We’ve been using the Samsung Gear S3 for a while and I can easily say that you should definitely give Gear S3 a try if you want to buy a smartwatch and also into analog fashion design.
This new version has full iOS/iPhone support, which was the biggest obstacle that prevented iPhone users from buying a Samsung smartwatch. For this reason, Samsung probably will be able to reach to a wider audience.
Who Should Buy?
Users who are considering buying a smartwatch and looking for a good model in terms of design, usability, and price, can easily choose Gear S3.
Samsung Gear S3 Review and Rating;
Samsung takes its smartwatch business very seriously and definitely delivers much more than you expect from a smartwatch. After reviewing the Gear S3, we can easily say that Samsung reached its potential and made the best smartwatch ever. In fact, Gear 3 is the most modern looking and functional model of Gear family.
Here’re dozens of reasons to make this your new watch;
Two different models; Samsung Gear 3 Frontier and Classic
New Gear S3 comes in two different models, one named Gear S3 Frontier, and the other one is Classic.
Both models are identical in terms of technical infrastructure. The only difference is, as can be predicted, that two models have slightly different design and looking. Frontier, on the other hand, has a more sporty structure, but it is also eye-catching with its muscular design.
Yes, this time Samsung is offering a bigger look and more muscular design in its smartwatches. The elegant look of the Gear S2 has been replaced with an aggressive and sports design that especially men would love. But that does not mean that the ladies will not use it either. Especially the number of ladies who love big smartwatches in the last period is quite a lot. If they still do not like the new watch, however, the Gear S2 still available on Amazon and Samsung continuous to offer official support for the old models too.
Further Reading We’re Reviewing The Samsung Gear Fit 2 SmartWatch
As we have stated before, the Gear S3 comes with a relatively larger screen and a wider case than the Gear S2. The ring, AKA bezel around the watch is also still here and offers a more enjoyable use compared to its predecessor. The main difference, of course, is the Always On feature in Gear S3. So if you turn this feature on, you can always set the time display on. Which means you will not have to move your wrist each time to check the time and date. Even thought that would drain the battery much faster, it’s a nice option to have and might be useful from time to time.
Further Reading [Deal of the Day] 21% Off Samsung Gear Fit 2
Gear S3 has plenty of wrist strap options. You can choose from 9 different Samsung designs and colors at the moment, it is also possible to attach any type of band to this watch with an additional purchase. In addition, according to Samsung’s statement, band options will be available soon with more specific designs.
Samsung Gear S3 Frontier & Classic Screen
The Gear S3 has a 1.3-inch wide screen. The watch has the same resolution (360×360) as the Gear S2, with a density of 278 PPI pixels. Super AMOLED screen looks really nice. When you activate the Always On feature and you choose a quad interface, it is easy to say that you look like wearing a “classical” watch in your arm.
Both versions have the same technical features and controlled by the AMOLED touch screen and bezel. There are also two buttons on the right of the screen that helps you to turn to the main screen and navigate through the menu.
Samsung has also added an extra protection layer to the Gear S3’s screen. This protection, called Corning Gorilla Glass SR +, protects the smartwatch’s screen against scratches at the same level as the sapphire screen. The advantage over sapphire is the Gorilla Glass SR + makes the screen look brighter. The reason for this is Gorilla Glass is much thinner than sapphire.
Samsung Gear S3 Operating System
The Gear S3 also works on the Tizen platform just like the previous models S2 and S1. Samsung considers the Tizen operating system as a common platform for devices that will be used on the IoT and focuses on it.
Samsung, the main application developer for the Tizen operating system and the smartwatches, of course also needs the support of third party developers for more applications.
At the moment there are 10 thousand applications on the market. Let’s add that Spotify app will be added in the near future too. There are also many interfaces and theme on the market that allows you to customize your Gear S3. You can download ready to use ones or customize your very own themes.
One of the biggest features we expect from smartwatches is undoubtedly the ability to help us during fitness and sports. Thanks to its accurate sensors, the built-in fitness application S Health provides you with any monitoring and tracking features including heart beat, step, and calorie tracking.
On the other hand, altitude, barometer and speedometer sensors are also available.
Other Samsung Gear S3 Details
The new generation Gear S3 has its own built-in GPS, keeps track of steps you’ve taken during the day, and automatically switches between exercises such as running or walking.
You can easily navigate through the user interface of Gear S3 and switch between applications. You can use the clock as an alarm, download new apps from the market without even needing your smartphone, and receive all the notifications directly to your smartwatch. You can also easily decide what kind of notifications you would like to receive and reply to incoming mail and messages with your virtual keyboard. However, this can be a little troublesome because of the small screen.
In the interface, we also encounter the S Voice application that we had in the Gear S2. It’s probably the most useless app in the smartwatch. Virtual assistant sometimes does not understand what you say.
Technical details
Gear S3 Frontier two different versions called LTE and Wi-Fi. LTE version has eSIM support. However, the LTE won’t be available in most countries outside the US.
When we look at the technical infrastructure of the Gear S3, we see big improvements in CPU and RAM, as compared to the predecessor model. The Gear S3 uses a dual-core Exynos 7270 processor and has 768 MB of RAM. This amount was 512 MB on the old Gear S2 model.
The storage capacity of the smartwatch is still 4 GB. However, this storage space is sufficient for the device. Usually, you will use your smartphone for listening to the music. There’s no external memory card support in the current smartwatch models due to very little space, so if you think 4 GB would be enough for you, you can easily upload your favorite songs to Gear S3 and listen with Bluetooth headphones without even needing your smartphone
Gear S3 is water and sweat resistant and it can stay under water up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters and has the IP68 certificate. From that point of view, the Apple Watch 2 is more advantageous, because it provides water protection up to 50 meters and you can swim and take a shower with it.
The most curious part of the watch is obviously its battery power and performance. The Gear S3 has much more battery power than its predecessor Gear S2 which is little more than 380 mAh. But Samsung claims one full charge lasts up to 4 days and it’s definitely true. With the Always On feature and half screen brightness, we could be able to use up to 4 days without charging. In that case its battery obviously lasts 2 days more than the Apple Watch 2.
Its wireless charging feature makes the device very appealing too, just place it on the charging pad and you’re done!
Usability
As we have stated before, you can make phone calls with the Gear S3. When connected to your phone, it is possible to answer incoming calls to your phone via the smartwatch. You can answer incoming calls using the built-in speaker and make new phone calls anytime. This feature is extremely useful, especially when driving a car.
You can use Gear S3 with Android 4.4 and above with smartphones with at least 1.5 GB of RAM.
The expected iOS support for the Samsung Gear S3 is announced at CES 2017. Gear S3, Gear S2 and Gear Fit 2 are now supported on iOS devices.
Smartwatches listed above will be available for iPhone 5 and iOS 9.0 and above. So iOS users can also choose Gear S3 for now. With this move, Samsung has expanded its user base for other smart watches as well as for Gear S3.
More than 20K app in the market makes this watch very unique in terms of usability, for example by just downloading a golf app from the store, you can leave your Zepp Golf 2 or Garmin Approach X40 at home.
Read more: Samsung Gear Fit Review