Category: Tech

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Galaxy Watch vs. Apple Watch: A User’s Perspective 2025

The Samsung Galaxy Watch has been gaining popularity, but does it truly stack up against the reigning champion, the Apple Watch? As a user who has experienced both, I’ve noticed some key differences.

Now before going to the actual differences, I would like to state that I’ve been using Apple Watch since around 2020 and also use the MI band 7 as well as other sport tracking variables.

And while the Apple Watch remains to be the best or as close to actual medical devices in terms of fitness and sleep tracking, the MI band 7 was also acceptable with decent results while other devices not so much.

So I was really looking forward to an official Apple Watch competitor from Samsung. A well-established brand that should have the necessary funds to rival Apple, as well as me using Android Galaxy phones for years.

Keep in mind that I’m not using the latest Galaxy Watch and rather the fourth version but it’s still getting updates and the tracking features are decent with not that much difference between the latest watch and my Galaxy Watch 4.

I have applied all the updates as of writing of this post. Keep in mind that this is not a review but rather a quick user perspective.

Size and Weight


One of the most noticeable differences is the bulkier size and weight of the Galaxy Watch compared to my Apple Watch 7. While some may prefer a larger display, the Galaxy Watch can feel significantly heavier on the wrist, especially during workouts or sleep.

App Ecosystem:


The app ecosystem is where the Galaxy Watch significantly lags behind. While Samsung has been expanding its app selection, it still pales in comparison to the vast and diverse app library available for the Apple Watch. This limitation can significantly impact the smartwatch’s overall functionality and usefulness.

In short, 99% of Apple Watch apps are Not available on the Galaxy Watch which is a shame as the hardware is more than capable with less restrictions than watchOS.

Strava Integration:


For fitness enthusiasts, Strava integration is crucial. While both watches can connect to Strava, the Apple Watch generally offers a smoother and more seamless experience. Non GPS activities are not synced to Strava despite having no such issue on the Apple Watch. Why Samsung?!

Health and Sleep Tracking:

Both watches offer health and sleep tracking features, but the accuracy and overall user experience can vary. Some users have reported that the Galaxy Watch’s health and sleep tracking data may not be as accurate or insightful as the Apple Watch’s.

The quantum scientist testes and compares the health features and the Galaxy Watch 4 did not score that well being out performed by the likes of MI Band.

What I did like about Samsung Health Rings is that you can change your goals and the way they are calculated unlike Apple watch where it’s set by Apple.

Conclusion


The Galaxy Watch offers a compelling alternative to the Apple Watch with its own unique features and design. However, its limitations in app selection, Strava integration, and potentially less accurate health tracking may be significant drawbacks for some users.

Especially that you can get cheaper brands like MI and Fitbit with significantly more accurate results and integration.

I am still testing and discovering features as I write this. Also Samsung have been pushing many updates that supposedly improve the accuracy and features.

Get a cheap used one if you’re using Galaxy phones obviously. Otherwise go for Apple Watch or cheaper brands.


Disclaimer: This is a personal opinion based on individual user experience. Your own experience may vary.
I hope this blog post is helpful! Let me know if you’d like me to expand on any of these points or add any additional information.

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WhatsApp Dark Mode is amazing on Android!

WhatsApp Android dark mode looks sick on my Galaxy S9. Way better than on my iPhone 11. I always prefer the dark gray over true black.

Had to download the apk from the official website as I still did not get the update. Another benefit to Android I guess. Not to mention you can’t turn it on separately on iOS.

Been waiting for this for a long time especially on iPhone since the app design on iOS has more white space. Had to even toggle a setting to reduce bright colors.

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The Galaxy S8 made me love big phones

I’ve been an iPhone user since the iPhone 4s. The size was good enough for me switching from Blackberry. Then came the Galaxy Note II. I hated the experience almost instantly but had to finish my contract only to get back to the iPhone 5s followed by 6s which was by far the best iPhone I used. I still regret selling it as it had been with me on both of my recent memorable trips but I traded it for the iPhone 7.

Back to the point. I got myself the Nexus 6p but also hated it for how big the phone felt comparable to my iPhone 6s. My iPhone felt just the right side until I got the Galaxy S8. I covered the phone up almost immediately as it was way too slippery for my liking slipping out of my pocket more than once.

After using the phone for 6 months I must say I got used to how big the screen was. Holding the phone felt great as it the curved screen made it feel smaller than it was. Going back to the iPhone 7 felt wired. The text size was unacceptable as well as the phone’s size in general. I would go for the plus size should I ever go back to the iPhone.

Of course, not all big phones are comfortable to hold and there are still limits on how big a usable phone is to me. The Nexus 6P shape, for example, is harder to squeeze due to its flat edges rather than the likes of the Galaxy S8 curved. The Note 8 seems impossible to use with one hand hence the reason I went to the normal size Galaxy S8. But overall I’m all for bigger phones. Bigger than the standard iPhone that is. All thanks to my S8.

The downsides of having a large phone are the inability to use it with one hand and issue of it constantly falling out of my pocket. I used a case for a better grip. Sure it made the phone little bulkier but it is a fair trade I guess. The one hand mode made it easier to navigate but nothing beats IOS double tap to minimize (one hand mode). Bottom line is, the screen looks amazing and everything displayed is pleasant to look at. If you are like me and hate big phones, get the Galaxy S8. You will love it.

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Why I ditched Dropbox for Google

Where do I start? Dropbox was my go-to backup service when it came to my digital pictures and videos. I still remember discussing cloud storage with my coworker “its a simple, automatic backup for your phone’s pictures”. I was instantly sold. Before that, my digital pictures were scattered across my flash drive, portable hard disk and PC. What made the deal even sweeter was my Samsung Galaxy Note II promo which added free extra space.

I continued to pay for the next three years witnessing the company release and cancel carousel and upgrade the space to 1 TB thanks to Google’s bold move. This is however when I started to notice a few things that bothered me and initially pushed me to cancel my subscription. To put it simply;

“The company no longer innovated or cared about the non business users.”

Paying 10 bucks a month while not allot in it self-do add up. A couple years back Dropbox was the only solid gamer in town. Not so much in 2018. In fact, Dropbox offers you the least when compared to other services namely One Drive and Google Photos.

For $7 a month, One Drive offers 1 TB of storage as well as Office 365. Not bad considering your getting free full office apps along with your subscription. On top, your also getting files on demand feature that cost extra in Dropbox. Add the amazing Android support and you have a must buy deal. What extras does Dropbox offer? Non.

Speaking of Google Photos. The service offers FREE unlimited pictures and videos backup! FREE. Yes, the files are slightly compressed but the average consumer can’t tell the difference and you can’t beat FREE! A paid subscription gives you full resolution backups as well 1 TB of space for any other file. But what really makes Google Photos stand out is the ability to backup live photos. Seeing photos come to life is amazing plus you can download the short video on itself. As a bonus, all of your pictures are categorized and are searchable. What extras does Dropbox offer? Nothing again.

Which above subscription should you choose can be subjective but one thing is for sure: It’s not Dropbox. I supported the company for the few years I used it and even advocated the service to friends and family but I can no longer recommend it to anyone. The company is clearly trying to milk its users base with the new personal plans while offering nothing in exchange. I can’t even create albums for my pictures let alone organize and search them like Google Photos. So in essence, I’m paying more for less.

I know this may sound strange coming for a guy who loved Dropbox as he switched away and switched back before but one can love a product so much before realizing that the company is no longer interested in offering the best it can. I’m currently using my Galaxy S8’s promotion space on One Drive while also uploading to Google Photos. I’m leaning toward dropping all and just upload to Google Photos via a paid subscription. But then again, going over the limit and not paying will stop my Gmail from working but that’s fair I guess.

My final word for Dropbox: Get your act together. Taking your customers for granted while living off your legacy can work so much before they start looking for another lover. I wish Dropbox the best. As for me, I’m off to Google Photos.

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Microsoft has a second chance at Browser Wars

microsoft_edge_logoMicrosoft recently announced Edge, the new replacement for its legacy browser Internet Explorer. It’s not secret that IE has brought shame over Microsoft for its old and not so polished web browser mainly version 6, and although things has changed for the better in later updates the reputation haven’t.

All that is behind us as Microsoft reenter the browser wars with its new as the name suggest cutting Edge web browser. “Labeled as Gets things done” we can only assume that the new browser should make every day tasks little easier. Unfortunately we don’t have a final version so any speculations at this point are not 100% accurate as the browser is still in its early alpha/beta stage but judging from Microsoft bold statements things look promising.

spartan_tablet_image

It is worth noting that Edge will be Windows 10 exclusive meaning no backwards compatibility with older Windows but Microsoft promised to keep support of IE little longer due to corporates  still using it.

Little late but better than never.

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Testing the wordpress IOS app’s latest update

Not so long ago I blogged about testing the ios wordpress app and the result was not so promising as the app had very basic editor. Now that the app was updated to include a visual one, its time to test it again.

The first thing I noticed is the lack of spell check. While not a deal breaker, a spell check is important considering you are blogging from a phone or an iPad.

The other thing is the lack of formatting options for the text. Now unlike the spell check, this feature is a must for a serious blog post.

Despite the above, I am please with the new update. I will blog more on the go and hope that the app gets even better.

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Why am I returning to Dropbox

dboxSo about a year ago I wrote a post about how excited was I to switch to Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage. I heavily used it for a month only to return to Dropbox. Here is why:

The upload order:

I mostly use the cloud as a fast backup and lately the only one. Now I know that this is a very bad practice I still tend to do it. any way, most of the photos uploaded came from camera upload from my iPhone; most of the photos were out of order placing them at the bottom or the top of the list.

I managed to do a quick work around but hated to redo it every time I was looking for a specific photo and the work around will sometimes stop working.

The fail rate:

I will be the first to admit; the rate is not high. Never the less, this created the problem above as photos will not upload in the correct way. The fails came from both the iPhone and my Windows PC.

Windows 8.1:

The final nail in the coffin: Once I made the upgrade to 8.1, Windows automatically set to download everything without an option to turn this off. No joke. I searched the internet for hours with the only work around is to login on the web interface and turn it off.

Even that was a headache as the control options were as confusing. I decided to unlink the PC from my account and delete everything. Big mistake, everything was deleted from the web as well despite me unlinking the PC. After all that I decided that enough is enough.

Not only did I made the jump to DropBox I also format my PC and reinstalled windows 8 which in turn made my gaming performance better and used less C space.

Now comes the good part, the things I enjoyed:

I admit, having a full latest version of Office complimentary really sweeten the deal. I will still use OneDrive along with Office Online for my main documents editing.

Final Note: I am not knocking off OneDrive off the cloud table, for many this is the perfect option and if you use Office like 90% of the world then OneDrive is a very good choice.

Like I said, for me cloud is about uploading and backing up my pictures so Dropbox is the perfect option despite having little share controls with the free version. The Paid one gets you 1 TB just like Google Drive and OneDrive so for me it made sense to switch back to something I love.

Now if Google Drive had the camera upload instead of jumping through Google+, I would have maybe change my mind?

Any way, both OneDrive and Dropbox are a serious cloud options for any one serious about backing up backing up their collection.

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Microsoft is working on a new VR Headset for Xbox One

Xbox_One_VR

VRFocus confirmed that Microsoft is working on a new Virtual Reality Headset for the Xbox One. Not surprising since this is a direct response to Sony’s  Project Morpheus and Oculus Rift.

What I don’t understand is; Why are Sony and Microsoft spending time and money on gimmicks? There will be a time for virtual reality and the matrix but it is not this day. Concentrate on fixing your consoles and optimize them. Fix the whole 1080p drama and help develop bugs free games. Time and energy is spent on failed so called future tech that no one will probibly care about, just like the Wii controller, just PS cam, just like Xbox kinect and so on.

I remember when the 3D craze was just getting started and they were selling us that the home 3D screen are the future only that no one cared and android smart TVs were flying off shelf instead.

When will the big boys realize that we just want proper games? This whole next gen future gadgets thing is getting out of hand. Gone are the days when I can simply insert the CD and start the game. Now we have to download 15GB+ day one patches and hope that games will be fixed later.

I am yet to find a reason to buy a next gen console as I can get everything on the PC for way cheaper and better. I find my self interested more in retro than the modern era consoles and crap like this only makes me want to stay in the past.

Nintendo on the other hand is trying to stay true to gaming but the horrible Wii U 3rd party support and the overpriced controller is killing them. Gaming companies should go back into making games fun to play and enjoyable instead on concentrating on crap no one is asking for.

Noe excuse me while I go look for food while browsing eBay for some real old school games. Out.

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New Steam Controller design appears in the latest Steam beta

steamThe latest Steam controller concept update was discovered in the new Steam client beta. While I’m not nig on this controller concept to be honest or even the upcoming Steam OS which is basically a Linux distro; this is good for competition and ideas.

The controller itself looks decent, nothing special but has the Steam feel into it. I need to hold it and game with it for sometime to give final judgment but I’m happy that someone is making something new in tech and gaming. Your thoughts?

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Pokemon goes V.R using Oculus Rift

pokemon_vrA dream come true for old school Nintendo and Pokemon fans. Pokemon has gone VR. Well not really but this test created by a developer using a motion control and Oculus Rift.

How do I personally feel? I don’t know. Sure it’s cool to be using VR in games but are we there yet? And the most important question; Will this be the next 3D? I remember the craze that came along with the new 3D technology, I my self own a 3D TV and I am yet to test it. Truth is, no body cares any more. The hype shifted to the smart TV which is basically running android on your TV. And with the whole Facebook, Oculus Rift deal things can go south.

I’m not saying this is the next gimmick but I also not sold that this is the future. Just like flying cars, this is just something we are not yet ready to do. Concentrate on making Great games > This VR thing.

I just don’t want this to be the next Wii controller. Doing VR for the sake of VR. Concentrate on making great games and when if Oculus Rift becomes mainstream then and only then jump on the train. Now I realize that no official statement or support been made regarding this but I feel like developers will take note and try to early adopt for the sake of adoption.

I said it twice, I will take great games over new gimiks any day.