Smartwatch review: Samsung Gear S3 gives Apple Watch 2 a run for its money

Samsung's Gear S3 is a polished smartwatch with solid hardware, but with limited apps available is there really any point to it beyond being a glitzy fitness tracker?

The Gear S3 is focused squarely on fitness fanatics, with an array of sensors including GPS, a heart rate monitor, barometer and speedometer, all of which competently track a wide array of activities. Courtesy SamsungShow less

With the Gear S3, Samsung has produced a big and powerful smartwatch that stands alongside the Apple Watch 2 as one of the best of its kind on the market.

Like Apple, however, its limited supply of apps means it’s hard to recommend as a purchase except to a narrow band of techie watch enthusiasts.

The Gear S3 is now a whopping 49mm wide, weighing 59-63g, depending on which version you get. For me, it felt comfortable to wear, coming in lighter than my regular analogue watch, but it may feel awkward for those with smaller wrists.

A handy side effect of its chunkiness is its battery life, which Samsung claims will last up to three days. That’s a moot point, depending on how heavily you use it, but it holds its charge better than the (much smaller) Apple Watch 2.

Like the Apple Watch 2, the Gear S3 is focused squarely on fitness fanatics, with an array of sensors including GPS, a heart rate monitor, barometer and speedometer, all of which competently track a wide array of activities.

What’s more, there’s now a speaker and microphone to receive calls to your wrist, although this can make you look pretty silly. Hardware-wise, it’s all pretty solid. Unfortunately, the same still can’t be said for the software.

The number of watch apps available for Samsung’s Tizen operating system is growing, but still significantly trails those available for Apple and Android. Key apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Gmail are still somehow absent, even if there are third party workarounds available.

And as with every other smartwatch on the market, there’s still no real killer usage for the Gear S3 beyond fitness tracking and monitoring notifications.

The Gear S3 retails for Dh1,399, Dh100 cheaper than the Apple Watch 2, and is avail­able in both Classic and Frontier designs.

It’s a well-designed if bulky timepiece, with hardware that will appeal to fitness enthusiasts. Its thin array of apps, however, mean there’s still little reason to buy it over a dedicated fitness watch or a basic fitness tracker.

Q&A: Getting cool on smartwatches

John Everington reveals more about Samsung’s new Gear S3:

Aren’t you being a little hard on smartwatches? Aren’t they selling like hot cakes?

No. Global sales fell by 51 per cent in the third quarter of last year, according to industry analysts IDC, even though much of that was due to people waiting for the release of the Apple Watch 2. A number of manufacturers are starting to go cool on the devices, with early pioneer Lenovo downplaying its plans for new devices in 2017. And Apple is still not publicly releasing sales figures.

What’s the Gear S3’s screen like?

Very good, using the same Super Amoled technology of Samsung’s high-end smartphones. As per the likes of the Galaxy S7, colours are vivid and bright. There’s an option to keep the display on at all times, but this will drain the battery.

Sounds like it will track my runs and my cycling OK. What about swimming?

Samsung has opted against using the full waterproofing of the Apple Watch 2 in favour of IP68 certified water resistance for the Gear S3, meaning that it’s good for washing up and showering, but not for swimming.

What’s the difference between the “Classic” and “Frontier” versions?

Not a lot. The “Frontier” has a more rugged look and feel, designed to appeal to those of us or have, or wish we had, an adventurous outdoorsy lifestyle, while the “Classic” carries over the more sleek, futuristic design of the S2. Although the “Frontier” is about 4g heavier, the battery life is the same size.

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