Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATE - 1/13/14: Shortly after I wrote my original review I returned my Gear and decided to pursue other devices. This was just before the firmware update last December. I was frustrated with the limited notifications and battery life. So I decided to try the new Qualcomm Toq. I tried the Toq for about a week and returned it. Pros: - Excellent battery life (7 days) - Always on Mirasol color display (great in sunlight) - Robust notification capabilities - Cool wireless charging case but micro-usb is still preferred. Cons: - You must cut the watch band for sizing - yikes! - Clunky design - not as comfortable to wear as the gear. - No voice note capability - Battery located at the bottom of the watch strap. - Confusing navigation - Expensive $350 Then I decided to try the new Sony Smartwatch 2. I had this watch for three days and returned it too. Pros: - Nice size - not too big - Display can still be read after backlight shuts down - Good build quality - Good app availability - good battery life Cons: - no voice note capability - vibrate mode is loud and can not be adjusted - confusing navigation So after all of that I re-purchased the Galaxy Gear yesterday! The new firmware update brings two major enhancements - usable notifications for all apps and extended battery life (from 24 hours to 48 hours). Things I appreciate about the Gear after reviewing the Toq and Smartwatch 2: 1) Design and build quality is superior 2) Ability to make voice notes is very useful for me 3) The display is best in class at the moment 4) The interface both on the phone and the watch is polished and intuitive 5) Camera seems odd but can be useful in the right situations ORIGINAL REVIEW: I've been using the Galaxy Gear watch for a few days now along with the new Note 3 which I received last week. There have been a lot of negative reviews about this product but I don't think the reviewers fully understand the full potential of this product. This is a well designed and nicely made 1.0 wearable digital device with limited software and application support. As the software matures and the number of apps increase this device will get better an better. I don't see any large manufacturer like Apple or Samsung producing a smartwatch that isn't dependent on their phone platform. They don't want to cannibalize their handset market. I have a feeling apple's upcoming wearable will have the same limitations and constraints as the Galaxy Gear. What's smart: - S-Memo - ability to make voice notes by talking to your watch and have them transcribed and stored on your device. - Camera - actually takes surprisingly good photos - Mail/SMS notifications - you can read them on the watch including mail accounts from gmail, hotmail, etc. - S-Voice interface to make calls, send texts, etc. - Build quality seems to be very good - Comfortable to wear - not as big and clunky as I thought it would be on my wrist What's not so smart: - Native support for other apps like gmail and Facebook are just notifications - you have to use your phone to read the content. - Battery life is about 24 hours - Limited app support but I expect this to get dramatically better soon