Samsung - Gear S3 Classic Smartwatch 46mm Stainless Steel - Silver

The Samsung Gear S3 Classic is the second smartwatch I've owned - the first was the Samsung Gear S2 3G - and it is a great improvement over its predecessor. For me, it has been totally worth the upgrade. First of all, in my opinion, it looks better and functions better due to its superior design - the bigger size leads to a bigger screen that can fit in more content, the bezel has grooves on its outer perimeter that makes it easier to rotate the bezel with a single finger, and the watch now comes with standard support for any 22mm watchbands. On my Gear S2 3G, I had to purchase separate watchband adapters imported from Europe to add the same functionality which cost me around $45 due to the high shipping cost. The software and UI of the Gear S3 is about 95% identical to that of a Gear S2 3G. The Gear S3 has an improved S Health, adds a voice Reminder function which the Gear S2 still doesn't have (unbelievable), has true Always on Display (AOD), and it is, of course, faster and smoother due to its upgraded specs. In addition to allowing you to choose your own ringtone, the Gear S3 adds the ability to choose your notification sound as well which is appreciated. In terms of apps, I'm quite satisfied with what is on offer. For my daily usage, I just need good notification relay support from my phone to my watch, a reminder app, a stopwatch, a timer, a calculator, and a calendar. Everything else for me is just extra, useful or not. After pairing my watch to my Galaxy S7 Edge through the Gear Manager app and signing in to my Samsung Account, all of my previously purchased apps and watchfaces were available for download. This made the transition easy and seamless. There was only one app - Custom Ringtone - that wasn't available for me on the Gear S3. I'm hoping for that app to be updated to support the Gear S3 soon. Besides for the aesthetics, the two BIGGEST reasons why I upgraded to the new Gear S3 were for the addition of Samsung Pay MST (last year's Gear S2 only supported NFC Samsung Pay) and for its bigger battery life. I used the Gear S3 to pay for my groceries at a Smart and Final supermarket the other day and it worked flawlessly. Love it!! And the battery life has been superb. With brightness set to 7, AOD turned on, and with Wifi, GPS, Bluetooth all turned on, I'll finish my typical 19-hour weekday with about 65 to 70% battery left. So for my usage, this watch will last 2 days before needing a charge. My old Gear S2 3G, with the same usage habits, would finish with ~35% left at the end of the day (the Gear S2 3G doesn't support true AOD). In the end, I'm supremely happy and satisfied with the Gear S3 and I applaud Samsung for making meaningful improvements. I highly recommend it to everyone!

Coming from two previous Android Wear watches, I was a bit skeptical of the Gear S3 Frontier. I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy Tizen but I really liked the premium look of the watch and additional features like Samsung Pay - especially the MST transactions. So I took the plunge and couldn't be to much happier. The screen itself is absolutely stunning. Colors pop and blacks are dark. With the always-on mode, I usually get to about 40% or so by the time I go to bed at night which is perfectly fine for me. The always-on mode is really cool and makes it seem far more like a watch than a "smartwatch" typically does. It honestly just looks like a watch to most people. The size could be killer for some but it fits into the "large" watch trend going on right now so it doesn't really stand out in terms of size. The rotating bezel is really cool and is certainly helpful when navigating on the smaller screen of a watch. The killer app here, though, is the addition of Samsung Pay and MST payments. I was able to get it paired with my Pixel XL and tried out Samsung Pay with great results. It feels pretty odd at first to try waving your watch near a payment terminal, but when it works, it's like magic. Not to mention you don't have to fumble around with a phone or wallet since it's always on your wrist. It's simply a press of a button then a tap on the screen and you're ready to pay via NFC or MST. Security-wise, if you remove the watch, you'll be prompted for a pin you chose during setup before a payment can be made. You can also make up to 5 transactions without the phone entirely which is pretty nice as well. The only thing I don't really care for is the S-Voice feature. It "works" for the most part but isn't as fluid as Google's voice search / Assistant. Tizen also has a smaller selection of apps to choose from that actually run on the watch, but I found myself mostly just using all of my prior watches for notifications. Anything else that was more than a swipe or two on the watch would just be easier to do on the phone. Most notifications work pretty well on the watch and you pretty much get what you would see if you checked the notification on the phone. They look great on the watch and don't look shoehorned in if it's a non-Samsung notification. Overall, the watch is really well done. It certainly looks the part and really hits a hole in one with Samsung Pay support with non-Samsung devices. If you're looking for a really sharp, though rather large, looking watch with a few really cool smart features, look no further.

I have been using the S3 for a few days now and really like it. Is it a must in your life or do a bunch of things your phone can't? Not really. But is it handy, fun and stylish? Very much so. If you have the money (not really cheap) and want a watch that does a ton of things, go for it. It is a cool “toy” that is very functional. I ended up getting the Classic style one and have both a sport style band and a dressier metal link band so it serves dual function. The bands are easy to switch too. I know my way around electronic stuff but am not a super geek and don't use every function of any device. So this is a casual user review. I am not going into detail because there are tons of videos on YouTube that teach you all the features. Some people think the watch is big but as a triathlete I am used to wearing GPS watches that are even bigger so there was no adjustment to the size for me. See the pictures of it next to my Suunto Ambit 2. The buttons work well and the rotating bezel is pure genius. The screen is great and responsive. The battery life is good and it is easy to charge. Working through the menus is easy via the bezel, buttons or touch screen. I like watches and have 8 in the drawer next to me so imagine my delight at being able to change the faces. With the traditional round design (vs the Apple Watch) it can look like any watch, can have any color and match your mood or clothes. Samsung Pay: This function works, is fun and easy to use. It will start a conversation too when you use it at the register. Setting it up was pretty easy and it has worked at all the places I have tried so far. It won't work on gas pumps. Phone: Mine is the classic and is not a phone itself. It links to my Samsung S7 via bluetooth. I answered a couple calls on it today. They could not tell I was talking on my watch. I just laid my arm on the desk and talked. Rotate the bezel clockwise to answer, counter clockwise to decline. It will also send pre-made messages which you can customize. Exercise: It does the typical things like count steps, vertical steps, track water, pulse and other fitness watch stuff but I am more interested in training features. I took it on a 5 mile run today. I also wore my Suunto with the heart rate strap. This is a one time comparison and I will be interested to check it some more. The total distance was off a bit and I noticed one glitch on the map. Yes, it records where you go on a run, bike etc. Both watches agreed on the pace, cadence and average heart rate. Impressive. It was off on ascent. f your into power meters and stuff, it won't do that. So it can work for exercise but I will still be using the Sunto as my go to for exercising. Other uses: I have sent emails, checked messages, read news, checked weather and sent texts on it with no problems. Conclusion. I gave you that in the first paragraph so you wouldn't have to read all of this. If you think I am shilling for Samsung, guess again. I tested their Icon X Ear Buds and posted reviews titled “Not Ready for Prime time”. This watch is MUCH better: I like it.

I've read review after review on this watch, and most of them seem to say the same thing: it's just too big for women. I'm here to tell you that this is not necessarily the case. While I am relatively tall at 5 ft. 9 in., my wrists are quite small (the circumference of my left wrist comes in at exactly 5 3/4 inches). While the watch does look oversized and chunky on me, I actually really like it--when comparing it to the various analog watches in my collection, the S3 is only a tad bigger. And the big face makes the watch more functional, as it's easier to read and type on, especially when I'm in a hurry. I purchased some "girly" watch bands to style the watch a bit more to my taste, since the black leather band that comes in the box, although very high quality, looked a bit too dark and harsh on me. If you, like me, are a woman who enjoys wearing big watches already, then I recommend trying on the Gear S3. As for the actual watch features--I can't say enough good things. I bought this as a companion to my Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and the ability to read and reply to texts alone is so, so handy. I use the reminders and alarm apps daily, and I also love the fitness and sleep tracking features, which seem to be on par with those of Fitbit. Fully-featured Samsung Pay is also fantastic to have on hand (or wrist). There are a zillion watch faces to choose from, so I'm looking forward to changing those up to match the seasons/my outfit/my mood. I'm still figuring out all the other bells and whistles on the watch, but so far, so great!

I got a chance to play with a couple smart watches (android wear, apple, and nixon) and I think the S3 is the best smartwatch on the market in terms overall user interface, quality of life updates, and intuitive design. My overall experience thus far is a 4/5 star, but diving deeper into the programming and sync availability my overall rating loses one star, and here's why... Firstly, the S3 was designed for only Samsung users. I have a Google Pixel XL and I'm missing out on a lot of options. It is "non-Samsung" friendly in regards to user interface. You cannot pull up text history on a non Samsung phone (though, some [paid] third party apps may work, however, it should be hardcoded from the start to allow texting on any platform). You cannot use gmail or any mail client consistently on a non Samsung phone (again, there may be some third party apps etc etc). And lastly, and this also may include Samsung phones, but the calendar editing and syncing to gmail is non-existent. - If you do not have a Samsung phone, you are still able to send texts, make calls, etc....but the problem with texting is the fact that the text history is not consistent. - The lack of an email client for non Samsung users is very frustrating. BUT! If you open gmail on your phone and get new emails, you can view it on the watch. However, the design regarding the lack of a client for non Samsung users in itself is irritating. - Calendar editing on a non Samsung platform? Forget it. You cannot view specific dates, but only the calendar as a whole, and any events created from your phone. I wish you are able to create reminders from your watch that sync to your phone, but again, with a non Samsung platform, this is not possible. It may be possible with a Samsung phone, though. Second, s-voice is absolute trash. No question about it. Don't even try to use it. It is the most inconsistent voice recognition platform on the market. I am not the only one with this opinion, believe me. If you are looking for a watching for voice wake-up or voice commands, this is not the watch for you. Third, the tilt to wake is very inconsistent for me. I have to be very aggressive sometimes to wake the screen, and other times it is perfect. All these little inconsistencies add up. Fourth, the inability to customize ring tones and notification tones. Yes, there are workarounds to this, and it is definitely possible to get custom ringtones, however, it is a relatively tedious process and may be confusing for some. The option for custom ring tones should be available from the factory. And lastly, the lack of apps is downright pathetic. This watch has so much potential, and if there were better and more apps, this watch would be incredible. There are very few cool apps for the watch, but the ones that are worth it for me are the go pro app (paid), calculator (free), and timer (free). Yes, my review is mostly complaints, but I want to share the bad stuff about the watch. All things considered, the watch is great. It is very convenient for on the fly message viewing, snapchat notifications, instagram notifications, etc If Samsung fixed the "cross platform" faults, then this watch would easily be a 5/5. It's really not that much to ask, but Samsung do have a history of making proprietary designs after all...... Even though I absolutely love my watch, I would honestly say to just wait for the Gear S4, which is rumored to be released in August 2018, to coincide with previous trends of the Gear watches being released in August every year.... There are so many more improvements (rumors, though) that the potential Gear S4 will offer, to include the removal of s-voice and the addition of Bixby, a thinner watch body, and many cooler stock readings (body fat reading, body temperature, etc [again, rumors, but very possible]) that I would honestly just hold off on the Gear S3. But, if you must have it NOW, then it will prove to be a worthy purchase. I've had my watch for about a month now, and I don't go a day without wearing it. The convenience of on the fly viewing of all the apps outweighs the bad.

In the past I have owned the Sony Smartwatch 2 and the original Moto 360, both with various, up-to-date android phones. Now with this one paired with my Galaxy S8, I've got to say this is the best experience I have had so far with a few exceptions which I will list first: Cons: 1. NO GOOGLE MAPS Since I am in college I don't drive as much as when I was in high school but the only option for navigation is the HERE WeGo app which works fine if you put in the time but it is definitely not as intuitive or useful as the google maps app for android wear. I would have thought the notification for turn by turn navigation would have gone through to the watch but after a few days of use I can't find a way to access it. 2. Hardly any apps* This isn't really a deal breaker, but coming from android wear takes a bit of getting use to. For instance you can't use bixby (yet) or google assistant. You can't use the gmail app unless you get a notification for it. In order to get the best experience you have to succumb to the entire samsung ecosystem and then it works really well. The thing is that this is a great watch for heavy samsung users but if you haven't put all your data with them you'll have a bit of a hump to get over. 3. Voice controls This ain't no Bixby, Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri. It's hard to tell what it can and cannot do and getting the voice reply feature to work can be literal hit or miss (in that sometimes it doesn't send, that is if it picked up your voice at all) Hopefully a software update will fix this because Bixby works quite well actually and I would love that functionality on my wrist. Pros: 1. Interface The rotating bezel, the high framerate animation, excellent resource management on the companion app helps make this a very fluid experience. I haven't had any performance issues or crashes so far. 2. SAMSUNG PAY If you're a samsung user and haven't got on this train you need to right now. This is the best mobile payment platform and the primary reason for me picking this watch above all of the others (including the new Gear Sport which doesn't have the MST technology that allows Samsung Pay to work anywhere where you can swipe a card). I've been using it everywhere since getting the watch and have racked up $5 from Samsung Rewards already. 3. Casual Fitness I use this for tracking my day and sleep. I'm no fitness buff but I just like to know what's up with my body and use it as a motivation. I can't vouch for more but the steps and heart rate seem accurate. I wish it could do stress as well like you can do on the phone itself. 4. Everything else It works. That's the thing that makes this watch great. In a field of a sort of cool and hardly usable smartwatches. This watch delivers on all of it's promises that it makes in the ads. Bottom Line: If you have a Samsung Phone and are looking for a smartwatch, buy something samsung. If not this (which looks like a very nice watch, normal, and versatile) then the upcoming Gear Sport or one of their fitness trackers. I can't say how the experience would be for an iPhone or other Android User, but if you got the standalone version that would probably be the best to make the most of what Samsung has to offer.

I was very excited to get the opportunity to use and review the Samsung Gear S3. I have an IT background, and am an early adopter. I am also a watch aficionado and know what I want and like in a watch. I have been unimpressed with smartwatch development, features, and style so far and thought the Gear S3 may be the first entry in the market I could get behind. For the most part this is true. I have used the watch for a few days now and I am ready to give some of my thoughts. I was very impressed at how far the UI has come. The UI is snappy and intuitive. I really liked the features offered. The S3 has GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, Barometer, and heart rate all on board so it is useful even without your phone nearby. There are plenty of watch faces, apps and widgets available, although I hope the future bring more. I noticed that even if I left the watch at home it was still connected to my phone via WiFi and could be administered remotely from my phone, even across town. I also used it to talk to my wife several times, using it as a speaker phone. I felt a bit like a dork talking to my wrist but the clarity is there. Now the bad. I am not a fan of the design. I absolutely hate the styling of the Classic version I was sent. I would never go for it myself, although I can see how it would appeal to others. I do like the looks of the Frontier and if I had to choose one the Frontier would be it. There are overall design elements I cannot look past. Mainly the watch body is still far too large. The build quality is great, and I like that the lower watch body is steel, but the thickness is just too much. It made me feel like I was wearing a giant children's toy walkie-talkie on my wrist. My phone is thinner than this thing. I also found the leather watch band very thick and uncomfortable, however this could be easily changed since it uses standard 22mm watch bands and there plenty of options. I am very glad to have the opportunity to test the watch out. I had been considering purchasing one, and now I can save my money. I find the feature and usage to be great and can't wait to see the what the future will bring for the smartwatch segment. However the design leaves much to be desired. Warren K.

It's pretty good as a smart watch, but fitness wise the altimeter is finicky and doesn't track the first couple floors of stairs and heart rate monitor isn't as accurate as my Fitbit. But since this is a smart watch and not specifically sold as a fitness watch I can't complain too much. PROS: I like the messaging, the speaker on it is pretty good, and the screens are pretty. "Do Not Disturb" is nice at night because the screen won't come on when you move. I like that you can use ant watch band that is size 22 I think it is, so it’s easy to change out the bands to match outfits etc. I also like the charging dock. CONS: I can go all the way from my basement to our second floor and not get any stair credit (it's 2 flights.) If I walk stairs at work it I don't get credit for at least 1-2 flights each time. As for the heart rate monitor, it takes time to “catch up” to what my heart rate is, and it can be 20 or more off. I have a polar heart rate monitor that you wear around your chest. Obviously wearing chest monitors is always going to be most accurate, but the variance between it and the Samsung is substantial. My Fitbit didn’t have so much variance. I have tattoos on my wrist/forearms so that can effect it, but it wasn’t as much of an issue with my Fitbit. Overall, I like it but I am glad I did not pay full price for this watch. I had a $200 refund from Target protection plan for a Fitbit I'd had for 17 months that stopped working and couldn't be repaired. I would be much more upset about some of the Gears issues had I paid "full price" Updates have fixed some other issues since I've had it. at