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Z1 Android Watch - Phone Review
Di Alex (del 13/09/2012 @ 21:08:19, in Informatica, linkato 19832 volte)

Z1 Smart Android 2.2 Watch Phone GPS WiFi , Bluetooth, Item ID #G1000

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Introduction

The Z1 Android watch-phone is pretty useful, with a strong os (2.2 Froyo), is possible to install Google market (with a little complex procedure described on  the homepage), and so I possible add many app, but this terminal is not intended for playing graphic games, with only 256Mb of RAM, and also video with divx codec are not playing.

RAM is 256Mb with 191 for user, internal memory has 311 Mb free, the phone comes with an 8gb SD.

Is quite possible to open comics, office documents (it comes with Documents to go), web pages, RSS, and basic game 2d like old palm games...

The 3g module is only for 2.5 so in Italy I can use only GPRS, but is better that nothing, and it has also a wifi connection!

The structure

The structure is in strong plastic, a little big for a watch, but comfortable after some time.

The audio is good, it is possible to make a call without change then position of your hand, and era music without a problem because of the good volume.

The button are useful:  volume, power and menu, but really is a problem that power button perform back function, power off only for screen and total power off, but not all the time because it depends of the time you press it, and really is not so simply to press it the right time.

I install “Screen Off” app and I store it on the dock side so I can turn off only the screen with a touch and I use power button only to perform back action and power off.

There is no HOME button, so i proceed to remap key-button and change volume to back and home function, now is perfect.

      

The Screen  and memory

The screen is good, with a good brightness and really useful from different position, perhaps it would be better if the screen or the watch was rotated for a better view from the wrist.

Really there is a problem to open icons app on the left and central bottom of the screen, because launcher understand you want only to perform a change of the screen... I think this problem is for the little size of the screen, but perhaps developer can solve this situation.

I decide to store the app icons only on the top and the right side so I have no problem.

The screen of my watch come with a dead pixel, but for his high resolution this is not a problem.

When is hot the touch-screen seems to have some problem to respond, but perhaps is also for the little memory (256mb) that, if is full, make android really slow.

I find solution for little ram memory, before I try ES task manager and Android assistant, but all apps itself take memory, so I find Ram Booster, and I uninstall system app: SNS and Chinese keyboard with  Antek App manager, and now I not find slow system actions any more.

Even if is quite possible to read text and surf the web, I really have problem to write text with the little keyboard, also for the touch-screen lag I describe before, also with the little stick, but I think it is not so necessary  for my necessity.

Other function

The battery is great, I can use the phone-watch for two days without charging, I use clock function, sometimes camera and I receive txt message from the other phone; the software has a really useful function that  completely power off the phone on an hour and restart it automatically in the morning so I can save my battery during night hours. The battery has a little time charging: good!

Useful the internal GPS (for Z1 but not for other version of this phone), it need the 3g data activated to perform the first search, but with my Navit app I can have always a GPS map with me.

The camera perform quick photo with a useful resolution, i think has a good rotation for making picture from the wrist. The camera app has many filter and useful utilities.

The data module is useful, even if in Italy it cannot use 3g.

Wifi connection is good, is not g/n but it make is work, and is not so under power, it can take the connection also far from rooter.

Software

The firmware is like a beta version, on his homepage ( find Z1 on http://www.ibuygou.com) the developer are listening the problems and working for solution, like the problem of the update of the lock-screen, when you turn on the watch the watch need 1 or 2 second to update the hour and the information.

I install Zeam Launcher instead of system launcher because I can make customization of the dock bar and is more useful for install, uninstall and make link to the apps.

The problem with the apps is also to find the one that can accept make all in landscape view.

I try “Widjet Locker” that I great to change lock-screen, and is the only one that start in landscape mode, but it take too  much ram memory :-<.

On manual the developer  say to use z4root, but it is not useful instead is perfect SimpleOneClick

There are many useful apps that can be installed:

Some versions have problem so i install only last version of “Root explorer” from Play Store, but not the ultimate “ES file manager”.

Silent Spy Camera” is useful to take picture touching everywhere on the screen .

I have a Galaxy s2, so this is only a second phone for me, how can I have information about what happened on my galaxy? I install “Phone Control” on Galaxy and “Phone Control Admin” on Z1, so every call or txt message send a txt message to my watch-phone and I can know all!

For GPS i use “Navit”, a light software opensource that i know from Webos.

Antek App manager” for perform uninstall actions on system app.

Ram Booster” to solve low memory problem.

Wifi File Explorer”  for access to the sd from lan.

Screen Filter” for night vision of the screen.

Act 1 Video player” for a good mp4 player (not avi, mpg or divix because of the little cpu and Ram memory)

Pocket”, “3B meteo”, ”Mocha VNC” for web  utilities.

Remote Eye” to perform camera remote control on my Galaxy S2”

Comic rack”, “gReader”, “Cool Reader”, “Note” and “WikiDroid” to read, but with a good great zoom!