Smart watch, Android? Fitbit?

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  • snorko

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    I've been wearing a low end Fitbit for years which was a gift. Originally I did not wear it regularly but my Bulova died and I started wearing it exclusively. I have grown accustomed to the step counter, pulse and sleep features but I think I killed it on a recent trip. I can't get it to sync anymore and the time is oddly off. So it is time for a new one.

    I could jut get a new Fitbit but I was thinking about making the jump to possibly a smart watch. I have an android phone so any apple products are out. Anyone have strong feelings on a particular model?
     

    JollyMon

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    I got my wife a garmin smart watch (vivomove hr)that looks a lot like a normal watch which does everything you asked about. It’s a lot like a Fitbit in that sense, that it tracks step, hr, and all that other good stuff

    I have no experience with it besides buying it, but she seems to like it
     

    Sailor

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    My original fitbits fell apart, both of them and the replacements after warranty. They will not replace a faulty replacement. They lasted about 5 months. They will never get my money again.

    Garmin, is a good choice.
     

    White Squirrel

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    I have a Samsung Gear S3 and it has a really good fitness tracker app (Samsung Health) that interfaces well with my Samsung S8+ phone. The only thing I don't like about the Gear S3 is the battery life. I get two days tops out of it between charges. I can stretch that a little by putting it on the charger while I shower and get dressed every morning. Of course, you can charge it every night but if you don't wear it to bed you lose the sleep tracker function. If that's not important to you, then battery life may not be a problem. A real plus is the hundreds of different watch faces available in the Samsung store. Analog, digital, ani-digi and everything else you can think of. Many are free and most of the others are $1-$2.

    I do think there is a newer version of the Samsung watch out that is supposed to have a better battery life.
     

    Hoosierdood

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    If you have a Samsung phone, get the Gear S3 watch. If you have a different Android phone go with the Garmin Forerunner or Vivoactive 3. You can use the Samsung watch with any Android phone, but it works best with Samsung phones. I had the Gear S3 Frontier before I switched to Apple, and absolutely loved it.
     

    qwerty

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    I have enjoyed the MiBands for a few years. Price is Right on them and seem to be pretty reliable. They are small and I get about 2 weeks per charge on the MiBand 4.
     

    chachi73

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    i have the gear s2. it's a bit older, but works great. i like the features that allow me to reply to texts or skip songs without having to pull out the phone.
     

    snorko

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    Well the technology gods have acted and my old fitbit is now working. Synced up and everything. So I guess I can put that decision off for a while.
     

    bwframe

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    I wear A Casio Pathfinder 24/7. I'm afraid that maybe the Galaxy Gear S3 might get broken or drowned if I invest in one. Anyone beat their's up much or tested the water resistance to the limits?
     

    White Squirrel

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    I wear A Casio Pathfinder 24/7. I'm afraid that maybe the Galaxy Gear S3 might get broken or drowned if I invest in one. Anyone beat their's up much or tested the water resistance to the limits?

    Not personally, for what it's worth these are from the Gear S3 Frontier warranty manual:

    "This device passed militaryspecification (MIL-STD-810G)testing against a subset of10 specific conditions, includingdrops from 4.9 feet, extremetemperatures, dust, shock/vibration, and low pressure/highaltitude."

    "Water-resistant and dustresistant based on IP68 rating,which tests submersion up to5.0 feet for up to 30 minutes."
     

    bwframe

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    I'm curious what most smart watch users use their watch for, beyond timekeeping and fitness apps? What other apps do you use?

    Weather, txting, ???
     

    zer0day

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    I'm curious what most smart watch users use their watch for, beyond timekeeping and fitness apps? What other apps do you use?

    Weather, txting, ???

    I was going to ask the same thing. I wear an apple watch series 3 gps. I use it for notifications mostly. Check stock prices on fav list. The heartrate monitor is not as accurate as I thought it would be. I compared it when I had a recent Dr visit. I would trust their gear over my watch.
    That being said, thats what it would come down to. What you would be using the device for. There are kiosks at best buy, target, ATT, TMO, etc where you can spend time to play with them and see what you like best. With Black Friday around the corner, plot now and buy later.
    Web comparisons are good to check out. Lots of videos on good ol youtube.

    It seems a lot of "basic" features for smart watches are standard these days. Notifications, maps, playlists, weather, voice to whatever, pedometer. Look more down range on advanced features. For instance, the series 5 apple watch is coming with an EKG sensor. I have a Samsung phone my job gave me and I don't much use it. So I haven't much looked into what Samsung offers as far as features and upcoming devices.

    I can say that Samsung phones and tablets are easy to access so you can modify them. Add paid versions of apps for free, run video streaming apps(not netflix, etc). Again, I have not owned a smart watch of theirs to know if those can be modded too.
     

    bwframe

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    That's just what I'm talking about. It'd be nice to have a specific model pinned down (and possibly an alternative) in case one had to make a quick decision in the event of a black friday deal or great price on a refurb on ebay or elsewhere.

    I'm initially thinking the Gear S3 Frontier is the way to go for me since it seems to be feature rich and maybe the highest seller, which makes for an abundant secondary market.

    I'm still wondering about usage though. I wonder if these units have developers working on apps like they do for the play store? For example, I use Google Voice and Google Keep a lot for txting and notes. Are there watch apps that could be helpful for my usage of these? If not, are these possibly in the works?
     

    JollyMon

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    What I love most about my apple watch is that I no longer have to carry my phone on a run or exercising. I can download music (and I assume podcasts, but I dont do that) directly to the watch and I can blue tooth it to my airpods.
     

    volksjager

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    What I love most about my apple watch is that I no longer have to carry my phone on a run or exercising. I can download music (and I assume podcasts, but I dont do that) directly to the watch and I can blue tooth it to my airpods.

    Same. That was the biggest bonus for picking one up. Although the ECG is pretty cool. Only wish battery life was better.
     

    bwframe

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    I know, I know. Our level of commitment to the 2A is often dictated by our by our own level of personal convenience.

    Plenty of "us" still shop at Dicks and Walmart and Kroger also.

    We all have to make our own decisions. Apple will never see a dime of my money. They were anti-Indiana before they were anti-gun.
     
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