Well, after activation, you can use it completely standalone. Yes you do need a Samsung phone for the Gear Manager app to perform updates or other app installs.

Note however, the limitation of devices like the Gear S is its screen size. God forbid you want to draft an email reply on a 2" screen although you can do it if you really want to.

I think you need to rinse the back with running water daily.

But, dude....the premise of navigation on the watch is for walking, running, or hiking, NOT for driving navigation.

It is FAR MORE DANGEROUS to keep glancing at your wrist on the 2" screen (even though it is the LARGEST SCREEN of all smartwatches currently) to figure out where you need to turn than to use a 5+" screen mounted on your car dash.

Although I am generally happy with the Gear S, I certainly DO NOT recommend using it, or any other similar device, to handle driving navigation.

Nice. Are you using it standalone or via bluetooth?

Yeah, multisim is the best option for forwarding.

You might need a firmware update for the Whatsapp reply, although I'm not sure how one of the other forumers got that to work.

You can still have remote control via bluetooth or wifi for phone audio, but if you were referring to the IR remote function, then yeah it sucks a little, but I think it was due to battery life concerns.

And I'm also sure that the cellular radio components took up all the space available for a camera and IR circuitry too.

BT only is fine, it is the SIM data and voice that sucks battery.

Wahahahahahahahaha

http://www.sammobile.com/2015/08/17/develo...samsung-gear-s/

XDA Dev Thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-s/dev...d-port-t3177740

XDA Q&A Thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-s/hel...d-port-t3177751


Developer gets Android Lollipop working on Samsung Gear S






This post has been edited by joytest: Aug 18 2015, 02:17 AM

My personal opinion is that Samsung threw everything into the Gear S, and after some feedback they seem to have removed GPS from the S2 LTE, and perhaps the UV sensor.

If you think you value the GPS, then get the S since the S fulfils all fitness needs by having heartrate, accelerometer, GPS, speaker etc.

I think nobody ever used the UV sensor.

You can use the Gear S as a fully standalone device, although you will need charging at least once around 2-3pm if you are actively calling on it.

Please man, size is the least thing you have to worry about.

There is nothing to worry except people who don't know better asking you "is that the fapple device?"

I take delight in telling them that the ithing is late to the game and lacks features that the Gear S has. Since Oct 2014.

A good video of Android 5.1.1 running on the Gear S.

The SIM card seems to be working

No I haven't, since I don't find a great utility to it, at least for now.

I love large screens, and despite this being the largest-screened smartwatch (except the Neptunes), I do not see real usability from something this small.

I find all smartwatches (including the Gear S) as a glorified notification center, at least for now.
At the very least the Gear S and S2 LTE have the added functionality of making calls via a SIM card, which occasionally comes in handy.

Yes on the bright side for me, Samsung replaced a new unit of Gear S when I sent it in for corrosion of the charging contacts.

I'll be extra careful now and put a sticker over the contacts daily....

An update to Lollipop on the Gear S. Recompiled yesteday.

Might be good for kicks leaving your main phone behind.

Thanks but I don't have much available time nowadays, and I don't have an S2 either.

I prefer to run threads where I own the device.

Most of the posts I see for the S2 elsewhere are about watchfaces and some games.

You can clip it and slot it onto some skinny tube item to simulate it being worn on your arm. It works for a lot of people, and also for me.

Otherwise you can buy the compatible ones from Aliexpress that do not have a battery inside.

I think my Gear S battery has died. Wondering if it will be worth replacing the battery. This will bork the water resistance.

I finally flashed CM12.1 onto my Gear S.

Pretty straightforward, just like flashing any Samsung device.

Primary reason for me doing so is that I got a Xiaomi device which doesn't pair to the Gear S.

Good thing is, all the stuff works but I haven't tested the step count sensor. Most importantly, it does bluetooth pairing to the Xiaomi for Internet tethering.

I use M2D Notifications Receiver and Sender to sync notifications now, very seamless.

The worst downside is battery life has gone down the toilet.

About 3:30 and the battery is down to 50% with Wifi and Mobile networks off. I've only enabled bluetooth tethering.

I shudder to think how it would be like if Mobile network was on.

Update on battery life.

Installed No-Frills CPU Control and underclocked it to 384MHz.

9h30m and I still have 20%, with approx 2hr SOT.

Most likely the SOT is due to DayDream.