It’s made of stainless steel, like the Gear S2, and it carries the same IP68 waterproof rating. The build quality is superb - the Frontier model feels like it’s worth the $350 price tag. The Gear S3 comes pre-installed with some ugly watch faces, but thankfully the companion app is chock full of free and paid faces you can install. It looks more like a regular wristwatch than the futuristic Apple Watch. I usually prefer classic designs akin to the Classic S3, but the Frontier has more character. As a 6-foot, 4-inch tall man it felt comfortable and natural on me, but it’s still noticeably thicker than your average watch.īoth models have a beautiful round design we’re fond of, especially because the S3 looks like a regular watch.

They’re significantly larger at 46mm, which means this watch will look strange and out of place on smaller wrists. We’re reviewing the Frontier version of the S3 on AT&T.īoth the Classic and Frontier models resemble the Gear S2 Classic, which Samsung released earlier in early 2016. If you want 3G/LTE enabled on the watch, you’ll have to get the Frontier and it will work only on AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks. The differences are minute: The Gear S3 Frontier has a sportier design, is 5 grams heavier, and comes with a more rugged silicone strap. There are two Gear S3 models - the Classic and the Frontier.

(This watch is not compatible with iPhone yet - there is a workaround and a beta program for the Gear S2.) A classic watch look with a lot of smarts It builds on the Gear S2, and while it hasn’t changed our minds about the usefulness of smartwatches, Samsung makes a compelling case. The Gear S3 is well ahead of most Android Wear smartwatches. That’s not a bad thing considering the state of Android Wear - the next iteration from Google has been delayed until later this year, and the lack of fresh devices in 2016 is not promising. While Samsung is the leading Android smartphone manufacturer, it uses its own proprietary software: Tizen for Gear smartwatches. Hardly any Android Wear smartwatches were released in 2016, and funnily enough, the only great option for Android users is a watch that doesn’t run Android Wear.

The Apple Watch Series 2 dominates the market, the Apple Watch secures the top spot on the best smartwatches, and the only Android manufacturer that’s continually updating and expanding its smartwatch lineup is Samsung. Smartwatches are in an odd place right now.

Samsung watch gear 3