It's been a long time since we had a review! Last time Oukitel A58 came to the laboratory, and if it was a watch, it was definitely not the smartest one.
Today we host the most prominent product in the industry - the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier. This is the third generation of wearable gadgets from the Korean manufacturer, and we managed to look at these models at the exhibition, which we described in a separate article.
In it, my colleague called the new product "an improved and modified version of Gear S2", however, in my opinion, there are fundamental differences between the models that can easily push users to change their predecessor to a new version.
And Samsung itself highlights the new items, slightly changing the naming, the classic version has remained "Classic", and the eccentric modification has received the Frontier label. Let's see what has changed in terms of technical characteristics.
Specifications Samsung Gear S3 Frontier
| Model | Samsung Gear S3 Frontier | Samsung Gear S2 |
| Device type | Smart watch / smartwatch | Smart watch / smartwatch |
| CPU | Samsung Exynos 7270 | Samsung Exynos 3250 |
| Kernel configuration | 2 x 1.0 GHz, Cortex-A53 (64 bit, 14 nm FF) | 2 x 1.0 GHz, Cortex-A7 (28 nm HKMG) |
| Video processor | Mali-T720 | Mali-400 MP2 |
| operating system | Based on Tizen OS (2.3.2) | Based on Tizen OS |
| Random access memory, MB | 768, LPDDR3 | 512 |
| Internal memory, GB | 4 | 4 |
| Screen | 1.3 "AMOLED, 360 x 360 | 1.2 "AMOLED, 360 x 360 |
| Camera, Mpix | - | - |
| Speaker / Microphone | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes |
| Protection against moisture and dust | IP68 | IP68 |
| Vibration motor | there is | there is |
| Heart rate sensor | there is | there is |
| Data transfer | NFC, Wi-Fi, LTE * | NFC, Wi-Fi, 3G * |
| GPS / GLONASS / Beidou | Yes / Yes / Yes | No no no |
| Battery, mAh | 380 | 250 |
| Dimensions, mm | 49.0 x 46.0 x 12.9 | 49.8 x 42.3 x 11.4 |
| Weight, g | 63 | 47 |
| price, rub. | ~24 000 | ~15 000 |
The most important change concerned the SoC. The outdated and completely irrelevant cores of the Cortex-A7 architecture were replaced with the more energy efficient Cortex-A53. Their number has not changed, but this is for the better. Coupled with a more subtle technical process, this should significantly improve the level of autonomy of the watch.
The manufacturer added a GPS module that can work with the watch without a smartphone, recording user actions. This is useful, for example, when jogging - you don't have to take your smartphone with you every time to measure the distance covered. The noticeably "fat" battery is also good news, which should further affect the autonomy of the device. True, the mass increased greatly.
Samsung Gear S3 Frontier packaging and arrangement
Alas, Samsung Gear S3 Frontier came to us without packaging, but judging by the information from the network, the complete set consists of the following accessories:
- Documentation;
- Charger (docking station);
- Power Supply;
- MicroUSB cord.
Overall, this is a typical set for most smartwatches.
The docking station is quite compact, it is equipped with a weighting agent, so it should not fall off the table due to a draft.
The watch can be installed on it either side, there are no latches - the case is magnetised to the surface. The docking station is equipped with an LED indicator of the charging progress, which changes its color during the process.
The charger in our case with a non-removable wire. The docking station is connected via the MicroUSB port. The output current is 0.7 A at 5 V.
Recently, official sales of Samsung Gear S3 smart watches started in Russia, inheriting elements of the "ancestor" of Gear S2 and expressing them in a new combination of design and functionality. Today we will look at what innovations Samsung has implemented in this device.
Specifications
- Screen: 1.3 ", IPS Super AMOLED, 16 million colors, 360x360 pixels., Capacitive, 392 ppi;
- Operating system: Tizen 2.3.2;
- Processor: Exynos 7270, 1 GHz;
- RAM: 750 MB;
- Built-in memory: 4 GB;
- Battery: Li-Ion 380 mAh;
- Dimensions: 49 x 46 x 12.9 mm;
- Weight: 59g (Classic), 63g (Frontier)
- Communication: WIFI: 802.11 b / g / n 2.4 GHz, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP), GPS / GLONASS;
- Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate sensor, barometer, light sensor;
- Available versions: Classic, Frontier.
Equipment
The watch is delivered in a cylindrical box made of thick matte black cardboard. The design of the cover is made in the form of a now popular technique - embossed concentric circles. Company and model names are embossed. Depending on the version, the color of the top edge is different.
Unpucking is the main ritual after purchase, on which the first impression of the type of device depends. The Samsung Gear S3 is straightforward in this regard. You lift the upper part of the "cylinder" - and there the watch lies beautifully on the stand for wireless charging, and the inscription "Samsung" is engraved as the author's signature. As the saying goes, "you just have to reach out and they are yours."
The above is on a plastic platform (in fact, the entire inner surface of the box is made of plastic), under which there are user instructions and a warranty card, in which everything is written in tiny print, to read it, you need to strain your eyes, as well as a 5V 0.7A charger with a wire 1 meter long, which connects to a magnetic stand via a microUSB connector.
Appearance and features
The overall look of both versions of the Gear S3 is relatively similar, with a combined stainless steel case held together by four screws. A metal bezel revolves around the 1.3-inch display, making it easier to navigate the interface. The watch has a standard 22 mm strap attachment - this expands the possibilities for customizing the appearance, limited only by the variety of available straps.
The lower part is identical in both cases and contains an optical heart rate monitor with two LEDs, lettering indicating the model name, country of origin - Vietnam, and the CE mark.
On the right of the watch are two buttons: "back" and "home", next to the second is a microphone.
On the other side, there are three small speaker holes.
External differences relate specifically to the front. Starting from the color (black for the Frontier and silver chrome for the Classic) and the shape of the buttons, and ending with the material of the strap (genuine leather for the Classic and silicone for the Frontier), as well as the weight - the officially stated weight of the watch is 59 and 63 g for Classic and Frontier respectively, but because of the straps, the weight increases to 72 and 87 g, which is already more noticeably felt during direct use.
Samsung Gear S3 is protected according to the IP68 standard, which means complete protection from dust and moisture, as well as immersion in fresh water up to one and a half meters for 30 minutes, however, the manufacturer notes on the official website and in the quick start instructions that swimming, showering and exercising diving in them is prohibited. The consultant in the official Samsung store, on the contrary, assured that you can safely swim in them. It should be noted that the warranty does not cover damage caused by the failure or disruption of the device due to flooding.
Unfortunately, in practice, we were not able to check their water resistance, since someone had opened the samples before us and did not completely tighten the screws, we decided not to risk it.
The Gear S3 Frontier also differs from the Classic in that it can withstand extreme temperature changes.
In terms of shock resistance, it is assumed that the steel case should withstand an ordinary fall from a height of 1.5 meters (a typical height when putting on the watch on the wrist), and the bulging bezel should protect the screen from direct physical impact. The display itself is protected from scratches and is able to withstand accidental contact with even metal objects such as a handrail in the subway or a car door.
Despite the same cost of both versions, the Frontier looks more expensive than the Classic. The Classic seems to have been created as a complement to the "core" Frontier. Perhaps it's the "whale" strap, in Classic it looks rustic, poor, not at all elegant, when to Frontier it only adds even more brutality.
Frontier is very difficult to put on due to the thick silicone strap, which does not slip at all, but it is wider and tight on the hand, and also better tolerates diving, temperature changes and other extreme situations. The classics, on the contrary, are aimed at the calm behavior of the "wearer", with classic analog dials they look like ordinary wristwatches, which is why the user will be able to surprise "unenlightened" friends by raising his hand to see the time, and then turn the bezel to check the weather, notifications, find out the latest news, or even answer a call or write an SMS.
Display
What makes the Samsung Gear S3 look like a watch is the 1.3-inch (32.9 mm) round screen, featuring a 360 x 360-pixel Super AMOLED IPS display at 392 dpi. The clarity of the image is colossal, even the smallest symbols on the subdials are visible without grain.
The degree of change in brightness is measured in 10 points, but the adaptive dimming function eliminates the problem of constant adjustment.
The color reproduction is at the highest level, the viewing angles are as wide as possible the maximum angle of incidence of the gaze on the watch.
The screen is covered with a layer of scratch-resistant glass and has an oleophobic coating.
The Always-on-display function, as the name implies, instead of turning off the screen, reduces the backlight level to a minimum so that the user does not have to shake his hand to activate the clock and see the time.
Iron
Samsung has equipped the Gear S3 with a 1GHz Exynos 7270 dual-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, built on a 14nm process for lower power consumption and improved performance (Gear S2 uses Exynos 3250, 28nm, ARM Cortex-A7, 1GHz).
The apps and dials installed on the watch do not require as many resources as, for example, for smartphones, so 750 MB of RAM (in Gear S2 - 500 MB) is enough to quickly switch between elements of the Tizen OS interface.
Of the 4 GB of internal memory, only 1.6 GB is available to the user. They can be used as a repository of installed applications, images, both sent to the Gear, and screenshots of the watch itself, as well as music for playback by the built-in player through the watch speaker or a Bluetooth headset connected to it.
On the back of the Gear S3 is an optical heart rate sensor that reads very clearly, accurately following the rhythm of the heartbeat during the measurement process.
For hikers (especially mountain hikers), the Samsung Gear S3 has a built-in barometer and altimeter. The former measures pressure in hectopascals (hPa) and inches of mercury (inHg), and also shows a graph of further pressure changes based on data over the past 6 hours. If we convert hPa to mm Hg. and compare with an ordinary home barometer, the difference in readings is minimal.
Altimeter (altimeter) - a device for measuring the height of the "flight" of an object based on GPS data.
Samsung Gear S3 has a built-in NFC module for using the Samsung Pay service.
The watch can work both in tandem with a smartphone and as an independent device, for this you need to activate the Offline mode, which breaks the Bluetooth connection with the smartphone and all functions such as answering calls, displaying notifications, receiving messages, etc. Uses built-in Wi-Fi to install apps and watch faces, and Bluetooth to connect wireless headphones. This mode is designed primarily for training without a smartphone.
Software
Samsung Gear S3 runs on the platform of an open operating system based on the Linux kernel - Tizen 2.3.2, adapted for the "watch" shell.The public is especially actively arguing about the benefits and functionality of smartwatches today, because the market for wearable electronics is "flourishing", new players are emerging, and competition is growing.
Someone says that this is a waste of money, and those who confirm the benefits are divided into two "camps" - the first put sports functions at the head (pedometer, altimeter, heart rate monitor with appropriate software, etc.), and the second believe that it is not the functionality that is important, but the design and, first of all, convenience, which is manifested in the fact that the watch allows you to constantly stay in the know, and not waste energy to get the phone out of your pocket every time (new notifications, instant reading and reply to messages , weather check, BT-headset functions, etc.), and fitness functions are perceived only as an add-on.
The Samsung Gear S3 may well reconcile the controversial smartwatch proponents, as it perfectly combines features that will suit everyone.
To connect the Gear S3 to a smartphone and set up some programs, you need to install the Gear S application, available in Google Play and the AppStore; the features and nuances of the application with iOS and Android will be described below.
The dial is the central element of the "home page" where you can add widgets and switch between them to the right side, and to the left of the dial you can scroll through new notifications.
Pressing the home button opens a list of installed applications. They are also arranged in a circle. Some preinstalled applications are aimed at quick access to smartphone functions:
- Phone - opens the list of recent calls, contacts, and also allows you to dial any number and call directly from the watch.
- Contacts - allows you to select a contact (search) and call or send SMS directly from the watch. There are 4 types of input to choose from: keyboard, dictation, drawing, emoticons.
- Weather — Updates the weather for selected cities in the Gear S app via your smartphone and displays the information on the watch screen.
- Music - combines the function of controlling music playback on a smartphone and a full-fledged mp3 player. The selected tracks are transferred to the watch's internal memory via the Gear S app on the smartphone.
- S Voice is a voice assistant similar to Siri, capable of many things - from calling a contact or phone number, to viewing weather data, planning a route and finding places. Displays information on the screen of a watch or smartphone.
- Organizer applications: Reminders, Calendar, World Clock, Alarm.
- Flipboard News Briefing is a concise, up-to-date news digest.
- Find phone is a useful utility that triggers a beep on your smartphone. Helps to find it not only if it is lost in an apartment or house, but also in case of theft or loss.
Samsung says there are over 10,000 apps available in the Galaxy Apps store - that doesn't seem to be true. In addition to a huge number of watch faces (including paid ones), most of which were developed during the time of Gear S2, applications that are suitable for installation on Gear S3 mainly belong to the "health and fitness" group, or these are utilities of industry giants, like Yandex with a subway map and traffic jams.
S Health
S Health is an application developed by Samsung to track the activity of the owner of the Gear S3 watch (or Gear Fit bracelet). First, you need to download the application from Google Play, then create or log into an existing Samsung account, and then indicate your physical data and activity level.
The watch app counts steps, calories, floors (based on altimeter data), regularly measures heart rate, monitors activity, reminds you to warm up every hour, recognizes sleep time. You can keep track of the amount of water and coffee you drink,
S Health is a great workout companion. There are 16 types of exercises in the database, for each of which a certain set of monitored activities is provided. For example, while cycling, the watch will count your speed, calories, distance and heart rate.
The smartphone program has a wide range of functions. The main goal is to keep statistics, not only based on data from the Gear S3, but also by entering data manually. With the help of the program, you can control the amount of calories consumed by choosing a dish - a search is available in the restaurant menu! You can also monitor weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, and more.
The "Goals" mode will visually show the progress of achieving the desired level of activity, nutrition, sleep.
In the “Together” tab, you can compare your results with all S Health users, or with your age group, or you can add friends and have a competition.
Working with Android
It's no secret, and it's obvious that this watch will work flawlessly with Samsung smartphones, including instant connection, fast content sharing and Samsung Pay (but this is not accurate, we have not tested). The manufacturer also promises stable work (or explains how to eliminate the shortcomings as much as possible) on the page of the global site with a list of devices compatible with the watch being monitored, therefore, in order to answer the question about the interaction of Gear S3 with any interpretation of Android OS, we have chosen the hero as our “guinea pig” a recent review by the Chinese Umi Max.
It was a pleasant surprise that after installing the Samsung Gear app, as well as two plugins required for the work, all functions, except for Samsung Pay, work as expected. The connection was easy and fast, the applications are downloaded and updated stably.
Despite the fact that our device is far from Samsung, S Health works to its maximum.
A couple of times there was an unexpected break in the watch-smartphone pair, and to restore the connection, the watch had to be rebooted.
Working with iOS
In the last quarter of 2016, a beta version of the iOS-based "Gear S" app for connecting with Gear S2 and S3 smartwatches and Gear Fit fitness bracelet began to be distributed on the Internet. Then, to install this application, you had to do a few tricks in the iPhone settings. On January 7, 2017, this application became available for download in the Russian AppStore. His rating is unimportant, although there are not enough reviews, which says that there are quite a few perverts of individuals who are ready to “connect the incompatible”.
The first iPhone contact with the Gear S3 is the hardest and most patient experience. To connect to the phone, the device uses two Bluetooth channels: Bluetooth LE (Low Energy - a standard with lower energy consumption) to maintain connection and management functions such as sending messages, reading notifications, controlling music, etc., and to use the watch as a Bluetooth headset , that is, for conversations using the built-in speaker and microphone, a standard Bluetooth channel is used.
You cannot close the application. It should always be running at least in the background.
The connection is quite fast, but it takes a very long time to download, install and update applications. So long that it may not happen at all. It is better to install applications one at a time, maximum two at the same time, otherwise you will have to restart everything and get rid of constantly pop-up installation errors.
The release version of the Gear S application is not far from the beta version. During use for writing a review, there were permanent freezes, lags, connection breaks. Many functions, such as sending images from the watch to the phone, are not available.
S Health does not exist for iOS, it is part of the Gear S. The available measurements are steps, floors, water, caffeine, sleep, heart rate, and 4 activities: walking, running, cycling, hiking.
Unfortunately, with the release of the tenth version of iOS, which contains many additional chips, in particular the effects of sent messages and stickers that will not be displayed in notifications, the meaning of buying Gear S3 disappears, and the brand itself seems to oblige you to buy an Apple Watch, regardless of their price ... If you remove the heart rate monitor and altimeter with a barometer, the Gear S3 for iPhone is as useful as the Chinese clones of the popular 2000 rbl smart watch.
Battery
The Samsung Gear S3 is powered by a 380mAh Li-ion battery, 130mAh more than the Gear S2. Charging is carried out by connecting to a magnetic stand and there is no other way. Samsung promises fast charging, but in fact, up to 50% of the watch is charged in 2 hours, and fully in 4 hours.
After fully charging and immediately paired with a smartphone at 17:00 on the first day, without breaking the connection and given that 70% of the time the watch and the phone were just lying on the table, sometimes social media notifications came in - thus the charge lasted for 70 hours.
Those who want to squeeze the maximum out of their watches, that is, use them in training, for conversation, monitor sleep, constantly receive notifications, messages and respond to them, in addition, all this with always-on GPS and the Always-on-display function can expect an average of one and a half days of battery life.
To (emergency) save battery power, the Gear S3 has a power saving mode that switches the home screen theme to grayscale, disables all features except calls, messages and notifications, disables Wi-Fi, and limits maximum performance. In this mode, the watch can work up to 5 hours at the remaining 10%.
Results and conclusions
Compared to the previous generation Samsung Gear, the watch marked with the number 3, in a word, has grown. The screen has become larger, and most importantly, it is more convenient to use (although someone might consider the Gear S3's size a disadvantage). Processor performance and RAM have also improved. Gear S2 looked somehow frivolous, toy. Gear S3, if desired, can look like an expensive Swiss watch, you just need to put on the desired dial and choose the right strap.
Fans of hiking and an active lifestyle will choose the brutal Frontier. For people who are closer to business and business style, elegant Classic suits. S Health makes it easy to get started with a healthy lifestyle, and with a high-capacity battery, you'll be less distracted by recharging.
Unfortunately, there are not very many applications in the local store, and for some dials the developers require (sometimes a considerable) fee. The internal memory is enough only in words, and iOS support is still too raw.
Plus, the Gear S3 isn't cheap. The price in the Samsung store is 24,990 rubles.
Pros:
- Design, rotating bezel, large screen with excellent brightness and color reproduction
- Long autonomy
- Variety of dials
- S Health
- Work with any Android smartphone above 4.4 and RAM from 1.5 GB
- Almost complete freedom to choose a strap
- Heart rate monitor, barometer, altimeter.
- Working with iOS
- Paid watch faces
- Few applications
- Price (as for a separate good smartphone)
- Long charge.
The user has hidden his data
Problem solved
Pluses: Appearance. Battery for 3 days in active mode. Convenient charging (magnetic stand), installed programs. The rest is in the comments. Disadvantages: Price. There are many left-handed applications in Samsung APPS (you need to look very carefully what you want to buy). For example, the watsap instruction is taught as a full-fledged program. I already wanted to buy, but stopped the low rating, only after reading the comments, I realized what was what. There is no normal navigator, it's easier the old fashioned way - with a smartphone. Comment: I bought it for the hero of the day. I looked at how they look on the hand and what functions it performs, I decided to buy it myself. After buying, I read the comments ... Probably many are in disarray. In order. I have a 2017 Samsung smartphone. After downloading the program to a smartphone and connecting via bluetooth, everything was installed by itself. Only entered passwords during synchronization. The bezel is backlash. After reading the comments, I tried ... yes, it really is backlash. I didn’t think about it anymore. Now I tried to shake the bezel again - as if there is a backlash. Judging by the comments, it makes many people nervous, I didn't even notice ... The bezel is scratching. Today I hit the car door with my beloved bezel. From the sound of the impact, I thought he fell off. As a result, it did not fall off and there are not even scratches. GPS Curve. Yes curve. The watch climbs into the smartphone to determine the coordinates (the geolocation icon appeared on the smartphone). If you turn off geolocation in your smartphone, then the watch is "very" looking for satellites. I used the manual to set the GPS settings in the watch. Did not help. I did not begin to understand further, because it is not a very important case at the moment. No voice recorder. I searched for a voice recorder in Samsung APPS applications - really not. But when I was playing with the voice mode, for the sake of fun I said - "hello gear" (an analogue of Google for this watch), "open the recorder". The dictaphone download page was activated on the smartphone ... With the correct dictaphone (the recording is synchronized on the phone). There is no vatsap. He's gone. As well as telegram. There are separate programs (paid) that preserve history. But there are pluses. If messages come via vatsap, they can be fully read, and the interlocutor will display that the message has only been delivered and has not yet been read (two gray jackdaws). You can even reply to the message. But it is no longer possible to write a new one from the clock. This function is very convenient while driving, when you have a very urgent question, you seem to have read it, and you seem to be silent. Calls, SMS - work with a bang. Navigators. Complete nonsense. You can talk for a long time, but the limit of characters in the comments has been exhausted.
Gear S3 classic is a modern classic on your wrist, a mix of vintage design and modern technology. The bezel is notched with a laser. The pushers, made in the style of classic crowns, harmoniously complement the design of the case. Gear S3 classic is constructed with 316L stainless steel alloy for a high level of protection. The Gear S3 classic is designed to be used for days without recharging and connecting to your smartphone.
Gear S3 classic gives you freedom.
Rugged innovation
The Gear S3 classic combines the best of traditional watches and innovative devices. One glance is enough to appreciate their stunning design. A comfortable strap, a unique rotating bezel, a clear dial and a powerful battery make the smart watch so easy to use and allow you to use it for up to 4 days without recharging.
Always active screen
The updated full-color always-on display is virtually indistinguishable from the classic watch face. Choose the interface that suits you. The watch comes preloaded with 15 screen designs, and you'll find even more on Galaxy Apps!
Make your watch truly unique!
Control with one movement!
Enjoy the ease of use of the Gear S3 classic. Manage notifications, adjust volume, answer calls by simply rotating the bezel left or right. You can easily operate your watch even with wet hands or gloves.
Change your style
changing straps!
Find the strap that's right for you. The Gear S3 classic has a universal mount that is standard on traditional watches. Samsung interchangeable straps are durable and elegant. Show off your unique style!
Navy blue leather strap
Call from
smart watch!
Let the Gear S3 classic be your smartphone. The built-in speaker and microphone allow you to make and receive calls without your smartphone and listen to voice messages and reminders *. In addition, you can enjoy your favorite tracks thanks to the built-in music player.
Built-in GPS
With the Gear S3 classic, you will never go off the track again, even without your smartphone. Thanks to the built-in GPS, it is possible to build walking routes, calculate the distance to your destination, and even find the best cafes and restaurants nearby.
* For GPS navigation without a smartphone or Wi-Fi connection, download applications or maps is required,
do not require an Internet connection, and downloads may be charged.
Tracks on the road
Plug in your Bluetooth headphones and listen to your favorite tracks while exercising and traveling!
With 4GB of internal storage, the Gear S3 classic lets you take your favorite music with you even without a smartphone.
* Listening to music from online resources is possible with Wi-Fi.
Built-in sensors
Gear S3 classic is equipped with a barometer and constantly monitors the pressure, informing you of any unexpected or expected changes in as much detail as necessary to plot a new route. The altimeter and speedometer help you track your speed and show your current altitude.
Smart watches allow you to always be one step ahead.
4 days without recharging!
Thanks to the large battery, you can go without charging for up to 4 days!
* Battery charging time may vary depending on usage and settings.
SOS messages are quick and easy
Just press the Home key three times to immediately send your location to the selected contacts. They will be able to track your movements in real time.
* Service is provided by Glympse platform. The services available may differ depending on the country and region.
SOS messages
Press the Home key three times to send your location to the selected contacts.
Water resistant
and dust
Wear the Gear S3 classic in any weather, in any situation. Protection against water and dust according to the IP68 standard allows the watch to withstand immersion in fresh water to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes.
* Not suitable for diving and swimming.
More than 10,000 applications
You don't need a smartphone to download apps for the Gear S3 classic. Just go to Galaxy Apps from the Gear S3 classic screen and download the apps you trust, can't do without, or have always wanted to try!
Easier than ever!
- Compact version of Translator for smartwatches. Say something in Russian, English, Ukrainian or Turkish and the application will show the translation on the screen. You can translate into any of 85 languages \u200b\u200bknown to the Translator. Among them are English, French, Spanish, German, Turkish, Tatar. The application works by itself, without a smartphone - if only there was an Internet connection.
- The navigator determines where you are and helps you quickly assess the traffic congestion in the city. The main screen of the application shows the current traffic score, and the others show the forecast for the next 5 hours. Add Traffic Jams to your widget panel to keep your current score always visible.
- A compact version of the Tizen watch transport. The app selects the five stops closest to you and shows when and what kind of transport will arrive at them. For example, you can find out if a suitable bus stops nearby. Or check if it's worth walking to the next stop or if it's better to wait for the bus here.
- Taxi allows you to quickly and easily place an order - you don't need to call anywhere to call a car. The app will tell you when and which car will arrive at your place. The built-in map will tell you where the driver is expecting you.
We recently published our first look at Samsung's new product - the Gear S3 smartwatch. Now on w3bsit3-dns.com a detailed review of the new smart watch has been released.
It seems that the smartwatch is a very recent invention that has yet to prove its viability. But this year Samsung has released no less than the fifth generation of its smartwatches - the Galaxy Gear S3 Classic. The South Korean manufacturer did not return to using a curved display, but noticeably "pumped" the gadget, which received a new "filling", and, most importantly, a rotating bezel to control the device. How convenient the innovation turned out to be, and what other surprises the Gear S3 has prepared - we'll tell you in the review.
Specifications Samsung Gear S3 Classic
- Screen: Super AMOLED, 1.3 ", 360x360, 278 ppi
- Processor: dual-core Samsung Exynos 7270, 1 GHz
- Graphics Accelerator: ARM Mali-T720
- Operating system: Tizen 2.3.2
- RAM: 768 MB
- Built-in memory: 4 GB
- Memory card support: no
- Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, MST
- Navigation: GPS, GLONASS
- No camera
- Sensors: accelerometer, microgyroscope, barometer, heart rate monitor
- Battery: 380 mAh, Li-Ion, non-removable
- Dimensions: 49x46x12.9 mm
- Weight: 59 grams
Packaging and equipment
The smart watch comes in a cylindrical box, which is designed in blue and black colors. Inside, the gadget itself is fixed in a vertical position, and in the compartment under it there are a wireless charger, an additional, shorter strap and a power supply with a micro-USB connector.
Appearance
Samsung offers smart watches in two versions: Frontier and Classic. The first is distinguished by the support of eSIM cards and cellular communication, but the classic version, which is named so for a reason: from afar, cannot be distinguished from a regular mechanical watch (or electronic, depending on which watch face you have), was received for testing. No color modifications are available, with the Classic you get a mirror silver stainless steel case and two black leather straps in different sizes. However, you can buy absolutely any strap - a standard 22 mm mount is installed on the body of the gadget. The gadget is sealed and certified to the IP68 standard, which allows the device to continue working at depths of more than 1.5 meters for more than 30 minutes. Despite this, swimming in a watch, especially in salt water, is not worth it.
The front panel of the watch is occupied by the display, which is located in a small recess - this should protect it from scratching too quickly. The outer contour of the bezel protruding above the display is covered with notches for more comfortable rotation.
On the right side of the watch is a microphone, a Back button and a Home button, which, despite its specific name, is multifunctional. The buttons are large enough and have a clear tactile response. An unpleasant feature noticed by the author - when wearing a watch on the right hand, the buttons can be accidentally pressed by the sleeve of the jacket. You cannot call this a disadvantage, but left-handers should bear this nuance in mind.
There are no buttons on the left, but there is a perforation behind which the speaker is hidden. The reverse side of the watch case is made of plastic, the heart rate monitor is located in the middle of the back panel.
Ergonomics
The Gear S3 Classic is no larger or heavier than almost any mechanical watch of the same diameter. However, we advise you to try on a gadget before buying, especially for girls.
The feeling of wearing a watch will be purely individual - for someone, as for an author, the gadget will instantly become an extension of the hand, while for others it will seem too oversized.
Screen
The watch is equipped with a fully circular display with a 1.3 "Super AMOLED matrix and a resolution of 360x360 pixels, which gives a density of 278 ppi. In terms of characteristics, the display is practically not inferior to the screens of Samsung flagships - it has excellent color rendition and picture clarity. Pixelation is not noticeable when using the watch, but the maximum display brightness is even excessive when using the device and will only be necessary on the sunniest days.The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass SR +, which has a high-quality oleophobic coating.The watch supports adaptive brightness control, but where exactly the manufacturer placed the light sensor is not clear At least, the presence of the sensor did not prevent the manufacturer from making a completely round display.
Like the screens of Samsung smartphones, the Gear S3's display has a high sensitivity mode that allows you to operate the device even with gloves. At the same time, the display can recognize up to two touches, although multitouch gestures in the Gear S3 are rarely used and only in third-party applications.
Interface
The Gear S3 runs on Samsung's proprietary operating system, Tizen 2.3.2, which allowed the manufacturer to implement an unusual interface and features not found in Android Wear. The bezel has become the fastest and most convenient way to control the new interface. It serves to scroll through screens and lists, switch tracks in the player, change brightness, volume, and has a number of other functions that depend on the running application. Thanks to this method of controlling the watch, the interaction with the gadget was simplified to the utmost: in most standard programs, the required action is selected by rotating the bezel, and confirmation is carried out by pressing the center of the screen. Of course, they support the clock and a more familiar way of control - flipping with swipes and selecting the desired icon with a tap, but this is not so convenient.
In smart watches, by analogy with desktops on a smartphone, the concept of widgets has been implemented. The first widget on the home screen is the watch face. It cannot be removed, but of course it can be changed. In addition, most standard watch faces are customizable in some way. Typically, the user has a choice of colors and display of additional information.
The rest of the widgets, which are located clockwise from the dial, can be customized by the user: add, remove and change the order.
Most widgets are added to the main menu only once, but some (for example, widgets with shortcuts to applications and favorite contacts) are allowed to be duplicated.
Cards with notifications are located counterclockwise from the dial - they can come both from applications on the watch itself, and duplicated from a smartphone. The text of smartphone notifications on the watch is always displayed, but reactions for it are not available for all applications. For example, clicking the "Reply" button on a notification from Hangouts will only open that messenger on your phone. To remove any notification, just swipe it up with a swipe.
Pressing the bottom button while the watch face is open launches the applications menu. The choice of the program is carried out by the bezel, and to start it - just tap on the center of the screen. If you hold down your finger, the menu will enter edit mode, from which you can remove third-party applications and change their order, including moving shortcuts between pages.
In addition to controlling the bezel and tapes, the smart watch also supports S Voice - voice command input. To start it, just double-click on the bottom button, or say the phrase "Hello Gear". Smart watches by voice commands can launch programs, set a timer and alarm clock, show the weather and perform a number of other functions.
Swiping from top to bottom on the dial opens the quick settings panel, where you can adjust the brightness, volume, enable Flight or Do Not Disturb modes, and launch the audio player.
On the rare occasions when you need to enter text, you can use either S Voice or the keyboard. Switching between layouts, number pad and emoticon panel is carried out by the bezel.
In the dialer, the keyboard is designed differently and is located in a ring. The watch can receive incoming calls from a smartphone, and then talk using the built-in microphone and watch speaker, or a headset.
Synchronization with a smartphone
To control your watch from your smartphone from Google Play, you need to install the Samsung Gear app. The application can do almost nothing that the watch itself could not do, but it allows you to conveniently and quickly configure the gadget.
Among the functions available only in the application, it is worth noting the emergency mode setting (sending messages and calling selected contacts when you press the Home button three times), sending music and pictures to the Gear S3, as well as searching for watches, when activated, the device will vibrate and publish loud noise. It is worth noting that the search function works in the opposite direction: it turns on the melody on the smartphone when activated from the watch.
You can view activity data both from your smart watch and in a more convenient form on your smartphone in the S Health app. In automatic mode, the Samsung Galaxy Gear S3 can record information about steps and floors, heart rate and sleep, and during training in the watch, you must first activate the corresponding mode.
Another thing that cannot be done directly from the watch is to install applications (except for a few watch faces). To do this, you need the Galaxy Apps store, where smartwatch apps are collected in the Gear section. The selection of programs (except, again, dials) for the Tizen platform cannot be called too large, but it is quite sufficient to expand the capabilities of the Gear S3 for certain needs. It's nice that Russian developers did not stand aside either. For example, a number of Yandex programs are available for Samsung smartwatches, including Metro, Transport, and Taxi.
Among other applications, we would note a program for remote control of a smartphone camera and a convenient stopwatch and timer from Samsung.
Also, among the auxiliary programs that require the installation of the main application on a smartphone, it is worth highlighting Navitel and Uber.
Apparatus in operation
The smart watch uses Samsung's own SoC - Exynos 7270. The processor is made according to the most modern 14-nm process technology, has two ARM Cortex-A53 cores with a clock frequency of 1 GHz and an ARM Mali-T720 graphics accelerator. The amount of RAM increased to an impressive 768 MB of LPDDR3 standard, but the amount of internal memory of the eMMC 5.0 standard has not changed and is still 4 GB. Out of the box, the user will get only 1.5 GB of internal memory, so, alas, it will not work to load the entire music collection onto the gadget.
The Samsung Galaxy Gear S3 is arguably the most powerful smartwatch on the market, and with an optimized operating system, you won't have to worry about the lack of performance for a very long time. The gadget interface works as smoothly as possible, there are no slowdowns in third-party applications.
In addition to the obligatory vibration motor, the new Samsung got a surprisingly loud speaker. However, it is used quite rarely - for playing a melody upon an incoming call, listening to music from the internal memory (although hardly anyone will use a smart watch for this purpose) and for talking over a cellular connection. In the latter case, the loudspeaker volume is enough for conversations even in noisy places, but it is inconvenient to lean the watch to your ear, and it looks rather strange. In short, the speaker in a smartwatch is more of a nice additional feature than something that you will often use.
Wireless interfaces
The watch does not have a single wired interface, but the Gear S3 was fully charged with wireless standards. First of all, it is worth noting the energy-efficient Bluetooth 4.2 for connecting the watch to a smartphone and headsets, as well as Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n, operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. The watch needs Wi-Fi to stay connected even when there is no connection to a smartphone.
To support Samsung Pay, the watch is equipped with NFC and MST modules, but in order to pay for purchases, you need to have support for this system on your smartphone. This means that if the Gear S3 is not connected to one of the latest Samsung flagships, you will not be able to use this feature.
Among other things, the watch received support for GPS and GLONASS. The gadget needs navigation for more accurate tracking of activity during training, but when using it, the battery life will be reduced to a matter of hours.
Autonomous work
The smart watch is equipped with a 380 mAh non-removable battery. Samsung Gear S3 Classic battery life with standard settings is honest 3-4 days, depending on the intensity of use of the gadget. This became possible due to several factors at once: the relatively large battery capacity, the use of its own operating system and the use of an AMOLED display, which, when using dark themes, is quite energy efficient.
If you want to see the dial all the time, you can enable this mode in the watch settings. In this case, after the timeout expires, the display backlight is reduced to a minimum, and the dial itself is simplified. This mode works only when the watch is on the wrist and reduces its battery life to about two working days.
The watch is charged using wireless charging. It takes about 2.5 hours to fully charge the battery.
Outcome
Aside from professional gadgets like the Garmin Fenix, the Samsung Gear S3 Classic is the most advanced mainstream smartwatch on the market. The functionality of the device is impressive even out of the box, not to mention the possibility of installing third-party programs and dials. Activity tracking apps work fully automatically - you just wear the watch on your wrist, and in the evening you open S Health and get detailed statistics. If you play sports or fitness on a regular basis, you can tell your watch which of the 16 exercises you should track and, while you strain your muscles, the gadget will do the rest for you, in the end, again, providing detailed statistics. At the same time, the watch does not look like a sports accessory and successfully combines the features of classic and modern design. Samsung Gear S3 can be safely recommended to those who watch their health and love new technologies.
Pros:
- moisture protection;
- convenient control;
- great functionality out of the box.
- high autonomy.
Minuses:
- not a very large selection of applications;
- Samsung Pay only works with smartphone support.
