Samsung launches Gear S3 "Smartwatch"

Samsung has unveiled Gear S3, a striking and innovative smartwatch that further strengthens Samsung’s leadership in the wearable category.

The Gear S3 combines timeless watch design with the absolute cutting-edge in mobile wearable technology, including IP68 water resistance, up to four days of battery backup, dedicated app store and built-in speaker and GPS, making it the ideal addition to any watch collection.

Samsung Gear S3 is available in two bold designs to suit different users’ lifestyles: frontier and classic. Inspired by the active explorer, the Gear S3 frontier evokes a rugged outdoor look with an enduring style that blends form and function. The frontier was designed to perform in any setting or environment – whether business or leisure. The Gear S3 classic pays homage to the minimalist, elegant style found in the most iconic timepieces. The classic was designed with meticulous attention to detail – with its size and shape chosen to attain the same consistency and balance of a well-crafted luxury watch. 

“With the Gear S3, we continue to build on our wearables heritage of offering diverse choices to enhance consumers’ unique lifestyles,” said Manu Sharma, Vice-President, Mobile Business, Samsung India. “Gear S2 achieved meaningful progress in the smartwatch category with a personalized watch face and a versatile rotating bezel that provided an intuitive smartwatch experience. Now with the new Gear S3, we expand our Gear collection and introduce not only a great smartwatch, but a great watch. With smart capabilities and sophisticated, elegant design, the Gear S3 marks a significant addition to our smartwatch portfolio.”

The Gear S3 was created based on intensive research and surveys from consumers, industry leaders and watch experts all around the world. In addition, the Gear S3 is compatible with 22mm watch bands so consumers can easily personalize their watch to match any outfit or special occasion.

“With the Gear S3, we sought to integrate tradition and technology, bringing to the forefront an immensely intelligent smartwatch. The large watch face was inspired by styles emerging from the world’s most premium watch brands. A classic timepiece combined with the latest innovations in technology, the Gear S3 is bound to withstand the test of time,” said Yvan Arpa, the Switzerland-based luxury watch designer who was involved in the Gear S3 design process. 

In addition to its sleek look, the Gear S3 meets IP68 standards for water resistance and offers military-level durability so consumers can get through their day, regardless of weather conditions. For the first time on the Gear series, the Gear S3 features Corning Gorilla Glass SR+, which is specifically designed for wearable devices to provide a tougher, more scratch- resistant and crisp display.

The 16 million colours full-colour Always-On Display (AOD) and Super AMOLED technology further differentiates the Gear S3 from other smartwatches. The AOD always shows the time rather than automatically fading to black, causing the Gear S3 to exude the aura of a luxury analog watch with a perpetually visible watch face and a ticking second hand.

The Gear S3 puts convenience at the flick of the wrist. Pushing the connectivity envelope to the hilt, the Gear S3 offers “hyper-connectedness” with the Remote Connectivity feature that allows the Gear S3 to receive phone notifications way beyond the limits of BT or Wi-Fi. All that is required is for “Remote Connectivity” to be turned on in the Gear Manager app. The built-in GPS functionality enables users to accurately monitor their daily fitness activities, while the Alti/barometer and Speedometer allow users to track everything from altitude and atmospheric pressure to sudden changes in weather, distance travelled and speed. Additionally, with the built-in speaker, users can take calls, activate voice messaging. The battery is also a significant leap forward for the segment in terms of delivering the smartwatch experience uninterrupted. Lasting up to four days on a single charge, the Gear S3 was designed with consumers’ safety in mind. In case of an emergency, users can activate the SOS from the designated button to alert family, friends and emergency professionals about crisis situations.

For the first time ever on a smartwatch, the Samsung Knox Tizen Wearable SDK will be available to third parties, enabling management capabilities and the development of customized applications for Samsung’s wearable ecosystem. With the Samsung Knox security platform, the Gear S3 will enable broader enterprise business opportunities.

Both the Gear S3 classic and frontier will go on sale from 18th January, 2017 and will be available in all  the leading Samsung sales channels at a price of Rs.28,500/-.