“Keeping track of your day and your body at a glance is finally possible on watches running Google’s Android Wear,” Geoffrey A. Fowler writes for The Wall Street Journal. “After taking a beating in the marketplace, the wearable version of the popular phone software is debuting a streamlined version 2.0 this week on two new watches from LG, starting at $250. That follows Samsung’s homegrown $300 Gear S3.”
“I’ve been testing two on each arm. The Apple Watch is still more refined, but the Samsung and my favorite of this new set—LG’s $350 Watch Sport—amp up the competition,” Fowler writes. “It’s a hopeful sign that Google and Samsung, not to mention Apple, are learning that a useful smartwatch actually demands less of our attention, not more.”
“No smartwatch has been fantastic at valuing time: Apple is only starting to get it right on its third-generation software. But the first Android Wear was the worst. The watch face was usually obscured by notification cards that made it hard to even tell the time. Worse, these cards were usually unhelpful unless you swiped for more,” Fowler writes. “Android Wear 2.0 is much more like the latest Apple Watch software.”
MacDailyNews Take: More theft of Apple innovations by Google for Android. Get the real thing, not an inferior fake.
“Where Android Wear 2.0 falls short of Apple Watch is fitness,” Fowler writes. “An overhaul to Google’s Fit software improves how you track exercise (including even weightlifting reps now), but doesn’t help as much day to day with things like standing reminders or sleep tracking. It also doesn’t make the data as glance-friendly as Apple’s three health rings.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Junk. The only smartwatch, and there is only one, that users can buy with the confidence that it’ll still be in production and with its software being advanced next year and the years after that, is the vastly superior Apple Watch.
SEE ALSO:
Apple Watch had massive holiday quarter; took nearly 80% share of total smartwatch revenue – February 10, 2017
The Apple Watch ‘WOW’ moment – February 3, 2017
Apple Watch dominates with 63% of worldwide smartwatch market – February 2, 2017
Apple smashes Street; iPhone, Services, Mac and Apple Watch set all-time records – January 31, 2017
Apple Watch has blood on its hands: Pebble is dead – December 7, 2016
Apple Watch has blood on its hands: ‘Microsoft Band’ wearable is dead – October 4, 2016
Computerworld reviews Apple Watch Series 2: It’s time to jump in – September 27, 2016
Ars Technica reviews Apple Watch Series 2: ‘Great experience with very few hiccups’ – September 22, 2016
Mossberg reviews Apple’s watchOS 3: Quicker, easier, and more useful – September 21, 2016
CNET reviews Apple Watch Series 2: ‘The smooth wrist companion it was always meant to be’ – September 14, 2016
WSJ reviews Apple Watch Series 2: ‘Apple Watch finds its purpose in life’ – September 14, 2016
The Verge reviews Apple Watch Series 2: There’s something effortlessly cool about it – September 14, 2016
Apple Watch Series 2: Apple refocuses its smartwatch – September 12, 2016
Today I have apples in my oatmeal. It is good.
But… but… but Android smartwatches are CHEAPER. Wall Street believes consumers should get more bang for their buck than what Apple offers. Their belief is that Apple is cheating consumers by way of deceptive marketing. Just because an Android smartwatch’s measurements is off by a little bit, consumers shouldn’t care and concentrate more on the cost savings.
So, AppleWatch is still considered a failure and Apple is still doomed. 80% of smartwatch revenue isn’t nearly enough to make investors feel secure.
Silly WallNut Street.
Just wait until those puppies star exploding in their wrist. People never learn that fake products are a life treat.
Yet the Apple Watch sucks compared to a Fitbit for fitness tracking. I sit on my butt most of the day and the Apple Watch tells me every day I’ve stood for 12 hours +. LOL. And then when I’m actually working out and doing cardio for 45 minutes to an hour it is inaccurate with my heartbeat and dies not give you cardio in a graph. Sleep tracking apps from third parties are a joke. There are 2 things I like about the Apple Watch is answering text messages and taking the odd call when I can’t get to my phone. And that is it. I sure hope Apple fix the fitness issues with the next watch release
“You’re wearing it wrong.”
I will admit, I have had both. DO NOT get the Samsung SG2 Classic. Number Sync is a joke. It constantly looses connection by turning itself off, with no action from me. My Samsung watch never gets hot, I guess that is due to a dead battery in 6 hours with very little use. So many other problems. It is NOT even close to the level of the Apple Watch first version!!
Then Karma hit town and slapped Google four times:
Google to cough up $20m after Chrome rips off anti-malware patents
Actual residents of Texas Eastern District prevail
Google has been ordered to pay $20m damages after its Chrome browser was found to have infringed four anti-malware patents. . . . Ultimately the patent could yield $60m for the surviving family of the inventor.
Bad Google! Naughty Google! 👎💸💸💸💸