Samsung Announce new Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Classic Smartwatches at IFA 2016

With IFA 2016 getting into full swing over in Berlin right now, Samsung are quick out of the gate with their official announcement of the new Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch which is coming in two varieties.

The first variety, the Gear S3 Frontier, is Samsung’s first Tizen-powered LTE enabled watch and allows users to take and make calls right from their watch without the need to be tethered to a smartphone. It also has quite a rugged styling in comparison to their other newly announced smartwatch, the Gear S3 Classic.

Aside from the LTE functionality and built in speaker, both watches have similar internals, with the nice addition of GPS in the LTE model of the Frontier, and a larger screen over the S2. Their full specs are below:

Both watches are quite impressive looking and should be available to buy in the coming weeks for and RRP of €399 each. We’ll have our review of these new watches as soon as we get our hands on them so be sure to stay tuned!

You can find the full press release below:

Samsung Expands Smartwatch Portfolio with Gear S3

Samsung Gear S3 delivers a sophisticated, timeless design and enhanced standalone features

Dublin – August 31, 2016 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. today unveiled the Gear S3, a striking and innovative smartwatch that further solidifies Samsung’s leadership in the wearables category. Inspired by traditional timepieces and the art of watchmaking, the Gear S3 combines timeless design with the latest in mobile technology, including IP68 water resistance, LTE connectivity**, 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 S3frontier 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 Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing and Wearable Business, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung GearS2 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.”

Speaking from the Gear S3 Showcase at IFA in Berlin, Ariel Adams, of ‘aBlogtoWatch’ commented: “I’ve always had a fascination with the intricate details found on luxury watches. With the Gear S3, Samsung is honing in on the level of craftsmanship that helps define fine watches – from the intuitive rotating bezel to the contrast surface finishing. The Gear S3 is a smartwatch that gives watch lovers a compelling reason to consider a device that marries traditional design and digital technology.”  

In a quest to uncover what truly defines a watch, Samsung drew inspiration from manufacturers around the globe, paying particular attention to the skills and craft of assembling a delicate, yet highly complex timepiece. Influenced by the craftsmanship of traditional watches, the Gear S3 was created based on intensive research and surveys from consumers, industry leaders and watch experts all around the world. Every feature, from the circularbezel to the premium finishing and buckles, has been reimagined to elicit the look of a classic timepiece. 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 colour Always On Display (AOD) and Super AMOLED technology further differentiates the Gear S3 from other smartwatches. The AODalways shows the time rather than automatically fading to black, embodying a sophisticated watch face that mimics the look and feel of luxury analog watch.

The Gear S3’s signature rotating bezel has been enhanced with new features. Without touching the screen, users can accept or reject a call or snooze an alarm. In addition, by writing on the display, messages will automatically convert to texts. Users can also create short reminders and to-do lists to manage even the most hectic schedules with the Reminders application.

The Gear S3 puts convenience at the flick of the wrist, allowing users to leave their smartphone behind when they don’t need it on-hand. 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.

The Gear S3 was designed with consumers’ safety in mind. In case of an emergency, users can activate the SOS and location tracking capabilities to alert family, friends and emergency professionals about crisis situations, even when their phone isn’t in-hand.

Consumers can access a diverse range of apps, including fitness, music, news, sports and travel apps – all optimized for the Gear line-up of devices including the Gear S2 and the Gear S3. With a variety of customizable watch faces available for download, users can personalize the circular UI to fit their lifestyle. Select apps and watch faces will be available for download directly from the Gear S3 without the need to first download on a smartphone. Through an open collaboration with developers and partners, Samsung continues to enrich its wearables ecosystem and provide users with a unique smartwatch experience.

Thanks to a special partnership with Arik Levy, renowned artist and industrial designer, Samsung will introduce artistic watch faces and strap designs. Arik Levy is best known for his sculptures – such as his signature Rock pieces, unique installations and limited-edition designs, all of which are rooted in his belief that “the world is about people, not objects.”

Arik Levy commented: “It was interesting and fun to collaborate with Samsung on creating unique and evolving watch face concepts and watch bands for the Gear S3. Inspired by my artwork, installations and sculptures, we created features that not only technology-savvy consumers will love but alsothose who place a high value on art, design, freedom of the mind and aesthetics.”

The modern watch faces and bands designed by Arik Levy will be introduced later this year through select channels.*

Adding to the Tizen ecosystem, Samsung introduces the integration of BMW’s personal mobility companion with the new Gear S3 – helping users stay on time, in touch and in control while further enhancing the connected automobile experience. With the BMW Connected app*, users can get alerts when it’s time to leave for their next trip, check their fuel level, unlock their BMW and more – all directly from the Gear S3 watch face.

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 enablebroader enterprise business opportunities.

More info here: http://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/gear-s3/