6.2.2017

Having not worn a watch for the last 8 years, I was unsure about the Samsung Gear S3 Trial, but I thought that I would give it a go.It arrived nicely packaged, and I was impressed. In the very smart black box with the watch was a wireless charging dock, a charger, the usual manuals, and very thoughtfully, a spare smaller strap.The QRG was easy to follow, and I set the watch to charge. I was impressed with how smart the watch looked, and it was not as thick as some of the other smart watches I have seen.Once it was charged, it was very easy to pair with my Samsung S7 Edge, in fact it found the phone and asked to connect before I could get into the settings. Syncing was painless and it set its own time.It obtained the Wi-Fi settings from my phone, which is helpful, but a potential security risk maybe.Tinkering with the controls takes little time to master, the rotating bezel is great for whizzing through the menus of Apps. I comes with plenty preinstalled, and updated what was required quickly – using the Gear S3 app on the phone is intuitive and easy to use.The watch comes with all of the obvious apps, SMS Messages, Gmail, Phone, Contacts, World Clock, Timer, Stopwatch, Alarm Clock, Weather, Calculator, Music Player, Gallery, S-Voice, News, Reminders, Schedule, Alti-Barometer, S-Health, Find My Phone, and Monster Vampire. It’s fairly easy to arrange the apps in a different order, mostly by using the phone app – and there are plenty more to download. There is an abundance of paid for and free apps available, and the support seems to be growing, which is a good thing.Overall the quality of the apps is good, the alarms and schedules synced with the phone, so the watch started alerting me of things straight away which was good. Alarms sound on both the phone and the watch and you can snooze or dismiss on either, the time lag is less than a second.The screen is well lit, and its brightness is adjustable – it would be nice if it had a sleep mode, as when you turn in your sleep it activates as if you were looking at it, which was annoying my wife. I’ve got into the habit now of setting it to its dimmest and sound off when I’m sleeping, its only a few clicks and swipes, but something one-touch would be better.It comes with a nice array of preinstalled watch faces, which is great to ‘change your watch’ at the click of a button to match your outfit. There are many third party watch faces to download, some free, some paid, and you can see how they look instantly.The sound quality when making calls is surprisingly good, although it felt a bit odd talking to my watch the first couple of times – actually, if you are sitting at a desk, you can just talk as if it was a regular hands free, it works well a fair distance from you, there is no need to hold it up to your mouth, but you can’t help it until you get used to it. The range is impressive too, my phone was in my bag downstairs and I was upstairs in another room (about 10 meters through walls and floors) and I was able to answer a call with no distortion or signal loss.The voice recognition is excellent, and it is easy to ask the watch to call or message someone, or set timers, alarms etc. It can also read messages to you, which is handy.Sending SMS messages is a bit fiddly – the keyboard is based on the old mobile phone keyboards where there were 3 characters on each key, and the predictive text is not great. Thankfully, there are some pre saved message responses, and you can set up some of your own, and of course there is some Emoji support too.I have been very impressed with the S-Health app, which I hadn’t really used on my phone, as at work I tend to leave it on my desk, so it never counts my steps. I had forgotten it was on the watch until it congratulated me for reaching my step limit! The app has a friendly way of encouraging you and suggesting changes to limits. It is constantly measuring your movements, heartbeat etc. I fell asleep one Sunday afternoon on the couch and when I woke I received a sleep report where it had analysed my sleep pattern, I was fascinated, and now wear the watch to bed and get a daily update on how well I’m sleeping, exercising etc. which I find interesting and helpful – I’ve actually become competitive and try to reach my daily targets as a minimum, which is obviously doing me some good.The battery life is pretty good too, I find I’m having to charge it about every three days, although I’ve got into the habit now of putting it on charge while I’m getting ready for work (rather than overnight, as I like the sleep monitoring).I wore it in the shower to see how waterproof it was, and it seemed fine, although it can mistake drops of hot water as touches of your finger so you can get random apps or messages popping up, so I tend not to wear it in the shower now – it would be good for swimming or diving though.For security, you can set a pin number on the watch. Every time you take the watch off it locks itself and requires the pin to access any apps or functions – it still tells the time though. It also locks when it detects that you are asleep – shame that it can’t dim or switch off the screen and go into silent mode too.The phone has its own GPS chip, which is pretty accurate and can be used with some third party apps that access Google Maps which are good, but not quite there yet. There is a demand though, so I’m sure a genuine Google Maps Gear app can only be around the corner.Of the 4GB of storage advertised 2.7GB is actually used by the OS, so there is really only about 1.3GB for personal use, which is still enough for a few apps, a couple of music albums or some pictures – You can use Spotify to play music, but you must have a Premium account to stream on the watch, otherwise you can only control the app on your phone. It would be nice if you could stream your own music from your phone. You can however use the watch to control your phones music player (sound only comes from the phone), so for example, have the phone on the side playing music and you can play and pause and choose tracks without having to pick the phone up – which is handy if you are up a ladder or in the shower.It is also possible to use the watch for contactless payments, which is great, saves fumbling to get the phone out of your pocket at the checkout, although in some shops you need to be a contortionist!The build quality is very good – it looks and feels sturdy and well made.In summary, I have to say that I am very impressed, much more than I expected. As I said I hadn’t worn a watch for 8 years, so for the first few days I was taking my phone out of my pocket to see the time. I find now though, my phone stays in my bag or on my desk and I’m interacting with the watch more and more. I like it, and would be lost without it – it is good, well built and intuitive. The software support is getting better by the day – and the arsenal of apps means that it’s not just another gadget, it’s actually useful. I’m sure that there are many things it does that I haven’t found yet.I struggle to find any major negatives, more a wish list of things that could be improved upon. The instruction manual is a bit thin, but it encourages you to play with it and find out exactly what it can do. Having a ‘sleep’ mode, Streaming music and video from the phone so that it plays on the watch. Having more on the watch, rather than just it being a remote control for the phone. I’m not sure how they can stop it thinking shower drops are fingers but it would help. I’m not sure how they can improve the keyboard, perhaps letting you draw the letters. It would be handy if the wireless charger could also charge the phone.Would I recommend this watch to a friend, yes I would. Rating out of 10 – 8 its good, very good actually, but could be better.

13.4.2017

For once, I didn't buy something I'm reviewing from Amazon. I got it direct from Samsung when it announced the £299 offer. Of course, I should have been more patient as it's now available from Amazon at £281.So, if I didn't buy it here why am I reviewing it here? Good question, and my answer is because I've either already bought or will buying a shedload of associated accessories. Check my profile out for reviews of a tempered glass screen protector, third party charger and a couple of straps already.Anyway, onto the watch. I have been wrapped up in the technology business for the last 25 years. I am a gadget man.I have dissed smartwatches since pretty much the first efforts arrived on the scene - I road tested and reviewed a Microsoft SPOT watch back in 2004 for example. A couple years before that, there was the equally dire IBM WatchPad and the Fossil Wrist PDA. I have never really seen the point of a smartwatch, until now. So what's changed?There are two main reasons why I am now a smartwatch believer:1. In my never humble opinion they have reached a tipping point in time where the various flavours of OS all support sa reasonable level of day-to-day functionality.2. They no longer look like you've stepped out of an episode Blake's 7. In fact, some are doing a pretty good job of looking like a watch.I will start with my second point first. I have a number of expensive, mechanical, watches already. They look really good on my wrist. All of them. I do not want a watch to look like anything but a watch. The Gear S3 Frontier ticks the boxes for me: rugged, smart, as at home in the office, at a meeting, in the gym (the nearest I get to a gym is that I work in an old mill, part of which is used as one) or out and about.Forget all of the reviewers here, or anywhere else, who complain that the watch is too big. Seriously? Are they all suffering from thin wrist syndrome? The repetition of the 'this thing is enormous' myth does neither them or Samsung any favours. No, it's not a small watch or a thin watch. No, it's not a huge watch by comparison to myriad other traditional watches out there. It fits my wrist perfectly, does not look like a hockey puck (original Motorola Moto 360 I'm talking about you) and does not make me look silly. It fits and looks like most other watches of this style. Period. See attached photos for size comparison to a bog-standard Seiko solar chronograph. Still think it's too big? Photos also show difference between full and dimmed always-on view.Talking of which, the ability to change the face depending upon your mood was also a factor in my smartwatch change of heart. No need to change watch to change style. That said, you have to do a fair bit of searching through pretty poor designs when adding watch faces to your on-watch collection. I have probably wasted a tenner within the first month on faces that turned out to look poor on the wrist or just not work. I would recommend experimenting with the Samsung defaults first, most of which can be customised using the 'stylise' option on the watch itself. I would further recommend Facer (you need to install the app on your smartphone as well) which brings access to more faces including the ones I use most often. I'm currently rocking an INMOTION Motodor face from Facer, check it out in the attached photos. Just make sure your design face of choice supports the 'always-on' mode of the S3. This displays a dimmer and less battery hungry version of the face and still looks like a watch, all the time. Raise your wrist to check something and it automatically displays the full face again. Nice.Which brings me nicely to functionality. The Gear S3 Frontier works well as a watch. A highly customisable watch at that. However, it's the little things that turn into big deals as a new owner. Things like the way Samsung have used the rotating bezel of the watch itself as your navigation device. Now this is way better than using a 'crown' button as with the Apple Watch, which in turn is way better than doing everything either on-screen or using some 'mad as a hatter' arm-waving gesture as beloved by Android Wear devices. In that regard Samsung has got the Tizen operating system spot on. Shame about the recent revelations concerning the poor code security that underlies it. However, the real-world risk to the vast majority of the tiny number of folk who wear a smartwatch, and a Samsung one at that which makes it an even smaller attack surface, is minimal right now.I'm still awaiting delivery of my Samsung S8+ pre-order, so in the meantime I have paired the watch with my Nexus 6P and am happy to report that most things work just fine with it. The recent Tizen OS updates appear to have sorted that. I can receive, read, compose and send text messages just fine without having a Samsung messenger app installed on my smartphone. I can read my email OK and the notifications come in just fine from Gmail on my Nexus. I can also reply, but that's really best left to the use of your stock response pool rather than inputting by tiny keyboard or voice. The email is sent via Gmail on my phone anyway, so I might as well use that for replies. All that said, it's amazing how quickly you adapt to having notifications of stuff on your wrist though. Seriously, being able to filter the incoming data-drivel means I pick my phone up a lot less and the air is less blue as a result. I expect things will be even better when I pair this thing to the latest Samsung S8+ device though, and will update the review when I do. But for now, reading and sending text messages, getting the latest weather report, being nagged to do a bit more exercise and reading my email will do.OK, this has gone on long enough methinks. If you are still reading this, here are my pros and cons:Pros: Looks like a watch. Great rotating bezel to drive system navigation. Great battery life - I run it hard and never get it below 50% by bedtime, GPS built in.Cons: Price is still too high. Needs more apps in the Tizen store.

21.1.2017

I used to have a smart watch before when they were touted as the next big thing but I quickly found that actually, it wasn’t really something that I found useful....A year later I’m back trying this one and I will see how it fairs on my day to day life.I have been testing the Samsung Gear S3 Classic for the past 3 weeks these are my thoughts so far.Size And DesignThe S3 gear is slightly bigger than the normal watch that I wear and I found this a little uncomfortable at the start as I kept it tight so that the blood pressure monitor could work as it should. I have had to loosen the strap to prevent pain in my wrist that I haven’t experienced before.The watch is operated using 2 side buttons andthe bezel which are used to operate the menu system.The menu system is easy to use with the rotating bezel and you can make a selection by touching the screen....all simple and all works well.There are a number of different watch faces which I have found to be great and there will be one to appeal to everyone’s tastes both free and paid. The best one for me is one of the installed ones which displays everything I need it to do.BatteryThe reported battery life stated by Samsung is 4 days. Now if you are using the always on display and the wake up gesture and you get loads of notifications then you will have no chance of having the reported for days and more like 2 days before you are reaching for the charging cradle. I personally have turned off these off and I can get the watch to the end of day 4 with still some battery left....Now there are some other reasons for this.....I have the option turn on where the watch will not display notifications when my watch display is on....after all whats the point In that when I have the phone in my hand or on when I am using it with my sat nav. I think in real world terms, 3 days will be the most you will be getting out of it with normal usage. The good thing is even when the battery is dead, the phone will revert to a watch so you can still tell the time....after all...thats what it is.The battery is charged using a magnetic cradle which is really easy to use...simply place the watch on the stand and it will charge...it will also turn the screen around so u can read the time. Average charging time is about 1 hour 30 – 2 hours for a full charge.FeaturesThe watch some with some great features – heart rate monitor, GPS to track all your runs and walks, Bluetooth and wifi. The wifi option is great as it links up to all the saved WIFI networks on your phone and then means if you don’t have your phone within Bluetooth range then it will connect to the wifi so you can still get notifications and send messages. Think this is a great feature. Samsung has S voice which is their voice assistant on their eco system...I have not got on with this on my Samsung phone and using it on the phone was no different. It was unable to do anything that I asked of it...even the simple things often not understand what I was saying so I quickly stopped using it. The watch does come with a speaker phone mode when you answer calls on it. I have used this a few times and its has been really interesting to see peoples reactions when they see me talking to my wrist. The sound quality is clear and at no point on the calls that I have taken as anyone noticed that I am not using my phone. One thing that I would like would be the ability to send voice notes via the watch using WhatsApp or other messaging apps. Reply to messages on the on screen keyboard is ok but its not something that you would like to do to send a full reply to...i have often accidently sent the message before I have finished because the send button is close to the keys.I have noticed that some apps notifications don’t play well with the watch and only allow you to display but not reply to whats being said but that’s a minor thing that can be updated through the store.AppsThere are a number of apps from some of the big players in the market like ESPN and UBER to name a few. These are good and offer functionality but there is not as many apps on the eco system to match the likes of apple watch and google gear. Most apps are free by there are some paid apps which are available.OverviewSmart watches are not for everyone....I have been down this road before and didn’t feel that it was for me....but here I am again..So.....is it for me??I’m more a person that is on the go with clients so pulling out my phone to check emails and messages is not always possible but this has been really great in that regard....does it do everything I would like it to do...well no because there are times that I still need to pull my phone out in order to complete a task like reply to an email without it taking an hour to reply using the little keyboard on the screen but as just something that will allow me to do the basics ...view and simple replies....yes its helps me a lot.Is it for everyone...Well depends....buy it and make your own judgement

31.7.2017

First I would like to point out this is a review of using the Gear S3 with a non Samsung phone I am using the HTC 10, it still provides about 95% if features though. My watch is also the UK model so does not have LTE so I cannot review this function.This is a great looking watch but it is quite large so some people with smaller wrists may find it big. For me though its fits nicely on my wrist. The watch is supplied with a large and a small strap so should suit most people. Also in the box is a wireless charger.Setup was quite simple, I just needed to install the Gear app from the play store, this then also automatically installed a couple of services which are required as I am not using a Samsung phone.Once the software was installed I was able to pair the watch to my phone. Initial setup of the watch is done from the app on the phone, this includes the time and date. There does not seem to be a way to manually set the time and date from the watch which is a feature I would like to see added. As an example when I went on holiday I normally set my watch to the new time zone I am flying to. I could not do this until I arrived and I turned my phone back on and it updated the watch. I did use the world time watch face though to be able to display the UK and foreign time so was not too bad.You should be able to view email on the watch but it seems this will only work if you are using the Samsung mail app on your phone, since no Samsung phone, no email on watch. I do however get a notification of an email when received on my HTC and it does manage to display the first part of the message but I am unable to reply from the watch. I can reply to text messages though.For me battery life is great, Samsung claim 4 days and I can get this easily. My usage is checking the time, looking at any notification which is received, Bluetooth is on and screen goes off after 30 seconds. Battery life is going to depend on your usage and it takes around 2 hours to fully re-charge the watch.S Health is great mostly. I find the step counter to be quite accurate and the sleep monitor and heart rate also work well but the floor counter really needs some work. The watch relies on air pressure to work out you have gone up stairs, Samsung claim this is around 13 stair steps but for me this does not always register. This needs work and maybe another way of detecting FitBit does well in this area. The watch does automatically detect some activities like walking and after 10 mins will acknowledge the activity you are doing. All this data syncs back to your phone app so you can see how you are doing. A word of caution though, for the sleep tracker to work you obviously need to wear the watch in bed but I do find by constantly wearing the watch can make my wrist a little itchy so I generally take it off each night and not use the sleep tracker. A different strap may help.There are a number of ways to input on the watch like texting on a phone or using a virtual keyboard. You are also meant to be able to draw the letters on the watch and it will recognise them but this feature does not seem to work if you set the language to English UK, it works if you use English USA but then it spells incorrectly.I am not sure if this is a non Samsung phone thing but when a call comes into my phone or even if I make a call it automatically uses the watch to make the call. I don’t really like that as others will always hear my call and it would have been nice if I actually used my phone to make the call that it would realise that I want to use the phone rather than the watch. So I managed to disable this from the phone by turning off the permission in Bluetooth to use the watch as a speaker. Now when I get a call my watch will let me know who is calling and I can reject the call if needed and if I accept the call then it will just tell me to use the phone.Lastly the app store is a little lacking in apps for the watch, there is not even an official Facebook or twitter app hopefully more apps will follow but there are lots and lots of watch faces available so you can customise the look of the watch, some free and some you pay for. Samsung pay is also now available in the UK for some banks. I have not tested this yet as my bank is not yet supported.

18.5.2017

I have had this watch now for over a week and now think I can give a fair review.As a user of the Apple watch, from the day it was released, I always felt that it lacked something. Fortunately the Apple watch gave up the ghost and gave me an excuse to look for a replacement.Firstly, and I know aesthetics are of a personal taste, I think the watch looks great, a couple of people independently what make the watch is, and are surprised when they find out it is a digital smart watch, if wearing a posh suit, it could easily pass of as a £1,000 watch.It is quite big, but certainly not ridiculously large, although I would say it is too big for women,unless of course the oversized watch is the style they are going for.So the comparison with the Apple Watch and also using with Apple iPhone 6:Connecting to my iPhone was slightly confusing via the Samsung Gear App, it has 2 x bluetooth connections, one LE (low energy) and the other for connecting to phone calls...which brings me to the point, you can use it for phone calls with the iPhone, contrary to what I have read on other reviews.Whilst on the subject of other reviews, there are quite a few that mention disconnection problems from the phone...I just don't see that, it hasn't disconnected once, other that when it is out of Bluetooth range, it simply is rock solid...and again contrary to other reviews, you don't need the iPhone App running in the background whatsoever. The only time I use the Gear App is to upload watch faces, or watch apps, and of course to access the Samsung Health App.I mainly use the watch as a notification point, so I like to have my phone on silent but not miss calls, messages and reminders. From this point of view the watch is perfect, but so was the Apple Watch. So what made me choose this over getting another Apple Watch? Firstly it was battery life. The Apple Watch under normal use will last 18-24 hours, which effectively means I need to put on charge every night. With the Samsung Gear, the battery life in comparison is superb. From 100% at 7am, it will have 75% left when i go to bed at night at 11pm, effectively giving me 3-4 days between charges.But now I have the watch, I think there are so many things better about this; as I mentioned earlier I think it looks great, and although I think the Apple Watch is a nice design, I think it can look too casual. Whereas I think the Gear can look smart for work and sporty out of work.Also the OS is far better than Apple's, I was quite surprised how jumbled-up and bad the Apple Watch OS was, considering Apple are the kings of simplicity. The Samsung having a bigger screen for one helps, and configuring app locations is far better; for example I just swipe to the right to access my most used apps - Calendar, S-Health and Music Player.I can't say that I'm 100% sure of the accuracy of the activity monitor, for example a walk I do every day and know is 4.6m, is recorded as 4.2m, this may be something to do with my GPS set-up or something, but for the moment, it is wrong.So to summarise, I have to ask myself what I think is better on the Apple Watch?Well I do miss Apple Pay a little bit (you can get Samsung Pay if you have a Samsung phone).I miss being able to send quick default replies to messages, such as 'Yes', 'No Problem' etc.There are more apps available, but seriously...how many of these do people actually use??The Apple Watch 2, it totally waterproof for swimming, unlike the Gear which is just ok for say having a bath.And...ermmm...that's about it.I'm in no doubt this is a better watch than Apple's, even for an iPhone user. As I said: It has way better battery life, has a better interface, looks like a high end watch, is seamless with connectivity and notifications (and that's from an iPhone user!), automatically detects a workout like a walk or run, records sleep and is cheaper.One downside is the backing-up, I had to do a factory reset and it lost all my configuration, which took an hour to get back..maybe there is a way to back this up, but can't see that?If you are in the market for a smart watch, I would highly recommend this, no matter if you are an Android or iOS user.

2.1.2017

My first week with Samsung Gear s3 FrontierAt first glance, it is a premium product - watch packaged in an elegant, oval package, and the gadget looks equally impressive. The envelope was placed on a rubber belt function, which prevents the complete extinction of the screen.Samsung did not give up with a novel way of handling the interface and Gear S3 also find rotatable ring, which together with two function keys and the touch screen provides a simple and intuitive way to switch between applications. It changed for the interior of the watch. Added some component that was missing in Gear S2: GPS, microphone, speaker, altimeter and speedometer. Thanks to watch even better suited to the role of a personal trainer and personal assistant.I enjoy the fact that the watch face covered with a hydrophobic coating and the envelope meets the requirements of IP68 waterproof.Rubber strap and solid, waterproof envelope Gear S3 frontier to emphasize the sporty character of the device. Grooved ring adds to its character, but if someone is looking for a subtle watch - or a minor wrist - it's better to invest in a classic model with a slightly simpler design.We are very pleased that the microphone has joined the speaker. From now on we can carry on a conversation without removing the phone from his pocket. Gear S3 when paired with a smartphone will serve as a handy speakerphone. In this role it works well, especially the connections you make with your watch. The sound is not as perfect as in the telephone receiver, but to carry out a quick interview enough.But make no mistake - this equipment does not want to replace your phone, it only has to expand its features, among others, through regular and automatic measurement of the heart rate during the workout.With built-in GPS-those we do not have all the time to carry a phone to track your position. This function is most lacking in Gear S2. There is also an altimeter, which accurately measure our height above sea level, which will accurately determine not only the atmospheric pressure but also burning calories. Unfortunately, the additional components contributed to the weight of the watch, which you will feel it on your wrist during exercise. You get used to it.Samsung has once again put on Tizen, and this choice has its good and bad sides. The system works very smoothly, but it does not work with such a large number of applications like watches on Android. Fortunately, those who created the Samsung excel great. Gear S3 better recognize activity than its predecessor and measure all important training parameters - distance travelled changes in heart rate, pace, and defeated height.With battery is a small problem. Yes, no problem can withstand 3-4 days, but if you turn on Always-on mode and will often use the GPS module, you should be prepared to charge the watch at least once every two days. This is not a problem Samsung, the problem of the entire technology industry. Until we see a new generation of cells with much greater efficiency, we have to get used to a regular charging gadgets to wear.Samsung Galaxy S3 frontier blends well with the world of classical watches and durable straps sports. Very good job graphical interface based on the rotating ring and aesthetic disc-mode Always-on. Most excited, however, the presence of GPS. This solution allows completely independent from the phone during training and running - what is important, the music can be stored on the watch and sent wirelessly to a Bluetooth headset. If you like the Samsung Gear S2, but missed you in the GPS module - Gear S3 will meet all your expectations.

13.1.2017

The watch has got good heft, and feels like a solid, premium device. With the trend for large watches still going strong, it does not look ridiculous by any stretch, although the usual caveat of “those with small wrists beware”. A nice design touch of a black plastic underside gives the watch a visual slimness that belies its size.Visually, this is unadorned, brushed steel watch, with a rotating steel bezel, and two steel buttons. The GS3 Classic comes with a simple leather strap, which very much ties in with the design ethos of the phone. Classy and understated, suitable for both work and casual wear.Syncing the watch with my Samsung Galaxy S6 was a simple matter of downloading the Samsung Gear app,and searching via bluetooth. Confirm on both devices that you mean to pair and voila, connected. All input is done via the app wirelessly, and there is no external data input port on the watch itself. Navigation is done using the bezel as a substitute for swiping, which is handy (thinking gloves), while the buttons are back and apps. Double pressing the apps button activates S-Voice (usable, but not my favourite, this shortcut can be changed to a range of different functions).Once all paired up it was good to go. I fiddled with some watch faces (Christmas themed, which the children loved), and set up a couple of quick contacts, but otherwise i was not required to do much to get it up and running which is a big plus. I have been using this for about 20 days now, and i am finding that the notifications coming through on my watch is a genuinely useful thing. I am currently on a three or four whatsapp chat groups, and being able to pick up what is going on without having to dig my phone out of my pocket (or from down the side of the sofa…) is awesome. Especially useful when you are waiting from a reply from someone and don’t want to have to pull your phone out every 5 seconds because of a notification from another chat. I have also used the “find my phone” app a couple of times, which saved me tearing the living room apart looking for my phone.Perhaps less useful on the Classic GS3 vs the Frontier is the call function (no LTE/Cell on Classic). It is a handy thing to have none the less, as i have used it while driving when my phone was not paired, and i can see myself using this when I am on my bike and my phone is not accessible. Not an everyday type thing, but handy in the right circumstance.Battery life is decent. I am finding that i am getting about 3 days before I charge, but i could possible squeeze a further day with light usage and if a ran this down totally. I don't really have a frame of reference, but this feels more than satisfactory given what the phone is packing.Software and Apps… Now we get to to the not so good bits. Tizen itself, it works well, is smooth, looks good,where I do have an issue with the app store. It is fairly sparse. That said, i am not sure there is that much i would want to do on a smartwatch apart from what i have mentioned above.The hardware is spot on, but the app store needs some work. Samsung have gone and built something that is capable of being a game changer, may have hamstrung it with an ecosystem that is not sufficiently supported. This might be the best smartwatch on the market right now bar none.

3.7.2017

So, here is a small review for all you iPhone users out there trawling the reviews looking for how it works with IOS.I spent ages toying with which watch to go for, Apple Watch or this. It would have been really easy to go with the Apple Watch but it just looks bland (in my opinion). If I have a watch on my wrist I want it to look like one and the S3 frontier certainly ticks that box. Obviously the Apple Watch will not work 100% with my 6S but I was prepared to gamble on losing some of the functionality of the S3 for the looks.Having had the S3 a few days now, I am not disappointed. Yes it would be nice to have all the same as you have if linked to Samsung phone, like SOS function,

13.1.2017

I received my S3 classic as part of a Word of Mouth testing campaign being run by Theinsiders.eu and am posting a review on the basis of my findings over a 4 week period of owning and using the watch.Overall I would say that the watch is a great item to have, and I find I am using my phone much less as key notifications come direct to my wrist now which means I'm no longer fishing my phone out and flicking through the screens to see what's been happening. The battery is great. I can get approaching 4 days of usage between charges which exceeded my expectations.The fitness tracker is another great tool. The step counter appears to be broadly accurate, as does the heart rate monitor.

3.1.2017

I have been using my S3 for just over a week now, all in personal use and I have to say I am really impressed with it as a gadget.The S3 setup process was very simple and took only a few minutes and right away it connected fully to my Samsung A5 phone. I have also hooked it up to Sony and Huwaei phones and to my tablet subsequently.The interface really is very intuitive. I had previously considered an Apple Watch and this interface works much better, really due to the bevel. I have shown this to non-smartwatch owning friends and some with Apple Watches and they mostly agree with me.One thing that has really surprised is how good the phone function works. OK, you look a little strange,

7.1.2017

I had the original moto 360 smart watch before i bought this samsung gear s3. after unboxing, updating, connected to phone and playing with the gs3 for half hour, I immediately thought this is worth the upgrade!Its looks very sleek, stylish watch with the stainless steel build and the leather strap. the watch has a 1.3 inch OLED screen that is clear, vibrant and responsive, also the screen is a full circle (unlike the moto 360 with the flat tyre look), has a built in speaker, IP68 Waterproof rating aswell as all the other specs in smart watches. it also has a bigger battery than the gear s2, lasted me just over 3days just using it as a normal watch, looking at notifications occasionally which is pretty impressive for a smart watch!

8.1.2017

Having owned a number of smartwatches, and really looking for the "complete" smartwatch without always having to compromise on important features, I would say this is a very decent, polished attempt. I have been using this for about a month. The look is very smart, and probably has the best screen of any watch I've used. Normally smartwatches tend to have really fiddly, practically unusable screens, and whilst this screen is a decent size, the rotating bezel makes using it extremely easy and smooth. The step tracking seems very accurate, I have tested it against a Garmin Vivoactive HR and the results are very similar. The heart rate tracking appears as accurate as wrist based tracking can be,

8.4.2018

Having owned a few smartwatches in the past, I decided it was time for an upgrade from my old moto 360 (1st gen)I have the Galaxy S8 so thought it the natural option to go for the gear S3I think this watch is superb and incredibly well built with very high quality hardware. The buttons feel sturdy, the bezel is great and from a hardware perspective its superb. I have the odd issues with the HR sensor saying it cannot read, but I wear the watch slightly loose as my wrist size is between two of the holes, so that could be a factor.Software however needs some work. Not so much on the native side of things, but the apps (or lack of)

21.12.2016

After a long break from smart watches, I decided to take the plunge once again with this new Samsung. I was against the idea until I actually saw one and was impressed with the premium feel and quality. It's a smart watch I am not embarrassed to wear which is a first for me. The 'Classic' version also looks good but the 'Frontier' just feels more versatile.The rotating bezel is the killer feature here and it has a real quality feel to it. It feels very natural to use and is a big improvement on just touch. My last smart watch was the LG G Watch R, an Android Wear watch. I have to admit, I miss the abundance of apps and watch faces available on Android Wear and this is my biggest disappointment.

27.12.2016

Having owned and used the Samsung Gear S2 for the past year I was interested to see the upgrades that Samsung had made. I am very impressed with the functionality of the device with its smooth interface, clear display and intuitive design. It is certainly a major improvement on its predecessor, bigger and sturdier by far.Sound and voice quality is very good and I was surprised at how good the S3 is for making phone calls, with both myself, and the person at the other end, being able to hear each other clearly.I have to agree with some of the other reviews, the Tizen OS does limit the apps available and the apps that are there are a little pointless and amatuer; this is the main reason for the 4 rather than 5 star review.

Samsung Gear S3 - Reviews

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