Smart Watch Advice

[Chislenko]

Nearly correct. My Garmin uploads direct to Garmin Connect via WiFi, no need for Bluetooth or a third party app. My Garmin Connect and Strava accounts are linked so Garmin Connect passes it off to Strava. It therefore ends up in Strava with no need for Bluetooth or a third party app.

That sounds a lot better, not being reliant on Bluetooth.

 

[Chislenko]

I can see your reluctance to depend on Bluetooth in that circumstance.
However, my experience with Bluetooth is very different. It just works.

You don't say what phone you have, its age nor the gps unit you use and its age.
I can't help wondering if they are a factor?

I can see also the attraction in spoken prompts from the watch.

If your phone is due for an upgrade is there anything to be said for looking for some kind of "combi" watch and phone deal?

The problem is wholly with the phone. My Bryton cycle computer always paired seemlessly with my old Motorola mobile and everything was hunky dory.

On purchasing a "new improved" Motorola mobile the Bryton will no longer pair with it. 12 months of conversation with the Motorola help desk have not solved the problem. That is basically the reason I do not want to be dependent on Bluetooth.

Apart from the Bluetooth issue the rest of the phone is fine for my needs so no real need to replace at the moment.

 

[Joffey]

Nearly correct. My Garmin uploads direct to Garmin Connect via WiFi, no need for Bluetooth or a third party app. My Garmin Connect and Strava accounts are linked so Garmin Connect passes it off to Strava. It therefore ends up in Strava with no need for Bluetooth or a third party app.

I confirm Garmin does this, even on old models like the Fenix 3HR. Any Garmin watch with wifi will do this.

 

[Mo1959]

My issue Mo is the continual un pairing of Bluetooth and having to re pair that I experienced with my cycle computer, so much so that I gave up in the end and at the end of a cycling outing I connect the cycle computer via a good old fashioned data cable to the laptop and upload the ride manually.

Is that something you can do with a Garmin watch should the Bluetooth unpair? That would certainly be a failsafe option.

I forgot to add, when you get a Garmin device, you download an app called Garmin Express to your computer and once your Garmin is connected, you get a settings page where you insert your Wi-Fi key and then it lets you update via Wi-Fi when you get home. I’m just back a 9 mile walk using my Garmin Epix. Got in the door, pressed save and within seconds it was uploaded both to Garmin Connect and Strava. My Garmin Edge for the bike is the same.

 

[fossyant]

There in lies the problem. Apple do actually say you can download the App onto their watches but I don't have an iPhone!

You'll need a phone to get the most out of a smart watch.

 

[Mo1959]

You'll need a phone to get the most out of a smart watch.

Yes, this is true, especially for initial set up, not quite as much after.

 

[Chislenko]

I forgot to add, when you get a Garmin device, you download an app called Garmin Express to your computer and once your Garmin is connected, you get a settings page where you insert your Wi-Fi key and then it lets you update via Wi-Fi when you get home. I’m just back a 9 mile walk using my Garmin Epix. Got in the door, pressed save and within seconds it was uploaded both to Garmin Connect and Strava. My Garmin Edge for the bike is the same.

Thanks Mo, so one final question, can you input multiple WiFi codes into the watch (like a phone ) for say when you are on holiday and are using the hotel / holiday home WiFi?

 

[fossyant]

Thanks Mo, so one final question, can you input multiple WiFi codes into the watch (like a phone ) for say when you are on holiday and are using the hotel / holiday home WiFi?

I'm sure mine shares the wifi codes with what's on the phone ! My watch connects initially with bluetooth to the phone, but if I'm out of range it will use the home wifi !

 

[Mo1959]

Thanks Mo, so one final question, can you input multiple WiFi codes into the watch (like a phone ) for say when you are on holiday and are using the hotel / holiday home WiFi?

Not sure about that to be honest. When I went into Wi-Fi settings on my Epix just now it does have an option to add network, but I always thought it had to be done initially using Garmin Express on a computer, so sorry, can’t say for sure.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

The problem is wholly with the phone. My Bryton cycle computer always paired seemlessly with my old Motorola mobile and everything was hunky dory.

On purchasing a "new improved" Motorola mobile the Bryton will no longer pair with it. 12 months of conversation with the Motorola help desk have not solved the problem. That is basically the reason I do not want to be dependent on Bluetooth.

Apart from the Bluetooth issue the rest of the phone is fine for my needs so no real need to replace at the moment.

In that case, I'd be taking a different approach - An important element of the phone is not working so I'd be looking for a replacement or an upgrade. From Motorola.

Do you know if this is a common problem with this model of phone or specific to yours?

Do you have any other Bluetooth devices or can you borrow any to test? Headphones, speakers, keyboards are all common bluetooth devices. Such a test could confirm where exactly the problem lies.

I understand your frustrations with Bluetooth but it's not my experience at all, across several phones (all cheapy Androids) and other Bluetooth devices. If you can solve that problem I think it will open up more opportunities for a watch.

 

[Dadam]

Seems to me the real issue here is not that the OP needs wifi, but that Bluetooth from their watch to their phone is unreliable. The fix therefore is to sort the Bluetooth comms. Wifi isn't really designed for small lower powered devices like watches, it's quite "expensive" in terms of battery life. That's literally what Bluetooth was designed for: lower power, lower bandwidth comms over a short distance.

To clear up some confusion in posts above. "Pairing" is a once-only activity* when you first set up a new device to talk to your existing device. A new "pair" of devices. What you're doing essentially is setting up the unique ID of each device in the list of allowed IDs held by the other device. Thereafter this pair of devices should only need to connect and in most cases this should be automatic. My Garmin watch is an older model, a Vivoactive3. The bluetooth upload to Garmin Connect and thence to Strava works seamlessly 9 times out of 10 but occasionally I need to go into the phone and tell it to connect to the watch to sync.

* occasionally, especially after a major software update, it's necessary to re-pair. If it's needed more regularly, there's a problem with one or both devices.

 

[Chislenko]

To reply to @Dadam and @HobbesOnTour

Yes, the problem is completely with the phone. As previously stated I never had an issue with my older Motorola. Have successfully paired the cycle computer to my wife's mobile and no problem.

Motorola (Lenovo) help desk have been sent lots of files from the phone but "can see nothing wrong" but they would say that!

Reading the Lenovo message board I am not the only owner to have experienced a similar problem with this model of phone.

As time has elapsed and newer models have been released any urgency in finding a fix for this model are well and truly down the priority list.

I think my state of "not really trusting the Bluetooth functionality of my phone is what is steering me towards a watch with WiFi capability.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

To reply to @Dadam and @HobbesOnTour

Yes, the problem is completely with the phone. As previously stated I never had an issue with my older Motorola. Have successfully paired the cycle computer to my wife's mobile and no problem.

Motorola (Lenovo) help desk have been sent lots of files from the phone but "can see nothing wrong" but they would say that!

Reading the Lenovo message board I am not the only owner to have experienced a similar problem with this model of phone.

As time has elapsed and newer models have been released any urgency in finding a fix for this model are well and truly down the priority list.

I think my state of "not really trusting the Bluetooth functionality of my phone is what is steering me towards a watch with WiFi capability.

As I said above I wouldn't be accepting that, especially if it's a known problem.

Sometimes these companies react better to Twitter or Facebook (ie public) calling out. It's not something I'd normally consider but in a case where the problem exists for other users and I had a product from the same company (that worked) but the new one doesn't I'd go all out.
Like I said, working Bluetooth will increase your options.

If that's not a road you want to go down then the only thing I can suggest is to be 1000% sure that the watch will operate off Wifi like you require.
Sometimes it's not at all clear just how a gps unit, for example, communicates with a phone. At that end of things, things can be very complicated.

Your question about other networks is a valid one. I can connect my phone to any WifI network but my unit will only connect to those that use a conventional password. For example, the usual Starucks type interface is no good to me. However, I rarely need to connect the unit to Wifi. A lot of things need to go wrong for it to be an issue.

 

[cyberknight]

I was looking at the new hal 9000 but for some reason it wont link to my security system and refuses to open the door

 

[Tenkaykev]

I was looking at the new hal 9000 but for some reason it wont link to my security system and refuses to open the door

Is that you Dave?