Smart watch samsung gear s3 review. Review of Samsung Gear S3 frontier or how strange it is when everything works... Smartphone connectivity, performance, alerts and apps

There are more and more “smart” watches, almost all major manufacturers already have one or two or three models in their assortment, and in the vast expanses of China there are an incredible number of them, mostly from “no-name” manufacturers. Well, okay with China, they have every right. That's not what we're talking about today. Samsung presented at IFA 2016 the third generation of its Gear S3 watch. The previous S2s turned out to be very successful and functionally rich. The third generation watches are even more advanced (which is natural) and are available in two versions: Samsung Gear S3 Classic and Frontier. We are reviewing the Frontier model, which is designed for more active users.

What is it and how is it different from the Gear S2?

Samsung Gear S3 – Samsung smart watch on Tizen, compatible with Android smartphones running at least 4.4 OS with at least 1.5 GB RAM(like the previous generation), there are rumors that there will be compatibility with iOS. The watch is equipped with a round SuperAMOLED display with a diagonal of 1.3 inches and a resolution of 360x360 and automatic backlight adjustment (the previous generation was equipped with 1.2-inch screens). Instead of Gorilla Glass 3, Gorilla Glass SR+ is used to protect the screen, which is created specifically for wearable electronics. There are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth modules for pairing with smartphones and headsets, NFC, accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, heart rate sensor, lighting, and now also its own GPS, which makes the watch more independent. In addition, an external speaker has appeared, the watch can be used for conversations. Samsung Gear S3 is also protected from dust, dirt and water according to the IP68 standard, which allows you to stay at a depth of up to 1.5 m for 30 minutes. That is, it is still not worth fully swimming in them. The Frontier model is additionally protected in accordance with military standards MIL-STD-810G (protection from vibration, shock and temperatures from -40 to +70 ° C). Of course, there is more powerful hardware inside, and the battery capacity has increased from 250 to 380 mAh

What do they look like?

The Gear S3 has become even more like a “regular” watch. In the previous line, the Classic model could boast of this, while the “basic” one looked more futuristic (although I would not say that this is a bad thing). Both versions of the Gear S3 really look like regular wristwatches. Classic version more suitable for a suit, Frontier looks more brutal and aggressive. Of course, I liked this option better. The watch case is made of 316L stainless steel. Still used as controls touch screen, a rotating bezel with small teeth around the perimeter and two physical buttons on the side (Home and “back”). In the Frontier model they are large, with a texture for more comfortable use, for example, with gloves, in the Classic they are small and round. In addition to Gorilla Glass SR+, there is one more precaution: the screen is located in a recess and the likelihood of accidentally breaking it is reduced:

The Classic comes with a leather strap, the Frontier comes with a more wear-resistant and practical silicone strap, they can be changed, Samsung produces a bunch of options from different materials, different colors and with a variety of patterns, so there’s plenty to choose from:

The set includes an absolutely neutral black strap; at IFA 2016 you could see a bunch of other options, including bright red ones. The mount is standard, 22 mm, so you can use not only branded options. The strap can be removed very easily using small latches on the inside:

The strap clasp has a classic shape that has been proven over the years. Branded straps come in different sizes: S, M and L. The watch came to our editorial office with a strap of size L, which was just right for me, although I have a thin hand:

On the back cover of the watch there are all sorts of technical information, model name, 316L steel grade and optical heart rate sensor, the company claims it is an improvement over the Gear S2. I used the previous generation for just a couple of days, so I won’t compare the accuracy and speed of work for objective reasons. On the side, near one of the mechanical buttons, a small hole is visible. This is a built-in microphone.

Unlike the Gear S2, the new model is equipped with a microphone and speaker, so you can now talk directly through the Gear S3 Frontier. The speaker holes are on the left side. Of course, the function works when the smartphone is connected via Bluetooth. A version of the watch with eSIM and LTE support is available abroad, which actually makes the Gear S3 Frontier a completely independent device.

The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier is quite large, significantly larger than the Gear S2. This also applies to the Classic version, which is actually similar to the Frontier in size, and only slightly lighter (59 g versus 63 g). For a fragile girl, the watch will be too big and heavy, so it’s better to try it on, maybe the Gear S2 will fit better. Moreover, the Gear S3 is not a replacement, but a more advanced and expensive addition to the line. Samsung is not going to discontinue the second generation watches and the models will be sold in parallel to each other.

From a male point of view, the appearance of the Gear S3 Frontier turned out to be as attractive as possible. Maximum visual proximity to a regular wristwatch plus an aggressive sporty design did the trick. Of course, the watch is perfectly assembled from high-quality materials, and there is a steel case. For the fair sex they may seem too big/rough, for such cases there is the Gear S2.

What about the screen and hardware?

Samsung Gear S3 is equipped with a high-quality 1.3-inch SuperAMOLED touchscreen display with a round shape, without any cut off pieces like MOTO. The resolution is the same as the previous generation: 360x360, but the pixel density has decreased due to an increase in screen size: 278 versus 302 ppi, although in this case this is absolutely not significant. The screen is very bright, with rich colors and (of course) maximum viewing angles. Always On Display is supported so the watch face can be displayed at all times. Of course, the battery will run out faster, but it will look even more impressive. In inactive mode, the current dial is displayed with reduced brightness, but it is enough to see the current time on the street:

Another useful thing is the increased screen sensitivity mode. It really works great and the watch interacts with gloves in winter without any problems.

The hardware in such devices is not as critical as in smartphones. Moreover, Tizen is a lightweight and very well optimized OS, also thanks to the very small number of devices on it. However, Samsung has installed updated hardware: it uses a dual-core 14nm Exynos 7270 processor with a frequency of 1 GHz (FinFET) instead of the Exynos 3250, inside 768 MB of RAM (in the previous line there was 512 MB). The amount of built-in memory remains the same: 4 GB, about 1.5 GB is available to the user, which is enough to install additional applications and a small selection of music for jogging.

Various sensors and wireless modules include an accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, heart rate sensor, light sensor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC and GPS/Glonass. According to subjective feelings, it all works accurately, properly, without any problems. Although for users who are seriously involved in running/cycling and so on, it is still worth getting a more accurate chest heart rate monitor.

What about charging and battery?

Like previous Gear S2s, the current model charges from a wireless charging pad, which is very convenient. Much more convenient than all sorts of clamps with contacts, although the charging speed suffers. The stand has a magnet for faster and correct installation hours. There is an LED indicator at the bottom that lights up red while charging and green when charging is complete.

Connects charger to a power source (for example, a PC) using an absolutely standard MicroUSB cable, so if you lose the supplied one there will be no special problems.

The increased size and weight are partly due to a significantly larger battery: instead of 250 mAh, a 380 mAh battery is used. They promise 3-4 days battery life. In real conditions, with the Always On Display function enabled, a constant connection via Bluetooth and constant notifications from absolutely all applications on the smartphone (plus automatic regular heart rate measurement), a pedometer, and so on, the watch lasts for 2 days, which is very good with such a filling. Without Always On Display you can easily get 3 days. I haven’t done any races without a smartphone and memorizing the route using the Gears S3’s own GPS module. There is a suspicion that such a use case will significantly reduce battery life.

What about the software?

There are more and more “smart” watches, platforms for them have also proliferated, the situation is reminiscent of “smart” TVs: most manufacturers are promoting their own solution. Apple continues to release its square “Tamagotchis” on watchOS, Pebble use their own PebbleOS (more precisely, they used it, judging by the recent news), a number of manufacturers have settled on Android Wear, which is an attempt at at least some unification, but is not very convenient yet, and numerous Chinese manufacturers are even experimenting with stripped-down versions of “full-fledged” Android or their own creations. Samsung continues to promote its own Tizen both in TVs and smart watches, and it is worth saying that it is really convenient, but software developers are very sluggish in releasing new applications (although they exist, including really useful local ones like Privat24, Uklon, Uber, Eda.ua, Tickets.ua and so on). Samsung Gear S3 runs on Tizen Based Wearable Platform OS version 2.3.2. In general, the organization and logic of the interface is very similar to a typical smartphone.

There is a main screen (essentially a selected watch face), which, depending on the type, displays all sorts of useful information and controls:

There are enough of them pre-installed, plus the store has a huge number of different third-party options, both paid and free, starting with classic options and ending with animated ones in the style of “Terminator” or Pip-Boy from Fallout. Some of the dials support customization (choice of colors):

By turning the bezel counterclockwise (or swiping across the screen from left to right), the notifications section opens. In it you can read incoming messages, reply (there are certain templates), view missed calls, open a message in the corresponding application on your smartphone, and so on. They can be removed by swiping from bottom to top:

Scrolling clockwise switches between some kind of widgets with S Health information (steps, floors, heart rate), calendar, alarm clock, and so on. They can be sorted in the same way as transferring widgets to Android: hold your finger on it and move it to the desired location. The last tab is reserved for adding new widgets:

The application menu is organized as in previous version, with icons in a circle. You can scroll through them either with the bezel or with your finger. The first in the menu is the application manager, like in a smartphone:

In the settings section, you can change the dial, screen brightness (10 gradations), screen timeout, turn on (or turn off) Always On Display, adjust the sound volume (or turn it off), vibration intensity, the function of double-pressing the Home button, and so on:

For full operation, you need to install 4 applications at once: Gear S Plugin, Samsung Accessory Service, Samsung Gear, S Health. The first two are for service purposes, the second two are for direct work with the Gear S3 Frontier. Samsung Gear allows you to view the current status of the watch (battery and memory), go to the application store, customize watch faces, notifications, manage applications, transfer music and pictures to the watch, set up emergency calls and messages, and check for new firmware. There is a function for searching and blocking watches (the opposite is also available on the S3 Frontier itself):

All data on physical activity is transferred to S Health: the number of steps taken, floors, see the dynamics over the entire time, readings from the heart rate monitor (you can set the frequency of changes or start it from the watch when needed), track the amount and quality of sleep. There is also a competitive aspect. You can make virtual friends in S Health and compare achievements. “Achievements” are awarded for some personal achievements:

You can also install quick widgets for different exercises. Some of them are tracked for hours in automatic mode and automatically starts recording. Strength, for obvious reasons, is not tracked and when you launch the widget, you can simply start the timer, so, for example, with the bench press, the native application will help little. For more advanced features in the gym, a third-party Workout Trainer application is supported:

What can they do?

“Smart watches” are increasing their functionality, this also applies to the Samsung Gear S3/S3 Frontier, although they still cannot be called mass-produced due to the impressive cost and the fact that the average user is completely satisfied with the functionality of a cheap fitness tracker, of which there are a huge number on the market . For now, smartwatches remain a more geeky device.

Among the usual features, the watch can count the distance traveled, measure the speed of movement, remind you that it’s time to warm up, automatically determine the type of physical activity (applies to cardio exercises, of course), count calories burned, and there is a separate “Walk” mode. Of course, before starting a workout, you can manually start the corresponding mode on the watch. Gear S3 Frontier can measure heart rate, both automatic and manual mode. Of course, there is a function for tracking sleep (both its quantity and quality depending on the time of restless and sensitive sleep). It is possible to manually add data on the amount of water and coffee you drink to S Health. Among the more unusual and useful functions is a baro-altimeter, which shows the current pressure and altitude above sea level.

Everyday features include notifications from your smartphone and information about an incoming call; you can reject a call, send a message, or answer directly from the watch (speaker and microphone allow). Notifications can be read in full and a number of messages can be responded to immediately from the Gear S3, for this there is S Voice, templates/emoticons and an on-screen keyboard. It is possible to control the smartphone’s camera and its music player. Or upload music to the watch’s internal memory and use a Bluetooth headset to listen to. There are pre-installed applications for weather forecast, notes, calculator, news aggregator, calendar and stopwatch. There is already a decent amount third party applications to expand functionality, starting with ordering a taxi and pizza, navigation HERE, Navitel, ordering tickets, Privat24 and ending with simple toys (this is for those who know a lot about perversions).

Bottom line

Samsung Gear S3 Frontier has become even more functional and technologically advanced than the previous generation. They look even more stylish and are really very similar to regular watches. They are equipped with the current maximum range of different sensors, sensors and wireless modules (with the exception of support for mobile networks in versions for our market, although a version with LTE exists and, in fact, makes the Gear S3 a completely autonomous device). Branded software has already become truly useful and functional. At the moment, Gear S3/S3 Frontier are the most technologically advanced on the market. Plus they are made of very high quality from appropriate materials and look great. The main disadvantage has not changed since the previous generation: it is a high price, for which the user receives a very technologically advanced device, but limited in functionality/use.

5 reasons to buy Samsung Gear S3 Frontier:

• Chic design, materials and build quality;
• the maximum number of various sensors, sensors and wireless interfaces;
• convenient control and Tizen interface;
• functional and convenient S Health and Samsung Gear software;
• an ever-increasing amount of useful software, including local software.

1 reason not to buy Samsung Gear S3 Frontier:

• high price tag.

Over the past few years, the concept of smartwatches has gone through several transformations. From being a companion for a smartphone, these devices have become a separate platform for applications, and now they are gradually taking on the functions of multi-sport watches. Samsung Gear S3 Frontier is just a representative of the new generation of smartwatches, in which traditional functionality is complemented by sports. Let's see how it all fits together compact body devices.

Design

With the Gear S3 Frontier, Samsung has continued to develop the design ideas inherent in the . The new watch also has a round case, but looks more aggressive compared to the smooth lines of the previous model.

This is achieved due to the larger size, black color of the body and the jagged navigation ring that surrounds the screen. This style is the prerogative of the Frontier version, designed for users who lead an active lifestyle.

But in general, the design of the watch case turned out to be universal, it will suit both men and women, and with different styles of clothing - the main thing is to choose the right strap, as well as the dial.

The Gear S3 Frontier comes standard with a black rubber strap, however, the watch can be used with standard 22mm straps.

After the start of sales, Samsung promises to begin supplying additional straps, including models from the famous designer Arik Levy.

Display, control, interface

The Gear S3 Frontier uses a 1.3-inch Super AMOLED display, covered with protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass SR+. The screen resolution is 360x360 pixels, taking into account the diagonal, this made it possible to achieve a pixel density of 278 per inch. The picture on the display looks clear and colorful, which is typical for Super AMOLED matrices. If you enable an option in the settings that will constantly display an image of the watch face, the Gear S3 Frontier can easily be confused with a regular watch.

The device control is implemented in the same way as in the Gear S2. With this model, Samsung introduced for the first time a new interface for its smartwatches and a navigation ring. The solution is so simple and convenient that it’s even surprising that other smartwatch manufacturers haven’t come to it yet. The ring around the Gear S3 Frontier's screen scrolls to the right or left, allowing you to scroll through screens, lists, or icons in the interface.

In addition, on the right side of the watch case there are two mechanical buttons, one is responsible for stepping back, and the second for exiting home screen, calling the main menu, as well as turning the device on and off. You can also control the watch via the touch display, but in many cases the navigation ring is simply more comfortable to use.

The Gear S3 Frontier's interface is built around a circular screen, so its elements are arranged to make the most of usable space. Understanding the interface logic is not difficult. The main screen is always the clock face; if you turn the navigation ring to the left, the notification center opens; if you turn to the right, there are screens with widgets, you can delete them or add new ones.

A gesture from the top edge of the display downwards opens a panel that shows the charge level, connection status, as well as a row of buttons with options.

One of the advantages of smart watches over regular watches is the ability to change dials to suit your taste and style.

The Gear S3 Frontier has 15 preset watch faces, in addition to Galaxy store Apps can be downloaded or additional ones purchased. Dials can either simply show the time or other information, such as the weather forecast or the number of steps taken.

The main menu of the Gear S3 Frontier is designed in the form of a circle of round icons, which once again emphasizes the shape of the display.

Favorite applications can be displayed in a separate menu in the form of widgets, so they immediately show additional information, allowing, for example, to quickly view the weather forecast or start a workout.

Smartphone connectivity, performance, alerts and apps

The Gear S3 Frontier connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth via the Samsung Gear app. Any model with Android versions not lower than 4.4 and a RAM capacity of at least 1.5 GB. Despite promises in the past to add support for iOS, this has yet to happen. Given the closed nature of the Apple ecosystem, there may never be full compatibility.

Compared to the Gear S2, not only the design, but also the platform of the new watch has been noticeably updated. They use a 1 GHz Exynos 7270 processor, 768 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal memory. The increase in performance is noticeable even with cursory use of the watch; scrolling through menus, changing watch faces, launching applications, everything happens without lags or freezes.

Working with notifications in the Gear S3 Frontier is implemented at the same level as in the Gear S2; in the Gear program, you can configure which messages, updates and other information from applications you want to broadcast to the watch.

At the same time, with the Gear S3 Frontier, in some cases, you can not only read the contents of notifications, but also respond to some of them. This can be done with a pre-prepared phrase, voice, emoticon, or by typing text on the virtual keyboard.

The Gear S3 Frontier's suite of pre-installed apps includes calendar, reminders, alarms, weather, notebook, mail, messages, gallery, world time, baro-altimeter, S Voice, S Health, music player and phone. The latest app allows you to use your watch as a wireless hands-free headset and make or receive calls. The quality of the external speaker is below average, but it is enough to answer a call while driving or at home when the smartphone is in another room. There are no complaints about the microphone; the interlocutor does not complain about the quality of the transmission

Third-party applications for the Tizen platform, which powers the Gear S3 Frontier, for last year became noticeably larger. I am especially pleased with the activity of Ukrainian developers.

In the store Samsung Apps Privat24, Portmone, Uklon, Tickets.ua, WOG, Nova Poshta, Eda.ua and others programs appeared. In addition, you can install the Uber application for calling a taxi, as well as Yandex.Traffic and Yandex.Transport. However, the Samsung Apps store mainly offers watch faces, and Google has not yet decided to come to Tizen. Although their own platform is for smart Android watch Wear is not going through better times, release new version, like the new watch, was postponed to 2017. However, the lack of a large number of truly useful applications is a problem for all smartwatch platforms.

Sports and fitness functions

Tracking physical activity and sports activities is another area in which smartwatches will actively develop. This is clearly visible both on and on the Gear S3 Frontier. Samsung is focusing on developing its S Health service, which has become noticeably more functional in the new watch.

It’s worth starting with the fact that the S Health capabilities in the Gear S3 Frontier can be divided into fitness and sports. The first includes tracking basic physical activity such as steps, number of floors climbed, and sleep. To this is added periodic heart rate measurement, as well as the amount of water and coffee drunk.

Based on this information, the clock is drawn pie chart, which shows the number of calories consumed by the body, as well as the time spent in sleep, activity and rest.

Sleep is tracked automatically without taking your watch off your wrist, and it determines its effectiveness based on how deeply you slept at night. Thus, the user should try to get enough sleep, sit in one place less during the day, and walk at least 6,000 steps and 10 floors, coloring the S Helth diagram in green. If you sit in one place for an hour, the watch will begin to vibrate and warn you that it is time to walk.

S Health sports functions allow you to track running, cycling, elliptical, bicycle, step machines, lunges, crunches, squats, abs, jumping, Pilates, yoga, rowing and other exercises.

During sports, the watch tracks your heart rate, and it should be noted that the measurement accuracy is almost at the level of chest sensors.

When running outdoors, you can also turn on the watch's built-in GPS to track your distance. For cycling, the Gear S3 Frontier even has a speedometer. Overall, during a workout, the watch tracks distance, time, pace and heart rate, storing them in S Health. You can also select a goal for each exercise, such as pace, time, distance or calories while running, and the Gear S3 Frontier will perform a basic coaching function, telling you when to speed up and when to slow down.

In order to better understand the altitude to which the user rises, the Gear S3 Frontier has an altimeter that works on the basis of a barometer (determines the difference in pressure at different altitudes), which in turn also measures atmospheric pressure and tries to predict whether it will rain or not.

The altimeter takes sea level data from the AccuWeather service database, depending on the user’s location, which is determined via GPS.

The Gear S3 Frontier case is protected from water and dust according to the IP68 standard, which, unfortunately, does not allow the watch to be used for water sports. It is recommended to immerse them in water to a depth of no more than 1 meter and for up to 30 minutes.

Autonomy

The built-in battery in the Gear S3 Frontier has a capacity of 380 mAh. The operating time of the watch depends very much on how actively you use it. If the user watches the time, checks notifications and works with applications, then you can count on 3 days of battery life.

If you add sports activities to this, for example, running for 40 minutes with active GPS, then you will need to recharge the watch after 2 days.

Site evaluation

A few months ago, Samsung released the next continuation of its line of smartwatches. The model was called Samsung Gear S3. We had one of the copies of this model in our editorial office. How do they differ from the previous model and smart watches from other manufacturers?

The history of watches goes back hundreds of years. Or more precisely, in order for pocket watches on a chain to evolve into modern electronic devices on the wrist, in which time display is nothing more than one of the functions, about 400 years have passed.

The first watches that could do more than just show time were released back in the mid-eighties of the last century. First separately by Seiko, and later in collaboration with Epson. The line was labeled RC, and the characteristics of the devices were ridiculous by today's standards, but absolutely fantastic for that time. For example, the RC-20, released in 1985, was equipped with an 8-bit processor, 8 KB of internal memory and 2 KB of RAM. The display had a resolution of 42 by 32 pixels. They were loaded with scheduling apps, notes, a world clock, and a calculator. The watch could be connected to a computer for programming. Most popular computers of the time were supported, such as the Apple II, IBM PC, NEC 8201 and others.

At the turn of the two millennia, an attempt was made to make another watch that was ahead of its time. In June 2000, IBM introduced the world to a prototype wristwatch running on Linux. The watch had an accelerometer, vibration motor and even a fingerprint sensor. Citizen was chosen as a partner and was ready to collaborate with IBM to create the WatchPad. It was assumed that the model would be equipped with a display with a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels and run on Linux 2.4. The watch also had to have a built-in calendar, Bluetooth, 8 MB of RAM and 16 MB of internal memory. The WatchPad was supposed to cost only $399, but for a number of reasons the project was canceled two years later.

So things went sluggishly with smartwatches until in 2012 Pebble presented its vision of such an accessory on Kickstarter, and the media increasingly began to feed the market with rumors about the imminent appearance of the iWatch, as they were called then. Here, as they say, “here we go.” All manufacturers began to produce their own versions of this device. Moreover, technology has already made it possible to do something truly worthwhile.

Design was difficult early on, and few could come up with something interesting that didn't seem like a Tamagotchi toy on a strap. There were, of course, exceptions in the form Motorola Moto 360, but that was rare. Even the appearance of the cute curved Samsung Gear S didn't help the situation much.

Then they were replaced by the Samsung gear S2, which looked more like a classic watch, and on August 31, 2016, the newest Gear S3 was officially presented, one of the nice features of which is decent compatibility not only with Android devices, but even with the iPhone.

Now about the Gear S3 itself

Externally, the watch turned out to be solid and even impressive. They don't feel like a plastic toy on your wrist. But at the same time, I personally didn’t like the way they fit on my hand. I love big watches, and my main watch is a fairly large chronometer. It's big and weighty, but fits more comfortably than the Gear S3. This is where the first disadvantage lies. Also, despite the fashion for large watches among women, it is unlikely that they will fit well on the graceful wrist of a young girl. Of course, you need to try and try it on, but I very much doubt that in this case the Samsung Gear S3 will be a good option.

Housing, screen and controls

There are two types of housing. We had a black case at our disposal. Watches in this design are marked as “Frontier”, which means “border”. There is also a classic silver version with the predictable name Classic. Externally, Frontier is more aggressive and somewhat sporty, which cannot be said about the classic version, in which even side buttons made in a classic style, and if you install one of the traditional options as a dial, then at a quick glance it will be even more difficult to distinguish them from ordinary watches. Even on the Frontier, if you turn on the chronometer dial, then, of course, there is no one hundred percent similarity with the mechanics, but visually the sensations are very interesting. There is even a mode with a constantly lit screen to enhance the effect. There are a lot of options for watch faces. Only a dozen standard options are initially installed, but in addition to this, you can download many more to suit every taste.

The screen has a resolution of 360 by 360 pixels, which with a diagonal of 1.3 inches provides a pixel density of 278 pixels per inch. The matrix is ​​Super AMOLED, and the screen protection is Corning Gorilla Glass SR+.

In terms of functionality and content, the differences between the two versions of the model are minimal. These include only the weight, which for the classic is 57 grams, for the Frontier 62 grams, and the impact-resistant body of the latter. That's probably why they weigh more. The biggest difference is the presence in some Samsung versions Gear S3 Frontier capabilities of working with an electronic SIM card.

The device case has a moisture and dust resistance level of ip68, which prevents dust from getting inside and allows you to immerse the watch in fresh water to a depth of one and a half meters for up to 30 minutes. True, on the Samsung website, of course, it is written that the watch is not suitable for diving and swimming.

Additional protection of the screen from scratches and damage is provided by the fact that the display is recessed into the case, and the bezel, which is the main control element of the watch, rises quite high above it. By rotating it, you can move between widgets and menu items, as well as adjust volume, brightness and much more. The bezel is discrete and rotates very smoothly and pleasantly. At the moment of rotation, if you bring the watch to your ear, you can hear a pleasant sound from its rotation, similar to the sound of the rotation of the crown of a mechanical watch. The idea of ​​rotating the bezel is obvious, since there have long been chronometers that implement a similar mechanism. True, there it performs a different function, but nevertheless, Samsung specialists are great for finding such a control method and being able to implement it efficiently.

The bezel is especially pleasant in combination with the Tizen operating system, under which the watch runs and which is built around this control, in contrast to where you have to swipe across the screen many times more often. But the disadvantage of this Tizen, in comparison with Android Wear, is the lack of a full-fledged voice assistant. There is also an analogue here, but it works somewhat worse than the usual “Ok! Google.”

Fitness

Traditionally, fitness has many functions. These include activity tracking, stair climb counting, a heart rate monitor that monitors your condition every 15 minutes, and even GPS. Separately, it is worth noting the barometer and altimeter, which will not be useful to everyone, but will definitely find their connoisseur.

If you play any sport with gloves on or just walk down the street on a cool day, then a mode is provided for this that increases the sensitivity of the screen, thereby allowing you to use it without taking off your gloves. Of course, this will not always work, and if you have gloves comparable in appearance to welder’s gloves, then nothing will work, but in some situations it will definitely be more convenient.

Charging and autonomy

According to Samsung, the battery in the Gear S3 lasts for 4 days of use. I can't confirm this. I was only able to use them for two days with fairly active use. If you significantly reduce the load on the battery, you will get a maximum of three days, no more. If you activate the always-on screen mode, the increased energy consumption will predictably take several more hours of battery life away from the battery. It turns out that there is nothing outstanding in this matter, everything is almost the same as that of competitors. The capacity of the built-in battery, by the way, is 380 mAh, which also does not cause sacred awe.

The watch charges contactlessly, which is convenient, but charging itself is inconvenient. If it were in the form of a flat tablet, it would be much nicer, but as it is, it is very angular and fits awkwardly in a bag if you need to take it on the road. But the box can be turned into a charging station. We thread the wire through the special slots - and you're done. But, as for me, it would be more logical to make the wire outlet at the bottom of the box.

Straps

Samsung has made a very nice step to meet users. The belts are 22 millimeters wide, which allows you to install not only one of the options offered by the company, namely multi-colored rubber, leather and crocodile-embossed ones, but also the lion's share of the usual universal ones. At least from his grandfather’s trophy ones, with whom he went through the war.

Cross-platform and memory

A nice feature of the watch is its certain cross-platform functionality. Use is possible with both Android and iOS. All you have to do is download the app and you're done. At the same time, there is no need to talk about reduced functionality. At least if you compare other phones on Android (not Samsung) and iOS.

The built-in memory of the watch is 4 GB. Decent, but only one and a half are available to the user. But you can fill them with music, connect wireless headphones and go for a run without a phone, and training statistics will be collected by the built-in software, including GPS, which I mentioned earlier.

Results

So what can we say about the watch, to sum it up? The watch turned out to be pleasant and quite similar to classical mechanics. I would even add an optional “ticking” mode for connoisseurs, so that the imitation would be even more believable, and they would be more likely to look at this gadget. Otherwise, by and large, these are ordinary smartwatches at the level of competitors, and in some places a little higher, but in any case, these are just smartwatches with their inherent functions. You can follow them telephone conversations, do not miss notifications and reminders, collect activity statistics, but for real fans of mechanics they will not be able to replace what they are used to. Moreover, it is difficult to call a watch for 25,000 rubles fashionable. It's not cheap for a smartwatch, but for those who can afford a really expensive watch, or even just an expensive one, and want to show everyone that they can afford it, and for those who just love a beautiful classic watch, the Samsung Gear S3 is not will do. If even the smart Tag Heuer Connected model, which, according to forecasts, was supposed to become a bridge between smart watches and classic Swiss mechanics, did not take root, then there is also no need to talk about anything more.

For myself, I decided that neither good design nor cross-platform stimulating my desire to buy such a watch. Even with all my openness to something new. For me, the main off-putting factor was the Gear S3's somewhat clunky nature, which makes it less usable than many even larger models, and the lack of breakthrough in battery life. I've always said that there's nothing wrong with charging your watch every night, but it would be interesting to use something that lasts significantly longer than all the others. In any case, everyone decides for themselves what to use.

I'm quite into smartwatches because they're convenient and useful in some ways. For more than three years now I have been using smart watches, although always only one – . It so happened that they were the ones that suited me the most because of the always-on display, autonomy and some other features. Over these three years, I tried almost all the popular models, but all of them did not suit me for various reasons. But even Pebble is no longer suitable for me, specifically mine are outdated, they have a childish design and over time they begin to have problems with the display. Well, but my new ones also broke. At first I thought about getting a new generation, but decided against it due to the lack of GPS. Today I’ll talk about the Gear S3 Frontier - a very cool smartwatch that would have completely satisfied me just recently.

If you have the same smartwatch requirements as I described above, I recommend looking at the Apple Watch 2 or Samsung Gear S3. First for users Apple technology, the second is Android. Unfortunately, neither the first nor the second work with other systems. Although there is information that the Gear S3 and other Gears may become compatible with iOS.

I'm not afraid to call the Gear S3 the most beautiful smartwatch on the market. They are moderately compact, have a classic design, and the straps can be easily changed. By the way, changing belts is very simple; for this there is a special lever on back side. Frontier is a rougher, more masculine version of the S3. But there is also a classic version, for girls and suits.

This one seems to incite that you need to go on a hike, go on an expedition, or throw yourself new challenge. And the classic one asks you to drink coffee and continue sitting on the chair in front of the computer. Okay, no, of course, but the “frontier” is much more beautiful, in my opinion.

The Gear S3 Frontier works with any Android smartphone, not just Samsung. To connect them to your device, you need to install the Samsung Gear Manager application. From the application you can install watch faces, applications, download music, synchronize data with S Health, set up notifications, the location of everything - in general, anything you want.

I’m glad that, unlike Apple Watch, Pebble and some others, the glass here is not only strong (Gorilla Glass SR+), but also deeply recessed into the frame. This allows you to avoid accidental contact with third-party objects and the appearance of chips/scratches.

I really liked the display itself: Super Amoled, 1.3-inch diagonal, resolution is 360x360 pixels, density 278 pixels per inch. There is an Always On Display function, which is very necessary in a watch, but with this type of display you still have to choose: either convenience or autonomy. However, according to observations, energy consumption does not increase much when the function is turned on, since the picture becomes more faded.

By the way, one of the most important characteristics hours – autonomy. I don't review watches that last less than 2 days. Because 2-3 days in just smartwatch mode means one workout and 20-30 percent of the remaining charge. Frontier live on a single charge without training, but with a constantly active display for 2.5-3 days. That's not bad. On a training day, they need to be charged to the maximum, because the GPS will eat up about 40-50% for a 10 km run. The watch charges in about 2 hours from a standard charger, which consists of a wireless dock and a power supply connected via MicroUSB. This dock is already familiar to users of Samsung wearable technology. It is convenient, but you need to carry it with you so as not to be left without a watch while traveling. In principle, as with the vast majority of other watches.

Having GPS on board is very nice. With the watch, you can safely go for a run without a smartphone, and then synchronize all the data with the S-Health service. Unfortunately, other services are not supported, but from S-Health you can synchronize with Runkeeper, for example. I'm glad that there are built-in 4 GB on which you can download music to listen to while downloading. During classes, the watch can give hints; there is a built-in speaker for this.

The expeditionary and sports focus is emphasized by the fact that the watch is drop-resistant and can operate at temperatures from -40 to +70 degrees Celsius. But the moisture protection is weak, as for such a device, the standard is ip68, which means a depth of up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. If water gets inside, this will not be considered a warranty case. Therefore, regard this as moisture protection, and not water resistance.

I liked the interface of the previous generation, but here everything is excellent: beautiful, understandable, convenient. There are more and more applications and this, of course, makes us happy. Now you can browse the store, find beautiful watch faces and applications, there are even games. I am glad that Samsung is attracting and encouraging app developers for wearable technology at the global and local levels. What’s frustrating is that big developers (Evernote, Runkeeper, Strava) don’t make apps for Samsung watches.

As before, control is carried out through four elements: two mechanical keys on the right side, a mechanical wheel around the display and the touch screen itself. I must say that this is probably the most convenient control among smart watches. You can compare it with the Apple Watch, which also has a wheel, but in Android Wear you need to move around the screen, which is inconvenient for a wearable gadget.

Problems with control are felt only during sports activities. Everything is the same as before, you cannot customize the training screens. While running, for example, you can only look at certain data, when runners need at least three fields: pace, distance, time. And here is one thing, for another you need to scroll with a wheel or sensor, which is inconvenient during training. By the way, I talked about this in my review of a cool bracelet.

Can a watch be considered a multisport watch? Definitely not. This is primarily a smartwatch, but a very good one. For example, you still need a chest-mounted heart rate monitor; the built-in one is only suitable for resting conditions. There is no support for large services like Strava, Runkeeper. Also, for multi-sports, they lack water resistance, greater autonomy, more convenient blind control and customization of sports screens.

However, as a trekker, an assistant in everyday life and even during sports activities, they are very good. If it weren't for the lack of iOS support, I would call it the best smartwatch. In the meantime, these are some of the...

And about the cost. The official price tag in Ukraine is 10,000 UAH or almost 370 dollars. And this is a lot, considering that for this money you can buy a real multisport watch. But if you just need a cool wrist gadget, they are very good.

Video review of Samsung Gear S3 Frontier

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Video review of Samsung Gear S3 Classic

Samsung Gear S3 Classic - new or restyling?

New flagship smartphones are released once a year, despite what changes have been made, the new model receives a new digital index. But in the automotive industry, everything is a little different. For example, let's take BMW, they don't release a new 7 every year. They do this once every 6–7 years. Of course, during this time, many new technologies are being developed and implemented in the auto industry, and BMW understands that the 7 needs to be updated, but it still does not match the new index. This is how reystaling models appear. They improved it a little here, adjusted it a little there, and now - a new car. But in reality it's still the same old 7.

This is the analogy I see in relation to the gadget that we will look at today. The manufacturer assures everyone that this is a new model, but it seems to me that it is just a restyling of last year’s device. Whether this is true or not is up to the buyer to decide. And all I can do is test drive the new product - Samsung Gear S3 Classic - today in our review.

Design and ergonomics of Samsung Gear S3 Classic

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to compare the Gears S3 head-on, since I tested from the previous generation, and now I have a classic watch on test. But nevertheless, the differences are noticeable. The hours have become larger. If the Gear S2 Classic was 40 millimeters in diameter, then the Gear S3 Classic grew to 46 millimeters. Now the previous generation can be called female, since now the watches have become truly masculine, large and heavy. And since the size has increased, the mass has increased accordingly. Now it's 57 grams, instead of 42 grams excluding the strap.

The main part of the watch case, as before, is made of stainless steel. Outwardly, they resemble high-quality Swiss watches. The materials are chosen very well, and the leather strap complements all this splendor. It is removable and has a standard watch mount. Thanks to this, you can use any 22mm strap with the S3 Classic.

As before, the main part of the watch is occupied by the display. As the dimensions of the watch have grown, so has the display. It has become 15% larger. In terms of management, everything is the same as before. There is a rotating ring around the display. On the right side there are two mechanical keys “Back” and “Home”, as well as a microphone, on the left side there is a speaker. The bottom of the watch is covered with black plastic, on which there is a heart rate sensor and a connector for wireless charging.

Display and control

I already said that the display has become 15% larger, but now let's talk about this element in more detail. The diagonal has increased from 1.2 inches to 1.3 inches. But the resolution remains the same - 360x360 pixels. The pixel density has dropped to 278 ppi. But even with this density, the pixels are impossible to see. AMOLED matrix, everything is unchanged here. If you know the features of the AMOLED matrix, then it is already clear to you that the screen is good. Contrast, brightness, color saturation, viewing angles - everything is in place.

The Gear S3 Classic has 10 backlight levels. I, as before, use level 7. I feel comfortable with him at any time of the day. And for those who can’t decide on the brightness level or often switch it depending on the situation, there is an auto-brightness sensor that behaves quite correctly and does not raise any questions. The display is protected by a special safety glass Corning Gorilla Glass SR+.

As in flagship smartphones Samsung, the Always On Display feature has appeared in the watch. Your display will always be on in clock mode. For example, my main dial is made in yellow color with black inserts, and when the watch goes to Always On, the colors are inverted. The dial turns black with yellow numbers and hands. And since the black color in the AMOLED matrix is ​​achieved by turning off the pixels, the battery charge is practically not consumed. What is this for? For example, I’m driving or typing on a laptop, the clock is in my field of vision and, glancing at it, I see the time. Previously, you had to make a characteristic hand movement to turn on the screen.

In terms of management, everything remains the same. You have a rotary ring, which has become even more functional, a touch display and mechanical keys.

Interface

In terms of the interface, everything remains almost the same, only cosmetic changes have occurred. The main screen is the clock, this is logical. At the top there is a curtain that contains the battery level, brightness settings, sound profiles, enabling Do Not Disturb and Airplane modes, as well as launching the music player.

All notifications are collected to the left of the clock, widgets are located to the right. Pressing the Home key takes you to the main application menu. In the third generation of Gear S, Samsung focused on sports. The Gear S3 Classic has GPS and GLONASS modules. Thanks to them, you can track your activity during a workout, and things like a barometer, altimeter and speedometer will determine the level of atmospheric pressure, altitude and your speed while jogging or cycling. This way, you no longer need to take your smartphone to training.

Let's continue the theme of sports in watches. The S Health app is well integrated with the one on your smartphone. You can measure your heart rate, steps, time, get data on running, cycling, and so on. Surprisingly, the watch measures heart rate quite accurately, although there is still some error. You can also use the watch to track the number of cups of water and coffee you drink.

Present in watches and NFC chip, thanks to which you can make purchases using Samsung Pay. Because payment system from Samsung does not work in the Ukrainian market, do not think that you don’t need NFC at all. Just install the Privat24 application on your watch and pay for purchases with a Privat Bank card.

It is worth noting the presence of moisture and dust protection according to the IP68 standard. You can not only wash your hands, but also take a shower without taking off your watch. But there is no 3G module in the classic version of the device. The Gear S3 Classic can only be used as a smartphone headset. This is convenient when you are driving.

What we couldn't test was the watch's integration with BMW's Connected service. Samsung says that using BMW's proprietary app, you can receive notifications on the Gear S3 about upcoming trips, information about gas levels, open/close the car using the watch, and much more.

Connection and notifications

In this regard, everything is quite familiar for wearable devices from Samsung. To connect the Gear S3 Classic, you will need a smartphone with Android version 4.4 or higher, 1.5 gigabytes of RAM and Bluetooth 4.1 or Wi-Fi for remote connection. The Samsung Gear application itself also received cosmetic changes, but this did not affect the functionality in any way. In the application you can see brief information about the watch: battery charge, information about permanent and RAM memory. Below is a selection of watch faces and apps from the store. The second tab contains everything for setting the clock. Select and style your watch faces, manage notifications, manage apps, send files to your Gear, and more.

On your watch, you can not only read and delete notifications, but also interact with them. For example, you can reply to an SMS using your voice, a preset phrase, or the built-in keyboard. You can also interact with e-mail clients, instant messengers and many other applications.

Autonomy

Compared to the previous generation, the Gear S3 Classic received a larger battery, but this had virtually no effect on operating time. The watch has a 380 mAh battery and its autonomy depends on your usage style. My S3 Classic works for 2 days, this is with Active Display activated, but without GPS. If you also turn on GPS, autonomy will drop to 1 day. But if you turn off both GPS and Active Display, you can count on 3-4 days of work.

The watch also has an energy-saving mode. As before, Gear S3 Classic will turn off everything smart features, the display will turn black and white and the smart watch will turn into a pumpkin, or rather, into a regular watch. The Gear S3 will be prompted to activate this mode when the charge drops to 15%. Then it will remind you again at the 10% and 5% marks.

Conclusions

Let's summarize. I still haven't gotten around to using the Apple Watch, which may be why I still consider Samsung's Gear S line to be the best smartwatches on the market. I used to say this about the second generation, but now about the third. If you are about to join the world of smart wearable devices, if you need high-quality and beautiful watch, if you are ready to pay ₴10,000 (about $380) for them, the Samsung Gear S3 Classic is exactly what you need. But if you already have a Gear S2, then I don’t see much need to buy a new watch. As I said at the beginning of the article, the Gear S3 is just a restyling of the Gear S2. And if they were called, for example, Gear S2s, it would be justified.

Prices in online stores

It is possible to display similar models if this one is not in the catalog for your region.