Samsung goes BIG with Gear S3 smartwatch
BERLIN -- Last year saw many great smartwatches including the Apple Watch, Huawei Watch, Moto 360 and Samsung's own Gear S2 get released.
Samsung's following up on the well-received Gear S2 with the Gear S3. The new model boasts a handful of really compelling features like LTE, built-in GPS, longer battery life and Samsung Pay support.
But you may not care for any of those things because it's so big.
Intentionally big
Technically, the 46mm (diameter) Gear S3 is two smartwatches. It comes in a Classic and Frontier version. Both have identical specs and a Swiss-inspired watch case designed in partnership with Swiss designer Yvan Arpa.
They're both made of stainless steel with Gorilla Glass SR+ (scratch-resistant) screens and because of Arpa's influence, the Gear S3 has detailed touches like the ways the metal finish (brushed hairline, gloss, etc.) looks on different sections of the watch. It's serious attention to craftsmanship.
That's noticeably larger than the 42mm Gear S2 and 39mm Gear S2 Classic. Samsung says 46mm watches are trendy right now.
To be fair, I have noticed a surge in chunky smartwatches later. Fossil, Michael Kors, LG, Nixon and Garmin all make really bulky smartwatches.
People with smaller wrists may not like the Gear S3 because of its size. Its bulky, thick design also looks more masculine than the more unisex Gear S2 designs. Samsung denies the Gear S3 is made for guys, but you can be the judge yourself.
More independent
Based on customer feedback, Samsung says the most-asked for feature on a smartwatch is standalone connectivity to give it more smartphone-like features.
The inclusion of 4G LTE connectivity is perfect for unshackling from your smartphone. There is, however, a caveat. The Gear S3 Classic only comes in a Bluetooth model and the Frontier model comes in both Bluetooth and LTE versions. So three versions in total.
With LTE, users can make and receive phone calls, send messages, email -- basically all the things you'd normally need tethering via Bluetooth to your phone to do. Little things like downloading new watch faces right from the Gear S3 instead of being kicked to the smartphone app make the smartwatch a more standalone experience.
Samsung has also added built-in GPS to all Gear S3 models like on the Gear Fit2. Now, no matter where you go, on a run or on a hike, you can always have accurate location tracking.
The GPS complements a handful of other sensors like an altimeter, barometer and speedometer for a full range of data-tracking.
The always-on display on the Gear S2 is neat for showing the time on the display all the time, but it's limited to showing watch faces in only 8 colors. The new Super AMOLED display on the Gear S3 can display 16 million different colors on for always-on watch faces, which certainly makes the smartwatch look more like a regular watch at all times.
The Gear S3 can display 16 million different colors on for Always-on watch faces.
Battery life is also better than the Gear S2. The larger smartwatch fits a bigger battery with 380 milliamp-hours (mAh), which Samsung says will last 3-4 days. Additionally, the Gear S3 has two power-saving modes to extend battery life even longer. At 15% battery, the smartwatch switches to power-saving mode, and to conserve power, you'll still be able to get notifications, though. At 5%, the Gear S3 switches to Watch-only mode where it only shows the clock and turns off all the smartwatch features and can last up to one full day.
The Gear S3 also comes with 4GB of internal storage and gets all of the Gear Fit2's automatic activity tracking and Spotify streaming (over Wi-Fi and LTE) and local music storage.
There are currently 9,000 apps for the Samsung's Tizen-based smartwatches and over 10,000 will reportedly be available by the time the Gear S3 launches.
Samsung Pay support rounds out the Gear S3's new independence from the phone. Pressing and holding the new back button brings up your credit card(s). Once you've selected your card, you just bring it near a credit card terminal -- any credit card terminal. The Gear S3 uses the same MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) tech that Samsung's Galaxy Android phones utilize. And it's secure, too. The smartwatch secured by Samsung Knox and if you take it off, it'll lock and require a PIN code just like the Apple Watch.
The Gear S3 will launch in Q4 with pricing to be announced at a later date. Samsung says it'll be available from the major U.S. carriers.
There's a lot to like about the Gear S3 if you can get over its size. Thankfully, the Gear S3 won't be replacing the Gear S2, but will exist alongside it. In fact, Samsung's planning to bring many of the software features from the Gear S3 to the Gear S2 through an update.
Choice, after all, is what Samsung's known for.
Topics Samsung Smartwatches
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
