Gear S3 and iPhone 7/7+

[Lloydbm41]

For those wondering, I bought the Gear S3 LTE variant today, in order to replace my WiFi version Gear S2.

First off, yes you can connect any S3 variant with the iPhone, you just have to download the beta ipa file from the Internet onto your pc first. I will include instructions and a link below.
Second, the Gear S3 app for the iphone is still a Beta. There are little issues with the app, but nothing that prevents everything from working.

So far, I get all my email notifications, texts (iMessage if my watch is connected to my phone via BT), and phone calls.
Without the phone, texts and calls must be sent to the watches phone number or call forwarded from the iphone.

Any questions, ask away. Pics of sizes between S2 classic and S3 Frontier attached.

How to install:

** IF YOU WERE CONNECTED TO A GEAR S2 BEFORE, YOU MUST GO TO PHONE SETTINGS AND CLICK FORGET S2 BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE. **

Now,
Go to this link on a Mac or PC. Download the ipa file in the first post. http://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-s2/general/leaked-gear-manager-ios-iphone-7-t3499304

Once done, connect your phone to your pc and open iTunes. Open the ipa file or drag to iTunes, so it loads to your phone.

Open settings on phone, go to General, then Profiles and Device Management and approve Samsung Electronics. Then turn BT on, so your phone can discover your watch when you turn it on.

Turn your S3 on. Pair S3 with phone in BT settings. Now open S3 app. Connect new watch. If it doesn't connect the first try, turn off watch, turn watch back on and try again. Took me 2 attempts. Done.

 

[zonazolazia]

Nice write-up. Have you ever used apple watch? I'd love to see some comparison between this and apple watch, especially the fitness aspect.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Nice write-up. Have you ever used apple watch? I'd love to see some comparison between this and apple watch, especially the fitness aspect.

In terms of apps and connectivity between iphone and the Apple Watch, there is no comparison. Apple wins. You simply can't get the same experience with a non-Apple watch if you own an iphone. Unfortunately, I just can't stand the looks or the little dial on the Apple Watch (plus no LTE).

It was either the S3 or the LG Urbane 2 for me, and the functionality of the S3 blows the Android competition out of the water. Just wish there were more apps for the Gear watches.

 

[44267547]

Nice write-up. Have you ever used apple watch? I'd love to see some comparison between this and apple watch, especially the fitness aspect.

I think for fitness, the Apple Watch might have the lead on this aspect. At least from what I have read.

 

[Aneres11]

We have (bizarrely) one of these in CarPhoneWarehouse which we don't even sell in our store, so I was having a little play today.

Don't really like it tbh. Didn't feel very intuitive to use, felt like it required a lot of clicks and taps and twiddles of the dial to get what I needed. Even then I was left a bit perplexed. Granted it was a short hands on, but it still left me a little cold.

Nice design though.

 

[Lloydbm41]

We have (bizarrely) one of these in CarPhoneWarehouse which we don't even sell in our store, so I was having a little play today.

Don't really like it tbh. Didn't feel very intuitive to use, felt like it required a lot of clicks and taps and twiddles of the dial to get what I needed. Even then I was left a bit perplexed. Granted it was a short hands on, but it still left me a little cold.

Nice design though.

It def isn't for everyone, but the bezel isn't a requirement to do anything on the watch. In fact, if you remove the bezel from the equation, Tizen OS is very similar to Android Wear OS. The bezel just makes it easier to navigate and view long emails and texts without needing to swipe. Similar to the digital crown on Apple Watch.

If you are used to Apple Watch and Watch OS, neither Tizen or Android Wear are going to feel intuitive (at least to some people). I personally find the Gear S2 and S3 the easiest to use out of all smart watches. Just my personal pref. I also don't recommend the S3 to anyone with an iPhone (like myself) unless you are technically proficient. It will just give you a headache trying to get everything to work efficiently. If Apple watch had a round watch with lte, I would be wearing one now instead of the S3.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Battery:

Wow! 8 hours on 4G/LTE signal, always on display engaged, BT on, and brightness set to 8 out if 10 and I only lost 12% battery.

First time I can say that Samsung wasn't exaggerating about their battery life on a mobile device! Even with everything on like this, I can easily see getting 2.5 to 3 days per charge.

 

[TScottTX]

I have a couple of questions..

Did you set the S3 up with its own phone number of are you using AT&T Number Sync?
Were you able to set up an account to download apps from the Samsung store to your watch?

 

[Lloydbm41]

I have a couple of questions..

Did you set the S3 up with its own phone number of are you using AT&T Number Sync?
Were you able to set up an account to download apps from the Samsung store to your watch?

My S3 has its own phone number, but will ring with my phone as long as it is linked via BT. Once it is on its own, I either have to forward my calls from the phone or have people call me via the watch number. And my on T-mobile, by the way.

And I set up a Samsung account on my PC, and then used those credentials to log in via the iphone app.

 

[Channan]

the functionality of the S3 blows the Android competition out of the water.

How so? I don't really know much about the Gear S3 so I'm wondering what kind of benefits it offers over Android Wear other than Samsung Pay, which I haven't had much success with on my Galaxy S7 Edge anyway.

 

[Lloydbm41]

How so? I don't really know much about the Gear S3 so I'm wondering what kind of benefits it offers over Android Wear other than Samsung Pay, which I haven't had much success with on my Galaxy S7 Edge anyway.

The bezel and dual buttons on the side, makes for a much better UI. Instead of swiping, swiping, swiping to get to an option or to select a watchface, I can simply rotate the bezel quickly. If I want to go back one screen I simply hit the back button (top button). If I want to return to the main screen, I hit the home button (bottom button). I can change what the home button can do from say opening the last app, to opening a specific app or have it do nothing all. And of course, everything can be done with gloves on, which is good if you work in security, construction, cold weather, etc.

Samsung Pay is nice, as is LTE, but not the defining characteristics of the watch.

 

[KillaMac]

I've had a Gear S2 in the past, and now I own an SS Gen 2 apple watch. No comparison, the apple watch is much better. Battery life, screen, apps etc. Before I decided to go the iPhone 7 plus route from my note 7 that got got taken away from me, I would have gotten a S3, but that changed. Either way, Glad you like it.

 

[Lloydbm41]

I've had a Gear S2 in the past, and now I own an SS Gen 2 apple watch. No comparison, the apple watch is much better. Battery life, screen, apps etc. Before I decided to go the iPhone 7 plus route from my note 7 that got got taken away from me, I would have gotten a S3, but that changed. Either way, Glad you like it.

Battery life and screen? I know the S3 went down 30ppi from the S2, due to its larger screen, but there was only a tad over 20ppi difference between the S2 and Apple Watch. It was an indistinguishable difference. Both use the same OLED display. Or are you referring to square vs round screens?

As for battery life, Apple has never been anywhere near the top when it comes to battery life, even with the screen a blank black slate a majority of the time.
So, I'm a bit confused regarding these 2 statements?

But owning an iphone now, with no intention of returning to Android anytime soon, I seriously contemplated an Apple Watch. The sheer amount of apps, Apple Pay, GPS, specific Appke Watch health apps, and a cohesive interaction between watch and phone was very appealing. I just can't get past how ugly the watch looks to my eyes. (My opinion. I know many like it. Just not my taste.) I also can't believe Apple still doesn't have an LTE variant!

All that said, the Apple watch is a much better option than the S3 in many instances. I take nothing away from it! Just not in my particular case.

 

[Channan]

The bezel and dual buttons on the side, makes for a much better UI. Instead of swiping, swiping, swiping to get to an option or to select a watchface, I can simply rotate the bezel quickly. If I want to go back one screen I simply hit the back button (top button). If I want to return to the main screen, I hit the home button (bottom button). I can change what the home button can do from say opening the last app, to opening a specific app or have it do nothing all. And of course, everything can be done with gloves on, which is good if you work in security, construction, cold weather, etc.

Samsung Pay is nice, as is LTE, but not the defining characteristics of the watch.

Oh, I thought you meant actual features. I'm okay with the way AW works because I don't actually use it much. I was hoping for some extra features in Tizen that would make me want to use it more.

 

[KillaMac]

Battery life and screen? I know the S3 went down 30ppi from the S2, due to its larger screen, but there was only a tad over 20ppi difference between the S2 and Apple Watch. It was an indistinguishable difference. Both use the same OLED display. Or are you referring to square vs round screens?

As for battery life, Apple has never been anywhere near the top when it comes to battery life, even with the screen a blank black slate a majority of the time.
So, I'm a bit confused regarding these 2 statements?

But owning an iphone now, with no intention of returning to Android anytime soon, I seriously contemplated an Apple Watch. The sheer amount of apps, Apple Pay, GPS, specific Appke Watch health apps, and a cohesive interaction between watch and phone was very appealing. I just can't get past how ugly the watch looks to my eyes. (My opinion. I know many like it. Just not my taste.) I also can't believe Apple still doesn't have an LTE variant!

All that said, the Apple watch is a much better option than the S3 in many instances. I take nothing away from it! Just not in my particular case.

Your confused because you don't agree with my observations? I've used both period. The S2 couldn't last as long as my Gen 2 apple watch. The Gen 1 was closer to the S2, but it still out lasted the S2. I can probably get 3 days out of my watch with no issues.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Your confused because you don't agree with my observations? I've used both period. The S2 couldn't last as long as my Gen 2 apple watch. The Gen 1 was closer to the S2, but it still out lasted the S2. I can probably get 3 days out of my watch with no issues.

No offence meant. I know everyone uses their electronics differently, but I'm just taking what the Apple engineers themselves have stated for Apple Watch battery life. Link: http://www.apple.com/watch/battery.htm

This is why I said what I did in the post. Everything I have read says the same thing. Unless you turn nearly everything off on the Apple Watch, it is a struggle to get a full days use. I apologize if I offended you. That was not my intent.

 

[spinedoc77]

Can any health info be tied into the iPhone at all? Workout info, heartrate sensor, etc. I'm tempted by the s3 but would like to see one in person, it just looks so massive in pics/videos. I'm also hesitant because Samsung is probably one of the most closed off and proprietary companies out there with its accessories, just having to download a leaked beta version of its app meant for another watch kind of illustrates that. Plus Tizen, bleh. But there doesn't seem to be much out there, I had the AW for a couple of weeks and wasn't impressed in the least.
[doublepost=1479694372][/doublepost]

Your confused because you don't agree with my observations? I've used both period. The S2 couldn't last as long as my Gen 2 apple watch. The Gen 1 was closer to the S2, but it still out lasted the S2. I can probably get 3 days out of my watch with no issues.

I wish I got more than a day out of my AW. Just to get a day I had to stand on my head, only run a few complications and disable the always on HR sensor. If I worked out in the morning the watch would be dead by 7pm, forget about taking it with me to dinner or nighttime activities, and that's withOUT an always on screen. The AW wasn't terrible by any means, but the battery life for me was probably the weakest aspect by far.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Can any health info be tied into the iPhone at all? Workout info, heartrate sensor, etc. I'm tempted by the s3 but would like to see one in person, it just looks so massive in pics/videos. I'm also hesitant because Samsung is probably one of the most closed off and proprietary companies out there with its accessories, just having to download a leaked beta version of its app meant for another watch kind of illustrates that. Plus Tizen, bleh. But there doesn't seem to be much out there, I had the AW for a couple of weeks and wasn't impressed in the least.

Unfortunately, you aren't going to connect anything from the S3 into any Apple app. All the data from HR, to GPS data, and workout info is quarantined to just the Beta app on the phone and the watch. That said, a lot of data can be gleaned from using the watch. Lots of settings to auto detect using an elliptical, running, walking, skiing, etc.

In you particular case, I don't think you would get out of it what you need. If you had an S7 or Edge, maybe? You are also very limited on apps. <-- major downfall of Tizen!!!! They need more 'quality' apps!
Eventually, I'm probably going to have no choice and move to an Apple watch if I stay with an iPhone. I can only hope they redesign the watch and add LTE before too long.

P.S. image of the app on the iPhone 7+. Couldn't fit everything on the screen, but you get the idea

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Your confused because you don't agree with my observations? I've used both period. The S2 couldn't last as long as my Gen 2 apple watch. The Gen 1 was closer to the S2, but it still out lasted the S2. I can probably get 3 days out of my watch with no issues.

In my usage ..... (AW Gen 2 and S2 Classic)

The AW can be the worst battery experience or a great battery experience. Without anything in the Dock, I can get anywhere from 1-2 days usage before the battery is in the red. That 1-2 days is not consistent. Sometimes I can get 30 hours, other times 49 hours, and other times 23 hours. I have never got 3 days life, unless I put it on power save mode. Now if I put apps in the Dock, then I'll randomly experience horrible battery life regardless of what apps I put in the dock.

The Gear S2 is very consistent with battery life. It averages about 2 1/2 days for me. With the Always On Screen, I get about a day and a half. I simply don't have to avoid any type of setup to get a days battery.

 

[KillaMac]

No offence meant. I know everyone uses their electronics differently, but I'm just taking what the Apple engineers themselves have stated for Apple Watch battery life. Link: http://www.apple.com/watch/battery.htm

This is why I said what I did in the post. Everything I have read says the same thing. Unless you turn nearly everything off on the Apple Watch, it is a struggle to get a full days use. I apologize if I offended you. That was not my intent.

I went two full days recently and still had 50% battery life left. Like I said, I can probably get 3-4 days out of my 2nd gen. 1st gen could do 2 days. And that was everything at default settings.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

There is only one thing I dislike about Gear Watches. No YouTube notifications.

 

[kage333]

For those wondering, I bought the Gear S3 LTE variant today, in order to replace my WiFi version Gear S2.

First off, yes you can connect any S3 variant with the iPhone, you just have to download the beta ipa file from the Internet onto your pc first. I will include instructions and a link below.
Second, the Gear S3 app for the iphone is still a Beta. There are little issues with the app, but nothing that prevents everything from working.

So far, I get all my email notifications, texts (iMessage if my watch is connected to my phone via BT), and phone calls.
Without the phone, texts and calls must be sent to the watches phone number or call forwarded from the iphone.

Any questions, ask away. Pics of sizes between S2 classic and S3 Frontier attached.

How to install:

** IF YOU WERE CONNECTED TO A GEAR S2 BEFORE, YOU MUST GO TO PHONE SETTINGS AND CLICK FORGET S2 BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE. **

Now,
Go to this link on a Mac or PC. Download the ipa file in the first post. http://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-s2/general/leaked-gear-manager-ios-iphone-7-t3499304

Once done, connect your phone to your pc and open iTunes. Open the ipa file or drag to iTunes, so it loads to your phone.

Open settings on phone, go to General, then Profiles and Device Management and approve Samsung Electronics. Then turn BT on, so your phone can discover your watch when you turn it on.

Turn your S3 on. Pair S3 with phone in BT settings. Now open S3 app. Connect new watch. If it doesn't connect the first try, turn off watch, turn watch back on and try again. Took me 2 attempts. Done.

Sorry if I am asking a silly question. So you got your LTE version of the Gear S3 to pair with the iphone? I have an iphone 6s+ but can't get it to pair.

I followed the instructions and got the gear manager app onto my phone, but it can't find the watch. I found your post and it says to connect via bluetooth before trying to connect in the app, so does this mean you set up the watch in standalone mode first? If now how do you turn on the bluetooth?

Any help is appreciated...thanks

 

[Lloydbm41]

Sorry if I am asking a silly question. So you got your LTE version of the Gear S3 to pair with the iphone? I have an iphone 6s+ but can't get it to pair.

I followed the instructions and got the gear manager app onto my phone, but it can't find the watch. I found your post and it says to connect via bluetooth before trying to connect in the app, so does this mean you set up the watch in standalone mode first? If now how do you turn on the bluetooth?

Any help is appreciated...thanks

First thing you need to do is reset your watch to factory reset if it was connected to anything prior. If it has never been connected to anything, turn off, then turn back on. You DO NOT need to set it up in stand alone mode.
Second, go to iphone settings --> Bluetooth and wait for watch to show up. Pair it here first.
Now open Gear S3 app on the phone. You should see the watch now.

 

[kage333]

First thing you need to do is reset your watch to factory reset if it was connected to anything prior. If it has never been connected to anything, turn off, then turn back on. You DO NOT need to set it up in stand alone mode.
Second, go to iphone settings --> Bluetooth and wait for watch to show up. Pair it here first.
Now open Gear S3 app on the phone. You should see the watch now.

Thank you for the help. So I followed your instructions and have made progress, yet I'm still having trouble.

My phone sees the watch and asks to make the connection, same for the watch, but then the watch says "setting up". I open up the app and press "connect to gear" but it times out.

Then the watch eventually says that it is taking too long and asks if I want to try again.

Any thoughts? Thanks again for the help.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Thank you for the help. So I followed your instructions and have made progress, yet I'm still having trouble.

My phone sees the watch and asks to make the connection, same for the watch, but then the watch says "setting up". I open up the app and press "connect to gear" but it times out.

Then the watch eventually says that it is taking too long and asks if I want to try again.

Any thoughts? Thanks again for the help.

Yes, this happened to me the first try.
I basically did the following:
1. Factory reset watch or shut off if you have no option to factory reset. Close out of S3 app on iPhone.
2. Go to iPhone settings, then Bluetooth and forget the watch. Stay in BT settings.
3. Turn watch back on and wait for phone to see watch in BT settings and re-pair.
4. Open S3 app on phone and retry setting up watch again. This worked for me on the second try.

Remember, this is a Beta app and Samsung is getting a lot of feedback from developers to fix these glitches. Unfortunately, unlike Apple, Samsung is unbearably slow when it comes to software!!! Very annoying for a Tizen developer like myself!