yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Other SmartWatches] luigiwidmore:
Hello guys ,

I've haven't posted since the time of bricking and ressurecting the watch and since i posted the initial firmware the ZGPAX provided , but i was closely watching the thread. I initially taught that Cun Ling was stalling when he said the factory is developing a new firmware but i have to admit , i am surprised.

I just finished installing it and at first seemed pretty laggish , as some of you said , but i switched from Dalvik to Art , and even with SetCPU at 599 Mhz , now the watch runs acceptable good.

All google apps are working now , google now is actually syncronizing with the phone and i get same notifications , already have the locations from the phone and road suggestions. Basicly i updated the firmware for G Now . And actually , when i bricked the watch , i was attepting to manually flash gapps.

I was reading here that somebody else tried that with same result , too bad he did not read the whole thread as i explained very clear what i tried to do and what happened. But if i remember correctly he managed to unbrick it as well , so everything is great.

My only concern now would be the battery life , on the old firmware i managed to get it to work but Google Play Services started to drain the battery very fast.

Hopefully now it won't be the case , i'm using Greenify to keep some apps in dormant state untill i actually need them , but if i don't get the notifications instantly , it kinda ruins the fun of a smartwatch. Another way of preserving the battery would be some tasker automatizations , and i hope it will make at least a little difference.

Bottom line so far , with the new firmware , and assuming i get at least 1 day of moderate use , this watch might actually be perfect.

Hope you guys are enjoying it as much as i do.

Have a nice day all of you , and looking forward to hear what apps are you using to get the best of it , and what modding / tunning did you do to it..
[Other SmartWatches] 5393:
When you return to the factory settings IMEI is not lost. You only lose contact if they were not recorded on the SIM card
[Other SmartWatches] aloysxda:
Thank you.

Maybe I don't understand really, but I have no contacts on the sim card. I made phonecall for about 5 minutes.

Do you mean that the contacts number should stored on the sim card ?
[Other SmartWatches] 5393:
If you do a factory reset through the phone menu, the IMEI is not lost. If you upgrade to the new firmware, there is a possibility of losing the IMEI. So I advise you to write down your IMEI and store it separately. View IMEI can be typing * # 06 #
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
I received my zgpax s8 today and i am so far very happy with it although the battery is now at 4 % after 4 hour of very intensive use.

But i encountered one problem so far:

I downloaded Google Mail to check my mails but if i open the app i get this message:

"Google Play services which some of your applications rely on, is not supported by your device. Please contact the manufacturer for assistance."

Anyone here who encountered the same problem?
[Other SmartWatches] lirona:
David Hi,

I install this new firmwaer and I don't get my contact!!!

The Playstore OK.

Please help me,

Thanks,

Arie.
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
If i download google play services from this site: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.gms&hl=de and install it afterwards i get "Package file was not signed correctly. Uninstall the previous copy of the app and try again." What can i do here to get GMail running?

If i download the play services from here: http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google.../google-play-services-6-5-96-1630522-438-apk/ and move it manually to my s8 i get an error if i click on it to install:

"There was a problem parsing the package."
[Other SmartWatches] hotboy_92:
SW_Tech the best way to get Google Play Services running is to flash the new firmware posted here a couple of days ago. Much of this thread is dedicated to people trying to get Play Services working and struggled, me included. Flashing the new firmware makes it all work.

---------- Post added at 08:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:52 PM ----------

I'll give Art a try.

Battery life has definitely tumbled with the new firmware. I was getting two days of light use - emails and tasks synced over wifi and notifications, occasional "OK google" searches and frequent time checking, Bluetooth on and phone radio OFF. At the moment it's less than a day under similar usage. Hopefully we'll work out how to tune it for better battery life! I've noticed it getting a bit warm today too. Using a number of battery optimisers and memory cleaners to keep on top of things.

I know I asked it a few pages back, but does anyone else's S8 start doing random "screen taps" when the watch gets a bit warm? Mine can become unusable as it starts opening apps and even tapping on the dialler if it opens that. Looks like a ghost is using it!
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
If i start Flashtool i don't see a download button and where do i have to select the firmare?
[Other SmartWatches] hotboy_92:
Lock screen widgets?

So with the new firmware I'm almost at the "perfect" smart watch. Battery life and false screen taps aside of course!

I'm trying to get my user environment just perfect. I'm using Google Now Launcher, which is about as good as I want. However I'd like a better lock screen. Ideally I want something like Dashclock as my lockscreen, but there doesn't seem to be the option to "enable widgets" in our security settings (I'm using swipe to unlock). Has anyone managed to enable widgets?

Alternatively is there another lock screen I can get, that is customisable for clocks, notifications, system status etc. that will work with our watches?

Thanks

Rob
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
If i load up Flash Tool and select the MT6572_Android_scatter.txt and plug in my smartwatch (should it be turned off or on?) and press download: nothing happens? Should i choose a authentication, certification or nand util file?
[Other SmartWatches] hotboy_92:
In the firmware download is a word document that shows you how to select the "scatter" file.

---------- Post added at 09:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:14 PM ----------

Watch should be OFF. If you are on a Windows PC, press download and THEN plug in the USB cable. You should hear the "hardware plugged in" sound briefly, then Flash Tool detects it and takes over. You should then see a red bar in Flash Tool. At this point press the volume key on the watch a few times and the bar changes colour and starts installing the firmware.

If, instead, you hear the "hardware unplugged" sound straight away then your drivers are not working for the loader.
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
Hm i installed both the ComPortDriver and the ModemPortDriver. But i did not hear the typical sound if you plug in a usb device. Is it possible for windows to detect a device which is turned off? If i turn it on i can access my s8 like a normal usb drive and move files around.
[Other SmartWatches] hotboy_92:
Yes, when you plug it in and it is turned off, the computer tries to detect it, but it only remains detected very briefly. It should get detected (look in device manager in the Ports section) as a PreLoader USB VCOM (Android) and then disappear a second or so later. If it doesn't the PreLoader driver hasn't installed proplery. Search this thread for PreLoader to see tips on how to get that working. You might need to use USBDeview as mentioned in some posts.

Getting the PreLoader to work was the biggest frustration for me.
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
I am using Windows 8.1 is that a problem maybe because the drivers are just labeled for windws 7?

If i open USBDeview i get the S8:
[Other SmartWatches] hotboy_92:
Definitely doesn't look like the PreLoader driver is there. If the PreLoader discussions in this thread (post 416) don't help, try googling MTK PreLoader installation or something like that.

Good luck!
[Other SmartWatches] luigiwidmore:
I never had any heating problems with this watch , but before it , i had both the S5 and S6 , and S5 had this problem so after some debating on that thread , i concluded that using SetCPU to underclock the CPU the problem goes away.

Since then i have done that to S6 and S8 as well , the problem never appeared again , the battery life improved a little and i did not get any significant performance issues.

So i'd say this is what we need to do. 1.2 dual core seems more then we might need on a watch anyway. S5 and S6 had the option to set the max CPU freq at 250mhz , and i used to keep it that way. S8 has a minimum of 599 Mhz , this is what i use now.

Let me know if it helps in any way your heating problem and battery life.

Also , for the other users having trouble upgrading the firmware , the issues are most likely from incorectly installing the drivers.

I don't have a step by step tutorial or a "formula" on how to install them as i tried many scenarios before i made it work and i think it was pure luck , but i'm on win 8.1 as well and i had to unistall all previous drivers , press reboot in start menu while holding the shift key , from that menu i had to disable the driver signature requirement , and only after that i managed to install the needed drivers. It's a bit of a pain in the a$$ on win 8 so i'd suggest using win 7 or older.

Hope this will help you guys , upgrading to the new firmware is totally worth it. If you upgrade it and consider that the sacrifice of battery over google apps was not worth it you can use greenify or other apps to freeze anything google related and get back to the battery life you had before , without google apps.

Good Luck.
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
If You need help installing the MTK Preloader

***(Before anything, please disable Drivers Signature)***

Step 1 :- Firstly Download MTK USB VCOM Drivers for you device model from the below link.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/cypm22rgs2k83ji/MT6577+USB+VCOM+drivers.rar

Step 2 :- Now open Device Manager in your PC by right clicking on My Computer and then click on Manage.

Step 3 :- Next go to Device Manager in that and click on your PC name and then click on Add legacy hardware, see below screenshot.

Step 4 :- Now in Add Hardware Wizard click on Next >> Install the Hardware that i manually select from a list (Advanced) >> Show All Devices >> Next >>Have a Disk >> Browse, Now select the any inf file from where you extracted the downloaded drivers.

Step 5 :- Now click on Next on the wizard to install the drivers and when promoted for security issue just click on install any anyway to finish the driver installation.

Step 6 :- That’s it after clicking on Finish Restart your PC and use your tool with VCOM Drivers.
[Other SmartWatches] janek69:
I was s5 also and i also use this methods with system tuner. Can freeze apps and can force stop app when you turn on or off the screen.... The S8 much better then S5, except the camera. The camera awful in S8,the 2Mpx camera of S5 much better.
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
[MENTION=1258524]sseng587[/MENTION]

Thanks for your detailed explanation. I will try these steps if i am at home again :)
[Other SmartWatches] luigiwidmore:
Anyone has any ideea if the firmware from ZGPAX S8 would work on the ZGPAX S6 ? Specs are not too different. Here they are for S6. And S8
[Other SmartWatches] lirona:
Hi,

How I put my contacts to my watch with this tool?

Thanks,

Arie.
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
I did that but if i go to the device manager and klick on the MediaTek DA USB VOM Port (COM4) and under "General" i get under "status":

So if i open the Smart Phone Flash Tool and load up my Scatter File and press download and then plugin my zgpax: nothing happens. Help :confused:
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
Do i have to remove the battery of the zgpax so flash the firmware? On google veryone says without battery? Is this even working on Windows 8.1 64 Bit???
[Other SmartWatches] hotboy_92:
No need to remove the battery. Just turn the watch off. Then plug in the usb whilst it is off. You should hear windows detect it, then "remove" it a second or so later. Did u disable driver signing in windows?
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
Yes.

I don't hear it and i also don't see the s8 in my device manager!!!

I am wasting my second day just because zgpax is incapable to produce a correct functioning product :mad:

---------- Post added at 09:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:59 PM ----------

I put the turned off zgpax s8 in two different laptops: one with windows 7 and one with windows xp and on none of them i saw a device flashing up :(
[Other SmartWatches] lirona:
You need to go to setting and uncheck the fast boot.

Best regards and Ihope I help you,

Arie.
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
No need, it will detect it when the watch is turn off.
[Other SmartWatches] lirona:
Hi my friends,

I installed the LauncherPro Plus and I'm very happy because it works fine for me, When I click on home button I return to the default Launcher and then I can slide down the statusbar will be visible, I have on the watch the app "Home Switcher" that I can choose which one I want, It is works perfect.

If there is something special for us please bring us.

Best Regards,

Arie.
[Other SmartWatches] janek69:
You can make visible the statusbar in all other launcher also with gravitybox. I use BIG launcher. Not very nice,but perfect for this mini display.
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
hey janek, how do you freeze google play services, so i can save battery power. thanks
[Other SmartWatches] lirona:
Ok, But you need to root your watch, I didn't.

Thanks,

Arie.
[Other SmartWatches] janek69:
I use system tuner,but romtoolbox also good.
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
I deactivated it but i still don't see the MTxxx in my device manager. Why is this for everyone working but not for me? Is it confirmed to work in windows 8???
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
Try it on a different computer. It might just work, and maybe there's stuff on your computer that's conflicting with the mtk drivers. I had problems using my desktop before, but i I was able to get it working on my laptop.
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
If i plug my TURNED ON ZGPAX S8 to my Windows XP notebook i get this in the device manager:

But if i turn it off i also don't see it.

If i right click to update the driver and then select the windows xp ComPort Driver i get this:

To english:

This is so frustrating :(
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
You need to install the mtk preloader. Download the files I've uploades earlier, and followbthe directions.
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
Ah you have to unplug the device to update the drivers. If i do this the installation of the PreLoad driver finished.

After restart i opened the flash tool, load the scatter file, pressed download and plugged in the TURNED OFF ZGPAX S8 but nothing happend again. If i turn the device on it shows me this in the device manager:

The yellow sign usually means that the driver is not working properly :crying::crying::crying:
[Other SmartWatches] netlon:
For those that installed the S8 firmware (which has adb root) - does supersu work? I can't get it installed to save my life, even dropping it in /system/app etc. Apps that need su aren't working (like xposed)

--

n/m going through all the steps in the supersu zip (http://download.chainfire.eu/396/SuperSU/) worked fine. I think the issue mainly was selinux and needing to set the contexts (chcon) and setting permissive (setenforce permissive)
[Other SmartWatches] hotboy_92:
I rooted with Kingo after the firmware update and supersu worked ok
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
where do i go in system tuner?
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
Are there any other tools to flash firmware on the zgpax s8 then SP Flash Tool?
[Other SmartWatches] janek69:
App mgr > at bottom Filter (system) > select the item > Manag... > Freeze . It's all.
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
Okay, I successfully freeze google play services. What else do you recommend freezing?
[Other SmartWatches] janek69:
I frozen: googleplay services,googleplay and all other apps what i don't use e.g: gmail .... If i need then i boil it.
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
The battery life/performance is pretty good so far, thanks so much! After like 20 mins, it's still 99 percent of battery power!
[Other SmartWatches] janek69:
I think the battery meter not working exactly,but i hope with this firmware also have a 3 day battery life with very light use like before update.
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
With google play service before, it was draining the battery pretty fast. It would of went down to 80 percent around 25min or less of usage.
[Other SmartWatches] janek69:
If you need the googleplay then try to disable the autoupdate in play and switch off the synch. You can switch off the synch with gravity box.

With system tuner you can control the cpu,if you want to longer battery life and you don't need too much power then set the cpu max. speed to minimum value. You can set display on/off action. force close all included app. .....
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
I can't find the option to disable sync in gravitybox. Help, thanks!
[Other SmartWatches] janek69:
You can find it in statusbar quicksettings. No need to run gravity box,if you not disabled this icon.
[Other SmartWatches] sseng587:
Great! wow the battery and performance is much better now!
[Other SmartWatches] Parcaetron:
Sorry if this has been answered sometime in the last 50 pages, but: Does this watch have user-replaceable bands, and, if so, can you use a standard 22mm watchband with it?
[Other SmartWatches] jbyers5355:
I was wondering if anyone else had any issues with kingo root not working once the watch goes into fastboot
[Other SmartWatches] giol:
Technically you can change the band but you will have no antennas! If you can find a way to stick the microstrip antennas to your new band, it would be great.
[Other SmartWatches] Parcaetron:
So if you're only using it as a Bluetooth device, you can change the watchband? Thanks!
[Other SmartWatches] lirona:
Hi My Friends,

Can any one please give me some good widgets that you use on your watch?

Thanks and have a nice day,

Arie.
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
Anyone here who is running Windows 8.1 64 bit on his computer and got the new firmware and the usb driver working?
[Other SmartWatches] giol:
if you are adventurous you could try removing the antenna covers (silicone sleeves on the underside) on the wristband then take the microstrips and put them inside the main body of the watch (you should cover the copper on top with insulating tape).

Reception should be awful after that because of both physical restrictions and electromagnetic interference, but there is a chance that bluetooth will work.

Also you can remove the gps antenna completely from the ipex connector.

You can always stick the silicone sleeve back in place with glue and restore the watch to previous condition if it fails. If you try it tell us your impressions, especially on reception quality.
[Other SmartWatches] aloysxda:
This is an standalone watch. Remember, you can't make phonecalls with this watch, using is with bluetooth and smartphone. :eek:
[Other SmartWatches] SW_Tech:
So i am now on Windows 8.1 64bit. My device manager looks like this with plugged in and turned on zgpax s8:

If i want to update the driver and install it i get this:

Translated:

Anyone here who got the mediatek drivers working on windows 8.1???
[Other SmartWatches] rockabilly:
Someone got an TWRP-Recovery installed and can share a backup?

Gesendet von meinem TT89K4432 mit Tapatalk
[Other SmartWatches] janek69:
No TWRP or any other recovery for this watch at this time. :(
[Other SmartWatches] hotboy_92:
GPS radio

Have I been stupid? Does the GSM radio have to be enabled (i.e. not Airplane mode) for the GPS to work? I've been turning on GPS and not getting any errors, and setting GPS to "High Accuracy" but getting nowhere with GPS signal.
[Other SmartWatches] giol:
I made one using carliv's tutorial but I can't get the splash tool to see my device when it is off. So I am unable to flash it. I consider this to be a sign from God?
[Other SmartWatches] janek69:
You need a perfect gps.conf for your area. Try faster gps.
[Other SmartWatches] 5393:
Hello everyone! There is a new problem. It is impossible to create a new calendar event. Rather than an event, and set it a time interval not seen "buttons" OK. Does anyone have ideas to solve this problem?
[Other SmartWatches] Foakleaf:
Hello! I havent posted here before, but since I have the ZGPAX S8 I have read the discussion going on. I'd agree on a earlier post that the GSM and GPS reception is below that of normal phones. One member suggested replacing the microstrip antennas located in the strap with ceramic antennas. I would like to do this. I wonder if anyone has any suggestions on which antennas to use and where the best placement of a new antenna would be. Since most of the ceramic antennas are thicker than a microstrip antenna, there would be a problem fitting the antenna inside the strap.

Cheers, Fredrik
[Other SmartWatches] giol:
I have ordered from aliexpress a ceramic patch antenna (quite small one) to try. I expect to receive it in a month. If you want to try then you can buy an antenna with an ipex connector (I don't know the exact size but it is very small) and replace the strip. You could try inserting it inside the sleeve, it would be protruding by a few mm but nothing you cant hide. The other way is to stick it on top of the wristband and cover it with black tape.

This is for gps though, I don't know if it will work for cell reception.
[Other SmartWatches] Foakleaf:
I took a photo of the disassembled watch and labeled the different connector terminals for the three different antennas (GPS, WIFI and GSM). This is based on what I could read on the PCB, and by tracking and tracing. As you will notice from the picture - the gsm antenna is the longer one located at the top wrist band (when facing the watch display); the GPS and WIFI antennas are located at the lower wrist band. I will try to replace or modify the antennas and will get back here with pics and my opinions.
[Other SmartWatches] hotboy_92:
I've asked before, but anyone know how to get lock screen widgets running? Can't see "Enable widgets" in the security settings. I want Dash clock to be my lock screen.

Thanks
[Other SmartWatches] mutonic:
smart bt?

Hi!

I've read with interest part of this thread (really helpfull), and may be interested as overall feedback seems positive so far,

I just wanted to know if Bluetooth was compatible BLE (Bluetoot Low Energy or Smart BT)?

Because given the spec of manufacturer, it is stated: "Smart BT sync: NO"

Also can you confirm if camera is not 5MP and only VGA, as it seemed to have been mentionned earlier?

Thanks,
[Other SmartWatches] ruizphd:
new zgpax s8 android 4.4

I sent 3 emails to ZGPAX on these 3 issues. They only replied once with a lame reply, contact whoever sold me the smartwatch. Not impressed with their management.

A) The S8 camera is not 5 mp as they claim

B) Where can I buy spare S8 batteries. No one sells them on aliexpress or ebay

Even ZGPAX website does not advertize extra batteries for sale. You can charge the S8 with a power bank. But if your on the go, it would look tacky with a cord connected to it.

I have no idea why they make some smartwatch phones with permanent batteries instead of removable like cell phones. So what happens to the investment when the battery conks out? I have to buy a new one. Please contact zgpax.com website and demand / request they sell extra batteries for all their smartwatches with permanently installed batteries. If not only buy smartwatches with removable batteries. I like to have at least 1 or 2 exta batteries in my pocket.

C) It appears that you cannot update google play. And this issue makes some google apps, not to work, load or update.
[Other SmartWatches] hotboy_92:
This is fixed in the firmware update. However the battery life seems to take quite a big hit with the Google Play Services enabled.
[Other SmartWatches] ruizphd:
S8 vs S6 Operating System

I find the S6 OS more modern looking that the S8, Is there anyway an S6 OS be installed on the S8?