As expected Samsung took to the stage at IFA in Berlin overnight to announce the latest devices in their Gear lineup, the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Classic. This pair of Tizen-powered smartwatches takes the Gear line to the next level.
The major difference between the two models is the inclusion of LTE support in the Gear S3 Frontier, unfortunately we don’t look to be getting the LTE version in Australia, apart from that the two devices share almost identical specifications including, IP68 dust and water protection, Samsung Pay integration (incorporating both NFC and MST), GPS and an always on 1.3″ AMOLED circular display. For a smartwatch, those are some impressive specifications, and a definite improvement over existing offerings.
If you want to check out all of the specs check them out below.
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| Samsung Gear S3 frontier | Samsung Gear S3 classic | Screen size | 1.3-inch | 1.3-inch | Screen technology | AMOLED | AMOLED | Resolution | 360 x 360 | 360 x 360 | PPI | 278 | 278 | Chipset | Exynos7270 | Exynos7270 | Core config | 1.0 GHz x 2 | 1.0 GHz x 2 | Ram | 768MB | 768MB | Storage | 4GB | 4GB | MicroSD | — | — | Battery | 380 mAh | 380 mAh | Charging method | Wireless | Wireless | Cellular | 3G/LTE | No | NFC | Yes | Yes | Speaker | Yes | Yes | Android OS | Tizen | Tizen | Dimensions | 46 x 49 x 12.9 | 46 x 49 x 12.9 | Weight | 62g | 57g | Colours | - | - | Build materials | - | - | Band colours | - | - | Band materials | - | - | Band swappable | Yes | Yes |
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Samsung set out to design a watch that offered the union between traditional elegant watch design and ubiquitous technology that we have all begun to expect. Customisation is also at the centre of the Gear S3 from the fully swappable 22mm watch bands to the customisable watch faces (of course it’s digital). Elegance and customisation are only part of the promise with both IP68 and the newly announced Corning Gorilla Glass SR+ included the Gear S3 should be a hardy and durable device without looking like it was designed for the military.
Samsung’s rotating bezel makes a return as both an homage to traditional watch design and as an intuitive interface for the device itself. The bezel’s feature set has been expanded to improve the overall user experience.
The standout feature here has to be the inclusion of both NFC and MST payments in the watch itself. With Samsung Pay available in Australia from ANZ and American Express, it’s likely that we will get at least limited support here. I for one am very interested to play around with watch based mobile payments.
The Gear S3 will launch with a full set of apps and services from Samsung to compensate for the reduced app ecosystem compared to Android Wear. The big question is has Samsung hit the mark with these devices? The answer is we won’t know until we see them, which apparently wont be too far away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynTB211p1PQ
When asked about the release of the two new Gear S3 smartwatches in Australia Phil Newton, Corporate Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Electronics Australia had the following comments:
“We have announced the global launch of two beautifully crafted wristwatches that also offer our most advanced wearable technology available today including GPS, heart rate monitor, onboard microphone, as well as a music streaming services.
The Gear S3 range delivers an optimal blend of technical intelligence and know-how with beautifully intricate craftsmanship that people expect from a premium timepiece.
The Gear S3 range will be available in Australia before Christmas. We will announce local pricing and availability closer to launch.”
Chris was rather impressed with the Gear S2 when he reviewed it and we are definitely looking forward to the Australian Release of the Gear S3, as well as the opportunity to put it through its paces.
How do you like the look of the Samsung Gear S3? Let us know below.
