What is the most compatible smartwatch

[tehgringe]

If I were to invest in a new watch for heart rate and activity (steps) what would be the most compatible and supported?

[PhilTU]

There's little active support for the xDrip WearOS component. Watchdrip.org supports some watches and fitness bands from Amazfit, Xiaomi etc and xDrip supports feeding data to Watchdrip.

GlucoDataHandler works on WearOS and collects from xDrip+ and watchfaces on Garmin do the same. Fitbit seems to be having a bit of a crisis.

So I would say go with something that you like and has good support for glucose CGM displays that take data from xDrip via the built in web server or other inter-app methods. https://xdrip.readthedocs.io/en/latest/smartwatch/smartwatch/

[Diabeticliberty]

I recently had something of a minor nightmare when I bought a new Samsung Ultra watch. There is a method of sideloading apps called Wear Installer 2 which was required to get Xdrip+ onto an Android watch face. Sadly this has been completely removed and the Runtime facility that Xdrip+ needs to run on watches is no longer there. It would appear that this is going to be the case for all new watches running Android. I think it may also apply to older watches also where a factory reset is applied. There is of course Glucodatahandler as mentioned above which is available from the Play Store. Developed by Michael Pach. It really is very good indeed. You can couple it up with a whole multitude of completely customisable watch faces from a chap called Shawn Deraps who is on Google play under the alias of Diabetic Masked Man. I believe that their stuff will run on any Android watch. Here is my own

[Navid200]

I believe that their stuff will run on any Android watch.

Android watch and Wear OS are two different things.
The best Android watch is BlueJay with no competition.

[Diabeticliberty]

I looked at Bluejay before I bought another Samsung. I could not find one with heart rate and step counter which is why I went with Samsung. The original poster in this thread suggested they were looking for similar things. As regards Android and Wear OS being different, you might want to take the matter up with them since this is their copy and pasted take on it.

Wear OS is an Android-based operating system optimized for smartwatches and other wearable computers. It was previously known as Android Wear. Google developed and maintains Wear OS.
Here's why:
Android Foundation:
Wear OS is fundamentally built upon the Android operating system, meaning it shares the same core principles and architecture.
Smartwatch Focus:
Wear OS is designed specifically for the unique constraints and opportunities of wearable devices, including small screens, limited resources, and touch-based interaction.
Google's Development:
Google develops and updates Wear OS, ensuring it remains compatible with the latest Android versions and features.
App Compatibility:
While Wear OS has its own set of optimized apps, many Android apps can also be installed and used on Wear OS smartwatches.
Integration with Android:
Wear OS seamlessly integrates with Android smartphones, enabling notifications, calls, and other features to be accessed directly on the wrist.

[Navid200]

You are correct. Many refer to WearOS as Android watch. I stand corrected.

This can become confusing for someone who is looking for a Full Android watch. You can get a watch, which is effectively a phone that you wear on your wrist. It runs the Android operating system. Whereas a WearOS does not.

You can install xDrip on any full Android watch. But, there is no guarantee they will run without interruption the same as you can run xDrip on any phone and we already know many that keep disabling xDrip and other apps that run in the background. BlueJay is set up to be suitable for xDrip.

I guess WearOS and Full Android watch are different and I guess they each have pros and cons. I wish someone would pick up WearOS and create a companion app for xDrip for it.

[Navid200]