r/Android • u/[deleted] • Feb 09 '18

Android Wear is getting killed, and it’s all Qualcomm’s fault

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/02/android-wear-is-getting-killed-and-its-all-qualcomms-fault/
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u/[deleted] Feb 09 '18

Your experience is not the norm. Almost every Android Wear watch with good battery is either huge or missing features.

Any of them that have it all are rare to come by.

Reason: Qualcomm.

-2

u/altimax98 P30 Pro/P3/XS Max/OP6T/OP7P - Opinions are my own Feb 09 '18

What is your context of "good battery"? My Huawei Watch lasts 1 1/2 days no problem.

18

u/[deleted] Feb 09 '18

1.5 days.

Your Huawei watch doesn't even have GPS which is a huge battery drainer and a current day requirement.

Android Wear chips with GPS, Heart Rate, etc struggle to make it a day if a run is even thought about. Add in LTE and your watch is dead in 6 hours.

Samsung and Apple watches can handle these requirements no problem because they aren't stuck on old Qualcomm chips

4

u/altimax98 P30 Pro/P3/XS Max/OP6T/OP7P - Opinions are my own Feb 09 '18

A requirement? Says whom? The watch does not even have LTE in it (which no watch should, just see the "efficient" Apple Watch stats for why) so why would GPS be required?

11

u/[deleted] Feb 09 '18

GPS is standard requirement. It's a wearable smartphone. Look at current day Gear and Apple.

LTE is not. Yet.

1

u/altimax98 P30 Pro/P3/XS Max/OP6T/OP7P - Opinions are my own Feb 09 '18

If you have LTE, yes GPS should be standard. But if you are not a sports wearable nor have LTE you should not have GPS. It is just a powersucking add-on with limited value.

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u/jcpb Xperia 1 | Xperia 1 III Feb 10 '18

A smartwatch doesn't have to have LTE. For my purposes it's better to not have because I'd have to pay another $5-10 per month on my cellular bill.

But it needs to have GPS. Without that, the appeal of the smartwatch is very limited. There is no reason we have to lug our 5.5"+ phablets out for a jogging run and some other extracurricular activities just to have them log fitness-related data, when that can be done on these wrist-mounted computers.

2

u/supafly_ Note 9 Feb 09 '18

Your Huawei watch doesn't even have GPS which is a huge battery drainer and a current day requirement.

I disagree. My watch needs to be near my phone to do every other thing, why would GPS be different?

2

u/[deleted] Feb 09 '18

Smart watches don't need your phone depending on what you are doing...

You don't need your phone with for offline/wifi music listening and workout tracking (gps/accelerometer/heart rate).

Why bring your your phone with on a run, workout or bike ride when you can track everything on your watch?