK Google' triggers both the watch and phone, unless I turn it off on the phone, eliminating that benefit. Doesn't happen in the Apple Watch/iPhone. I could live with it if all the functionality from 'OK Google' was the same on both devices but it's not. For instance, I add items to lists in Google Keep all the time when I use an Android phone via 'OK Google' yet even though there is a Google Keep watch app, can't be done from the watch, so I have to grab the phone to do it. Conversely, there is no Reminders app on the Apple Watch yet i can add reminders to my synced lists via the watch. Also, in a related note, Reminders on Google is a pain to easily access since there is actually no Reminders app.
- Bluetooth issues...specifically phone can't be connected to both watch and car for phone connectivity. So if I want to leave on the option to take calls on the watch, it overrides the connection to the car, meaning I have to go into settings to disconnect before driving. Also, randomly that option would just disappear from the settings altogether. This micromanaging isn't required with the Apple Watch.
These first two issues were ultimately deal breakers. Other issues:
- charging is much more secure on the Apple Watch and many more 3rd party dock options. The magnet is very strong on the Apple Watch charger while the Huawei version is very susceptible to slipping off.
- haptic feedback is weaker and just doesn't feel as crisp--don't know how else to explain it.
- notification management lacks much granular control. If you get it on your phone, you have to get it on your watch.
- ironically, no 'clear all' option for notifications.
- notifications appear as cards...very nice except that they often keep reappearing even after dismissal. Also, whatever cards you get in Google Now you're going to get on your watch and these are the ones that always seem to reappear (I got the baseball score the first 3 times it popped up
). Again, no differentiating control vs. what's on the phone.
- app and watch management. I have no idea which of my Android apps have watch counterparts until I look at my watch vs. management on the Watch app on my iPhone..much more concise. The Android Wear app doesn't do that much in comparison.
- lack of tap to pay. I realize this may not matter to many but I use Apple Pay on my watch all the time.
Another thing I love, though it's a limitation of AT&T and specific to wifi-calling enabled phones is that my iPhone uses wifi calling and allow me to forward any calls from my iPhone to any other wifi capable Apple device, including my Apple Watch. I have a wifi hotspot that's using the sim from my grandfathered iPad unlimited data plan
that lives in my car. In a pinch I can run out with just my watch and it maintains a data connection to my wifi hotspot, even without the phone on the same network, and I can take calls and receive messages. This example is very specific but it's nice how my watch remains functional as long as I'm on trusted wifi, iPhone present or not. I believe Android Wear offers similar functionality as long as the phone is on a trusted wifi network somewhere but I don't think I can get calls and not sure about SMS messages (I believe Hangouts messages would work). I just know the Apple Watch works well for these 2 functionalities.
Android Wear isn't terrible at all, just not as polished. If my first two issues (2 big ones though) weren't a problem, I'd consider them much more comparable, though I still think watchOS is a bit better. I don't like how much white Android Wear uses but it looks like the next version uses much more black instead.
The one thing I'd dying to have on either is a podcast app for syncing and downloading for offline listening.
I've taken enough of this thread with this gargantuan post...will post this as well over in the 'best Android Wear' thread and continue the discussion there.
