Gear S3 Frontier Vs Apple Watch

[Technarchy]

For those debating what Smart Watch to get if you have a Samsung device, the Gear S3 line is fantastic.

The Frontier especially has great integration with Samsung software and touchwiz. Many notifications are actionable from the watch itself.

App selection is much smaller than Apple Watch, but the watch itself has vastly better battery life at 3+ days on average, automatically tracks sleep and S-health is far more intuitive than HealthKit. The heart monitor is more reliable on Apple Watch and is not as sensitive to position or band tightness.

The S3 UI is excellent, with the bezel dial being pleasant and easy to use. Multitasking access is easier as well. Fitness tracking is top notch and about equal with Apple Watch.

Samsung pay via watch works more places than Apple Pay.

If you have any questions I’ll try and answer them, but I give the S3 Frontier 4 stars and it is the best Apple Watch Alternative for Samsung phones.

Note: don’t bother trying to use the S3 with the iPhone. The experience is not very good. It barely does anything other than control music and get notifications.

 

[M5RahuL]

Glad you’re enjoying the S3. I’ve been using mine since it came out and ended up selling the AW ( SS Series 2 ) I can actually reply to texts, and some one liner emails, from the S3! Voice calls are awesome too. I just wish Sammy would update to include more controls/features for iOS.

I haven’t worn a regular watch since I got the S3. Check out the various apps and watch faces in the Galaxy Apps store. I also found the S-Health app quite useful on the gear too.

Finally, tons of bands available on Amazon!

 

[Technarchy]

Glad you’re enjoying the S3. I’ve been using mine since it came out and ended up selling the AW ( SS Series 2 ) I can actually reply to texts, and some one liner emails, from the S3! Voice calls are awesome too. I just wish Sammy would update to include more controls/features for iOS.

I haven’t worn a regular watch since I got the S3. Check out the various apps and watch faces in the Galaxy Apps store. I also found the S-Health app quite useful on the gear too.

Finally, tons of bands available on Amazon!

It’s worth repeating, the S3 Frontier is awesome, but not a good option at all for the iPhone. It barely does anything and S-health doesn’t talk to HealthKit which is a real bummer for fitness types.

 

[Klyster]

Loving my frontier, the faces rock.
I use always on display and get home with 70% battery left.
I'm not treating it like jewellery either, this watch is going to get scratched and such if I'm not careful but I want it to be a useful tool rather than pretty toy.
I love how it looks like a watch too.
But I've only had it since Friday.

I wonder if Tizen 3 will bring anything tangible?

multiple image hosting

 

[Michael Goff]

Loving my frontier, the faces rock.
I use always on display and get home with 70% battery left.
I'm not treating it like jewellery either, this watch is going to get scratched and such if I'm not careful but I want it to be a useful tool rather than pretty toy.
I love how it looks like a watch too.
But I've only had it since Friday.

I wonder if Tizen 3 will bring anything tangible?

multiple image hosting

I doubt the update will bring a lot of user facing features and will mostly just have a lot of bugfixes and performance improvements.

 

[Klyster]

I was thinking more along the lines of battery optimization and such, but even if there wasn't an update, I'm more than happy with the battery life and function of this device

 

[Michael Goff]

I was thinking more along the lines of battery optimization and such, but even if there wasn't an update, I'm more than happy with the battery life and function of this device

Oh, all reports I have read do talk about things like battery life improvements.

 

[torana355]

Im still rocking a LG Urbane (which i love!), ive been interested how the Samsung S3 compares. I prefer using Android Wear watches as im not locked into using a Samsung phone.

 

[Michael Goff]

Im still rocking a LG Urbane (which i love!), ive been interested how the Samsung S3 compares. I prefer using Android Wear watches as im not locked into using a Samsung phone.

You can use the Gear S3 without a Samsung phone.

 

[torana355]

You can use the Gear S3 without a Samsung phone.

Cool, do you lose much functionality?

 

[Michael Goff]

Cool, do you lose much functionality?

You lose MST version of Samsung Pay. I think that's it. Oh, and the Samsung Gear app doesn't have the store.

 

[torana355]

You lose MST version of Samsung Pay. I think that's it. Oh, and the Samsung Gear app doesn't have the store.

In that case ill have to check one out for sure!

 

[M5RahuL]

Loving my frontier, the faces rock.
I use always on display and get home with 70% battery left.
I'm not treating it like jewellery either, this watch is going to get scratched and such if I'm not careful but I want it to be a useful tool rather than pretty toy.
I love how it looks like a watch too.
But I've only had it since Friday.

I wonder if Tizen 3 will bring anything tangible?

multiple image hosting

Been wearing the shlt outta mine..at the gym, work, shower... no scratches whatsoever and I ain’t babying this either.. And, ummm.. no protection!.. on the watch ofcourse!!

 

[JaySoul]

If you're talking about how tough the S3 is....

Was at the gym and in the changing rooms, accidentally caught the corner of a wall with my S3 Classic.

It took a chunk out of the wall. Not a scratch on my watch

I love my S3. My only wish is for the heart rate monitor to be comparable with Apple Watch, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

 

[Oohara]

For these Samsung watches with Tizen, do you lose a lot of functionality if you use them with a non Samsung smartphone?

 

[Klyster]

Can't answer that,

But I can say the battery is great so far, another day, getting home with 74%
Screen on all day, I'm more in love with my Gear than I am with my note ha!
Don't get me wrong though, the Note is a my best phone yet, I'm just loving the watch, no need to fish my phone out of my pocket, no need to take my gloves off, so handy.

 

[PJM83]

I understand you completely. I've had my Gear S3 for six months now, and I couldn't go without it. Before I bought it I wasn't even sure if I needed a smartwatch.

 

[The Game 161]

Is there a calendar watch face for the gear like with the Siri watch face?

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I wish people would stop talking about the S3. I'm trying to hold out and it's difficult.

I'm already wearing a S2 Classic and it does me well, so I know I'll be wasting money getting the S3.

 

[koigirl]

I’m really hoping I like the Gear S3 Classic LTE coming with my Note 8 as I hate giving up my Series 2 for the switch. My biggest fear is that S3 is way too large on my small wrist but my most anticipated feature is the 2+ day battery life as my 38mm Series 2 barely makes it through one day. Will also miss the broad selection of feminine watch bands available for Apple Watch. But this one is coming free so worst case is upgrading to smaller profile S4 when/if it is released. I’m pretty sure my husband is going to love the Frontier he has coming.

 

[Klyster]

Is there a calendar watch face for the gear like with the Siri watch face?

Not by default, I just had a quick look on the watchface store and there are a few calendar faces but not really sure what look and function you're after.

 

[silentbob007]

My second day with a Gear3 Frontier after a year with an Apple Watch Series 2 and a week with a Huawei Watch2 ... really liking the Gear. My battery is only down 20% after taking it off the charger 25 hours ago and I would consider yesterday's use "normal" ... I don't wear it to sleep because I'm so used to needing that time to charge for the Apple Watch. I found a fun watch face and was able to set up my apps so my calendar is just one click away. I am able to do 2-factor authentication for my work through watch notifications rather than needing my phone out of my pocket. Quick access to Samsung Pay is also nice. Enjoying so far.

 

[Technarchy]

My second day with a Gear3 Frontier after a year with an Apple Watch Series 2 and a week with a Huawei Watch2 ... really liking the Gear. My battery is only down 20% after taking it off the charger 25 hours ago and I would consider yesterday's use "normal" ... I don't wear it to sleep because I'm so used to needing that time to charge for the Apple Watch. I found a fun watch face and was able to set up my apps so my calendar is just one click away. I am able to do 2-factor authentication for my work through watch notifications rather than needing my phone out of my pocket. Quick access to Samsung Pay is also nice. Enjoying so far.

The sleep tracking is ridiculously accurate. Give it a try. Even when I power nap seated upright in the office chair for lunch it picks it up as sleep time. I have no idea how it knows, but it does.

 

[lcs101]

I'm waiting to see if the S4 is a bit slimmer. I like the screen size, but not a fan of the overall bulk.

 

[5105973]

I wish people would stop talking about the S3. I'm trying to hold out and it's difficult.

I'm already wearing a S2 Classic and it does me well, so I know I'll be wasting money getting the S3.

Oh well at least it's an option for you, eventually. I'm just too small a woman to wear it. (I tried my husband's and I was so close but just could not adjust) So I went all in with Nike Apple Series 3 LTE and iPhone upgrade path for my main cell number. The 4G version of the Gear S2 sportier Watch was really pushing it for me as far as size goes. And they really made it a bear to change bands for that model. I ended up sticking with the band that came with it. Which is a bit stiff and uncomfortable.

I wonder if Samsung will soon attempt to go after the women they dismissed (openly and verbally and very specifically) with a smaller Frontier type watch now that Apple has made smaller LTE watches possible.

If I sound a tad salty, I really was taken aback at the sexist tone of the dismissal of the female market when they introduced the Frontier. I'm not one to be particularly sensitive to perceived slights, but that one was front and center and my jaw dropped in surprise. They could have simply said they were looking at making smaller LTE watches in the future and left it at that. No, they had to throw in that crack about women not comprising a significant section of the market to make it worth the effort and we all just wanted fitness bands, so go buy their fitness bands. I think all the women spending loads of money on Apple Watches would disagree.

Their new sport watches are cute, but I want LTE. And they are still a bit big.
[doublepost=1506619006][/doublepost]@Technarchy this is an amazing series of photo comparisons and your observations are great. My husband does indeed love his Frontier. He used it with his Apple Watch and appreciated the notifications but said it was pretty well a useless pairing.