Linuxslate.com Forums - The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 17

The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
May 12^th, 2014, 6:57am

Basically the same as my old Vapirius AX (Rock/Z1) that I've used daily for 2 years, but much cheaper and runs Android 4.1 and it has 320x240 2'' screen and not the square 240x240 1.5'' style of most watches which I can't get on with.

I'm going to order it and check it out. .

Nothing to lose at that price!

http://www.hongkongeek.com/en/smartwatches/5337-20-inches-watch-an1-with-android -41.html

http://www.dx.com/p/wearable-smart-phone-watch-an1-2-0-touch-screen-android-4-1- 1-w-camera-wi-fi-white-silver-314401#.U3COurBOWM9

Back to top

IP Logged

Administrator

Forum Administrator

Administrator

Posts: 166

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #1 - May 13^th, 2014, 9:00am

Quote:

I'm going to order it and check it out. .

Thanks for posting, and Please post a mini-review when you get it.

For those in the United States, This watch is available through Deal Extreme US Direct for much faster shipping.

http://usd.dx.com/product/wearable-smart-phone-watch-an1-2-0-touch-screen-androi d-4-1-1-w-camera-wi-fi-white-silver-901314401

Back to top

Mobile Linux ?
Got That!

IP Logged

marcusroberts Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache Linuxslate.com Forums Posts: 17	Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch Reply #2 - May 14^th, 2014, 5:13pm Indeed I will post a review when I receive it. It's being shipped by DHL Express from Hong Kong so when it will arrive is anyone's guess!
Back to top	IP Logged

marcusroberts

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 17

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #3 - May 21^st, 2014, 1:44pm

OK, it arrived.

First impressions are good. Better build than I had expected.

I have started to film a demo of it, but had long planned to first send a demo of my existing watch. Therefore most of this attached vid is me waffling on about that, with just a few seconds of the new one at the end. Hence, I'll upload a follow up in a few hours.

Haven't even booted it up yet! Initially panicked because it was dead, before I realised there was a tiny piece of protective film on the battery contacts. Makes sense!

Anyway, more detail to come but looks/feels good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yjVVHpP1AM

Back to top

IP Logged

marcusroberts Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache Linuxslate.com Forums Posts: 17	Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch Reply #4 - May 31^st, 2014, 4:24am Quick vid of the watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxzycSNQsz4 Looks like the price has increased from £70 to £82. Perhaps I should've kept it quiet
Back to top	IP Logged

yagigain

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 6

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #5 - Jun 6^th, 2014, 9:03pm

Hi, I got this watch phone this week. The main problem I am having it getting Google play onto it. It has some chinese playstore on it. If I just download the Google Play apk, then it just opens and closes straight away. I have tried about 10 different versions. I tried getting super user access and dropping it in the /system/apps folder, but no go. I tried downloading Google play services, and the when I open Google play there is hope for about 3 seconds as it thinking, then an error comes up ... Google play services has stopped !

I got Amazon apps on there, but it also crashes on the front screen. What I can do with Amazon is load it and immediately click on a link and will stop it from crashing, but it doesn't have the apps I want. I had a few specific uses for the watch that needs apps off Google Play.

Any ideas on getting Google play on it ?

Back to top

IP Logged

marcusroberts

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 17

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #6 - Jun 7^th, 2014, 7:05am

Yes I had that problem but finally installed all google apps , play store syncadapters etc.

Problem was getting the right files from the outset and then they'll all update after.

I got rid of the Chinese market and Baidu stuff immediately.

It is straight forward to install all Google stuff, but still spent days figuring it out!

Will post it here asap.

Back to top

IP Logged

marcusroberts

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 17

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #7 - Jun 7^th, 2014, 7:35pm

Quote from yagigain on Jun 6^th, 2014, 9:03pm:

Hi, I got this watch phone this week. The main problem I am having it getting Google play onto it. It has some chinese playstore on it. If I just download the Google Play apk, then it just opens and closes straight away. I have tried about 10 different versions. I tried getting super user access and dropping it in the /system/apps folder, but no go. I tried downloading Google play services, and the when I open Google play there is hope for about 3 seconds as it thinking, then an error comes up ... Google play services has stopped !

I got Amazon apps on there, but it also crashes on the front screen. What I can do with Amazon is load it and immediately click on a link and will stop it from crashing, but it doesn't have the apps I want. I had a few specific uses for the watch that needs apps off Google Play.

Any ideas on getting Google play on it ?

Here are my instructions for putting all the correct Google Play stuff and thereby having a full non-Chinese Android. Remember to totally uninstall all the Chinese Market and Baidu.

Download the files from here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/56ppcal1t9dwm6g/AACubjVgwQIcFjVv0_wvo05na

1. Use Root Explorer

2. Copy GoogleServicesFramework.apk, GoogleLoginService.apk and Google_Play-v3.8.17.apk to the system/app folder on your phone with Root Explorer.

3. In Root Explorer click Mount R/W. Change the permissions of the 3 files to match the permissions of the other files in the folder rw-r--r-- (6-4-4). Then click Mount R/O and exit Root Explorer.

4. Install GoogleCalendarSyncAdapter and GoogleContactsSyncAdapter the usual app way.

5. Reboot your phone. Hard reset is not necessary.

6. Go to Accounts & Sync in your phone's settings, click Add account and enter your Google/GMail account details.

7. Go to your apps and Launch Google Play.

8. Update any Google stuff from Play Store if prompted.

I'll do a vid of this sometime.
Good luck!

Marcus

Back to top

IP Logged

yagigain

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 6

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #8 - Jun 8^th, 2014, 5:28am

Thank you very much for the instructions

I followed them, couldn't get it to run at first, but I had some old files in apps from my failed attempt to get Google Play installed. Cleared out all that stuff and it finally ran !

The only problem I am having now, is that I can go into the play store, I can select the app, I can download the app, it says installed, but there is no Open button (only an uninstall button) and no icon is installed anyway, so I can't launch the app, I can't even find it on the SD card (I have selected install apps on SD card in settings). BUT some apps do install and open, but only 2 out of maybe 10 that I have installed. I thought it might be a space issue as /system only has 710K left, but it is mounted R/O anyway, so it shouldn't be that. Still tryng to work that out ... if I could find the log files .. no /var/log

Back to top

IP Logged

marcusroberts

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 17

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #9 - Jun 8^th, 2014, 6:14am

Quote from yagigain on Jun 8^th, 2014, 5:28am:

Thank you very much for the instructions

I followed them, couldn't get it to run at first, but I had some old files in apps from my failed attempt to get Google Play installed. Cleared out all that stuff and it finally ran !

The only problem I am having now, is that I can go into the play store, I can select the app, I can download the app, it says installed, but there is no Open button (only an uninstall button) and no icon is installed anyway, so I can't launch the app, I can't even find it on the SD card (I have selected install apps on SD card in settings). BUT some apps do install and open, but only 2 out of maybe 10 that I have installed. I thought it might be a space issue as /system only has 710K left, but it is mounted R/O anyway, so it shouldn't be that. Still tryng to work that out ... if I could find the log files .. no /var/log

Interesting, I've not seen that but will try to replicate.

I'm guessing you've tried a hardreset and start the Google installation before anything else?

Also make sure all Chinese things are removed first off...

Back to top

IP Logged

yagigain

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 6

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #10 - Jun 8^th, 2014, 1:09pm

Seems to be working for most apps now. Google in their wisdom, have decided my account is high risk so I can't buy the final 2 apps I was after at this point (same account I have used to pay for Google adwords for years .. but anyway).

As for the phone/watch, it is big, probably bigger than I was expecting but it's got everything, Wifi, GPS, 2G, Camera and Android OS. I use to use a big old GSM PDA years ago (mostly for SSH access into Linux servers when I was away from the office) and I see these watch phones will be what the PDA was to the iPhone one day, half the size battle is power and the size of the battery.

The Wifi range isn't great, I have had to rig up a repeater in my lounge room to get a good enough signal into it, on the other hand the 2G signal seems ok, and GPS seems ok too. Camera is usable but is about the quality you would expect on a small device. One thing to watch for, is the screen scratches very easily, like when you try to clean it. I might try to polish the fine scratches out and put a protection cover on it.

When going back to my Experia Z1, the screen looks so nice and it is so smooth to use ... makes me appreciate it.

All in all though, its a fun bit of gear, but there is some evolution to come yet.

Back to top

IP Logged

marcusroberts

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 17

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #11 - Jun 8^th, 2014, 1:55pm

Yes, you're absolutely right about that screen. Even oxygen seems to scratch it! My other smartwatch has been used everyday for a couple of years and the screen still looks brand new.

I've made it worse by trying to give it a wipe with a lint free cloth!

Lesson = don't even take it out of the box until you get a good screen protector..

Not sure if the screen can be prised off and replace?

On the plus side, I have accidentally worn it in the shower at least twice, and for several minutes under pressure, and no water appears to have affected it.

Back to top

IP Logged

yagigain

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 6

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #12 - Jun 8^th, 2014, 10:35pm

Quote:

Not sure if the screen can be prised off and replace?

hehe, well I woulnd't like to be the one to try ! Once you start that process it could be no return if it goes wrong. I am thinking some plastic polish might work, like the stuff they use to polish car headlights, but would need to be very careful testing it ... that also could go very wrong.

Back to top

IP Logged

yagigain

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 6

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #13 - Jun 9^th, 2014, 2:36am

Well I tried to polish out the scratches .... it wasn't really working, by the time you wipe to polish off its scratched again, I was pretty dissapointed ... then I noticed that the screen looked like it was lifting at one edge, so I stuck my fingernail under it and it lifted right up, leaving a beautiful piece of glass under it ! The plastic ontop IS a screen protector, thats why it scratches so easily. So I am going to leave it on and try and find a better, clearer protector. There was another piece of plastic on the phone when I got it, which I ripped off, but that seems to be the protector to protect the screen protector !

Back to top

« Last Edit: Jun 9^th, 2014, 4:18am by yagigain »

IP Logged

marcusroberts

Thinks a tablet is something you take for a headache

Linuxslate.com
Forums

Posts: 17

Re: The Cheapest 'Proper' Smartphone Watch
Reply #14 - Jun 9^th, 2014, 4:03am

Quote from yagigain on Jun 9^th, 2014, 2:36am:

Well I tried to polish out the scratches .... it wasn't really working, by the time you wipe to polish off its scratched again, I was pretty dissapointed ... then I noticed that the screen looked like it was lifting at one edge, so I stuck my fingernail under it and it lifted right up, leaving a beautiful piece of glass under it ! The plastic ontop IS a screen protector, thats why I scratches so easily. So I am going to leave it on and try and find a better, clearer protector. There was another piece of plastic on the phone when I got it, which I ripped off, but that seems to be the protector to protect the screen protector !

You sir, are a star. Thanks!

I can't believe I missed this. I suspect most others who have this watch are also oblivious.

I'd be very interested to know if you find an alternative screen protector that fits, or if it's an existing one cut-down. Do please share if you find one.

Cheers again!

Back to top

IP Logged