Samsung unveils Gear S3 smartwatch with large 46mm face

[Shawn Knight]

Samsung pioneered the large-screen smartphone with the original Note, a move that both paid dividends and steered the industry down the phablet path. Having caught lightning in a bottle once before, can the South Korean electronics giant return to the “go big or go home” well for an encore?

That appears to be the thinking behind Samsung’s latest smartwatch, the Gear S3.

Unveiled ahead of IFA 2016, the Gear S3 features a large 46mm (diameter) watch face (in comparison, the Gear S2 has a 44mm face while the largest Apple Watch checks in at 42mm). The 1.3-inch Super AMOLED display (360 x 360 resolution) is protected by Corning’s brand new Gorilla Glass SR+ cover glass.

Under the hood is a homegrown dual-core Exynos processor ticking along at 1GHz (no specific model was mentioned) paired with 768MB of RAM, 4GB of local flash storage and a 380mAh battery that Samsung claims can last up to four days. The watch also comes with an IP68 rating for dust and water, a built-in speaker, barometer, altimeter, GPS and more. It’s even compatible with Samsung Pay, we’re told.

It’ll be offered in two styles: a Classic model with Wi-Fi only and a more rugged-looking Frontier variant that has integrated LTE connectivity. Both smartwatches measure 12.9mm thick and utilize standard 22mm wrist bands.

While its large face my ostracize female buyers or those with slim arms, it’s not surprising to see Samsung follow the traditional watch industry by catering to those that like large, attention-grabbing accessories.

Samsung hasn’t yet said when the Gear S3 will go on sale or how much it’ll cost.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/66172-samsung-unveils-gear-s3-smartwatch-large-46mm-face.html

 

[G0DofPaiN]

What is the use of this if you already have a watch and a phone?Also, I like to "charge" my watch once every 1-2 years when the batteries fail, not every time 4 hours of watching porn on a smartwatch while running.

 

[seefizzle]

Tizen is a deal breaker. No mention of what os it will run though.

 

[ghostf1re]

Tizen is a deal breaker. No mention of what os it will run though.

Considering the popularity of the Gear S2, I'm willing to bet it's still running Tizen. I have a Gear S2 and I love it. The Tizen really isn't a problem. It does everything I need it to do and I only have to charge it once every day or so. It loses around 30% battery after every 8 hours or so. All I need it to do is last one work shift for me. I don't normally wear a watch outside of work.

 

[Camikazi]

Tizen is a deal breaker. No mention of what os it will run though.

Considering the popularity of the Gear S2, I'm willing to bet it's still running Tizen. I have a Gear S2 and I love it. The Tizen really isn't a problem. It does everything I need it to do and I only have to charge it once every day or so. It loses around 30% battery after every 8 hours or so. All I need it to do is last one work shift for me. I don't normally wear a watch outside of work.

I would have a Gear S2 Classic right now except for that fact that Samsung Gear app will not work on my phone since I have a custom ROM installed (since Note 3 won't get Marshmallow). I literally cannot even use the Gear watches because of this so, there is a lost sale. I want the watch, I really do but there is no reason if I can't do anything with it.