Samsung Gear S3 Classic smartwatch review: almost perfect. Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch review

Gear S3 classic is a modern classic on your wrist, a combination of vintage design and modern technology. The marks on the bezel are applied using a laser. The pushers, made in the style of classic crowns, harmoniously complement the design of the case. The Gear S3 classic is built using 316L stainless steel alloy for a high level of protection. The Gear S3 classic is designed to last for days without needing to be recharged or connected to your smartphone. The Gear S3 classic gives you freedom.

Innovation in a rugged package

The Gear S3 classic combines the best of traditional watches with innovative devices. One glance is enough to appreciate their stunning design. A comfortable strap, a unique rotating bezel, a clear dial and a powerful battery make the smart watch so easy to use and allow you to use it for up to 4 days without recharging.

Always active screen

The updated full-color always-on screen is virtually indistinguishable from the classic watch face. Choose the interface that suits you. The watch comes preloaded with 15 screen designs, and you'll find even more in Galaxy Apps! Make your watch truly unique!

Control with one movement!

Enjoy the ease of use of the Gear S3 classic. Manage notifications, adjust volume, answer calls by simply rotating the bezel left or right. You can easily operate your watch even with wet hands or gloves.

Call from your smart watch!

Let the Gear S3 classic be your smartphone. The built-in speaker and microphone allow you to make and receive calls without your smartphone and listen to voice messages and reminders (Voice calls require a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone and the Samsung Gear app on your phone.). In addition, you can enjoy your favorite tracks thanks to the built-in music player.

Built-in GPS

With the Gear S3 classic, you'll never go astray again, even without your smartphone. Thanks to the built-in GPS, you can build walking routes, calculate the distance to your destination, and even find the best cafes and restaurants nearby.

Tracks for the road

Connect your Bluetooth headphones and listen to your favorite tracks during workouts and trips! The Gear S3 classic's 4GB of internal memory lets you take your favorite music with you, even without a smartphone. Listening to music from online resources is possible if Wi-Fi is available.

Built-in sensors

Gear S3 classic features a barometer and constantly monitors pressure, keeping you informed of any unexpected or expected changes in as much detail as needed to help you plot a new route. An altimeter and speedometer help you track your speed and show your current altitude. Smart watches allow you to always be one step ahead.

4 days without recharging!

Thanks to the capacious battery, you can go without charging for up to 4 days! Battery charge time may vary depending on usage and settings.

SOS messages quickly and easily

Simply press the Home key three times to instantly send your location to your selected contacts. They will be able to track your movements in real time. The service is provided by the Glympse platform. Available services may vary by country and region.

Water and dust protection

Wear the Gear S3 classic in any weather, in any situation. IP68 water and dust resistance allows the watch to withstand immersion in fresh water to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes. (Not suitable for diving and swimming)

More than 10,000 applications

You don't need a smartphone to download apps for the Gear S3 classic. Just go to Galaxy Apps from the Gear S3 classic screen and download the apps you trust, the ones you can't live without, or the ones you've always wanted to try! Easier than ever!

Setup and compatibility with smartphones

Setting up the Gear S3 is as easy as it is using it. To connect the Gear S3 to your smartphone, open the Samsung Gear App on your smartphone and follow the onscreen instructions. Gear S3 is compatible with many other smartphones. Gear S3 connects to smartphones running Android 4.4 or higher and equipped with more than 1.5 GB of RAM, as well as iPhone 5 and newer smartphones running iOS 9.0 and higher. (Some Samsung features may not be available on smartphones from other manufacturers)

Samsung Pay

Make purchases with your Gear S3 using Samsung Pay! The Samsung Gear S3 device fully supports the payment service, allowing you to pay for purchases at terminals that accept regular bank cards. All you need to do is connect the Gear S3 to your smartphone (a smartphone running Android 4.4.4 or higher, compatible with the Samsung Gear app with Samsung Pay functionality on the Gear S3)!

Samsung Gear – S3 Classic is a new line of smartwatches from the Korean manufacturer. Of the five generations of Samsung smart gadgets, this invention came as a surprise to the global market. In 2017, buyers recognized it as one of the best representatives of such devices. Let's take a closer look at the characteristics of the model. Below is our full review of the Samsung Gear S3 Classic.

General overview of the gadget

When developing a new line of smart products, Samsung took into account absolutely all the features of use - from packaging and configuration to the operating system. This was done for maximum comfort when using Gear 3. The device is placed in a dense round box.

The package includes:

• Instructions
• Stand for the case
• Charger

The classic design of the case immediately attracts attention. The Gear S3 Classic style allows you to use the device in all life situations - at work, traveling, walking or training.

Specifications

The main difference between this representative and previous Samsung models is the internal structure, in other words, the “filling”. The manufacturer has equipped the gadget with a large amount of RAM and a strong processor. Which indicates the expansion of the device's capabilities.

Technical characteristics of the Gear s3 Classic sample:

• Operating system Tizen 2.3.2
• Screen type Super AMOLED
• Diagonal 1.3"
• Resolution 360×360
• Number of pixels – 278 ppi
• Dual-core processor Samsung Exynos 7270 (power – 1 GHz)
• Graphics accelerator ARM Mali-T720
• RAM 768 MB
• Built-in memory 4 GB
• Non-removable battery, Li-Ion, power 380 mAh

The Gear S3 Classic smartwatch does not have a memory card slot or a camera. This narrows the capabilities of the device. The inability to use a flash card indicates a limited amount of memory, and therefore a limit on installed applications.

Base operating system

The main feature of Samsung Classic is its own operating system. This feature impressed buyers.

Read also:

Smart alarm clock on Apple Watch

The operating system on which the Gear watch runs is Tizen 2.3.2. It is a “native” genuine system of the Korean manufacturer. This significantly improves the functioning of the gadget.

An innovation built into the operating system of the Samsung Gear S3 Classic watch is the bezel that operates the device’s controls. Thanks to this “bells and whistles”, the following functions are performed using gestures:

• Turning pages
• Scrolling screens
• Brightness adjustment
• Volume settings
• Player control, etc.

In addition to gesture control, the device responds to classic touches. A light touch of the screen is enough to instantly execute a command. There is no slowdown in work.

Functionality

The Samsung Gear S3 Classic smart watch is equipped with all major types of wireless interfaces. Among them:

• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• NFC and MST
• GPS and GLONASS

Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n operates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. Its task is communication. Even if there is no pairing with a smartphone, the presented model will remain connected.

The Bluetooth 4.2 system allows collaboration with a smartphone. With its help, two gadgets work together.

To pair your phone and watch, you need to follow these steps:

1. Activate Bluetooth on your phone;
2. Go to the watch menu and open settings;
3. Find the corresponding parameters in the settings and click the browse command;
4. Wait for the phone name to appear;
5. Click on it and pair.

The Classic is also equipped with NFC and MST. But! If the corresponding applications are not installed on your smartphone, then it will be impossible to use them.

GPS and GLONASS navigation systems are very convenient for traveling, outdoor training and in everyday life. They accurately determine the user's location.

The watch contains several sensors. Tests have shown that they accurately determine the indicators. The sensors include the following:

• Accelerometer
• Heart rate monitor
• Microgyro
• Barometer

The functionality of the device can only be fully realized using applications installed on the smartphone. The manufacturer has developed many programs specifically for this sample. With their help, the following actions are performed:

Use dials in dark shades. The absence of bright colors significantly saves battery. The processor will not waste energy on unnecessary backlighting, thereby increasing the battery life of the product.

To increase the service life of your watch, you need to consider the following details:

• It is not advisable to charge a device that is not fully discharged.
• Do not remove the charger from a device that is not fully charged.
• It's better to turn off the device

Charging procedure:

1. Turn off the product;
2. Insert the free end of the cord into the hole on the side of the case;
3. Connect the charger to a power outlet;
4. Wait for the process to complete (100%);
5. Disconnect the charger from the mains and from the device.

Lead an active lifestyle with the Gear S3 frontier. Smart watches combine exceptional style and reliability. Equipped with a 316L stainless steel alloy body, shockproof, they work even in high and low temperatures. Laser engraving on the knurled bezel of the Gear S3 frontier not only highlights its unique design, but also enhances its usability.

Innovation in a rugged package

The Gear S3 frontier combines the best of traditional watches with innovative devices. One glance is enough to appreciate their stunning design. A comfortable strap, a unique rotating bezel, a clear dial and a powerful battery make the smartwatch so incredibly convenient to use and allow you to use it for up to 4 days without recharging.

Always active screen

The updated full-color always-on screen is virtually indistinguishable from the classic watch face. Choose the interface that suits you. The watch comes preloaded with 15 screen designs, and you'll find even more in Galaxy Apps! Make your watch truly unique!

Control with one movement!

Enjoy the ease of use of the Gear S3 frontier. Manage notifications, adjust volume, answer calls by simply rotating the bezel left or right. You can easily operate your watch even with wet hands or gloves.

Call from your smart watch!

Let the Gear S3 frontier be your smartphone. The built-in speaker and microphone allow you to make and receive calls without your smartphone and listen to voice messages and reminders. (Voice calls require a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone and the Samsung Gear app on your phone.) Plus, you can enjoy your favorite tracks with the built-in music player.

Built-in GPS

With the Gear S3 frontier, you'll never go astray from your intended route again, even without a smartphone. Thanks to the built-in GPS, you can build walking routes, calculate the distance to your destination, and even find the best cafes and restaurants nearby.

Built-in sensors

The Gear S3 frontier features a barometer and constantly monitors pressure, keeping you informed of any unexpected or expected changes in as much detail as needed to help you plot a new route. An altimeter and speedometer help you track your speed and show your current altitude. Smart watches allow you to always be one step ahead.

Tracks for the road

Connect your Bluetooth headphones and listen to your favorite tracks during workouts and trips! 4 GB of internal memory in the Gear S3 frontier allows you to take your favorite music with you, even without a smartphone. Listening to music from online resources is possible if Wi-Fi is available.

4 days without recharging!

Thanks to the capacious battery, you can go without charging for up to 4 days! Battery charge time may vary depending on usage and settings.

Water and dust protection

Wear the Gear S3 frontier in any weather, in any situation. IP68 water and dust resistance allows the watch to withstand immersion in fresh water to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes. (Not suitable for diving and swimming)

SOS messages quickly and easily

Simply press the Home key three times to instantly send your location to your selected contacts. They will be able to track your movements in real time. The service is provided by the Glympse platform. Available services may vary by country and region.

More than 10,000 applications

You don't need a smartphone to download apps for the Gear S3 frontier. Just go to Galaxy Apps from the Gear S3 frontier screen and download the apps you trust, the ones you can't live without, or the ones you've always wanted to try! Easier than ever!

Setup and compatibility with smartphones

Setting up the Gear S3 is as easy as it is using it. To connect the Gear S3 to your smartphone, open the Samsung Gear App on your smartphone and follow the onscreen instructions. Gear S3 is compatible with many other smartphones. Gear S3 connects to smartphones running Android 4.4 or higher and equipped with more than 1.5 GB of RAM, as well as iPhone 5 and newer smartphones running iOS 9.0 and higher. (Some Samsung features may not be available on smartphones from other manufacturers)

Samsung Pay

Make purchases with your Gear S3 using Samsung Pay! The Samsung Gear S3 device fully supports the payment service, allowing you to pay for purchases at terminals that accept regular bank cards. All you need to do is connect the Gear S3 to your smartphone (a smartphone running Android 4.4.4 or higher, compatible with the Samsung Gear app with Samsung Pay functionality on the Gear S3)!

In September, at IFA 2016, Samsung presented two versions of its new smartwatches: Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Classic. We have already talked in the news about their key innovations compared to the previous version. Now that the watch has officially gone on sale in Russia, it’s time for detailed testing.

It is worth saying that this time Samsung decided to make the Classic and Frontier versions very close in almost all respects. The models have the same set of technical characteristics and differ, in fact, only in the presence of e-SIM. In addition, the Frontier version is claimed to be more protected: it is impact-resistant and resistant to high and low temperatures. It was the Frontier version that came to our test.

Specifications Samsung Gear S3

• CPU @1 GHz (2 cores)
• Touch round display 1.3″ Super AMOLED, 360×360, 302 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 768 MB, flash memory 4 GB
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC, GPS/Glonass
• Microphone
• Gyroscope, accelerometer, heart rate sensor, light sensor, barometer
• 3G/4G (e-SIM support for Frontier variant), call transfer to smartphone via Bluetooth
• Li-ion battery 380 mAh
• Tizen operating system
• Degree of protection: IP68 (from moisture and dust), MIL-810G (the Frontier version claims protection from shock, temperature and vibration)
• Dimensions: 46×46×12.9
• Weight 57 g (Classic version) or 62 g (Frontier version)

For clarity, we compared the Gear S3 with previous versions of Samsung smartwatches, as well as with their competitors, the Apple Watch.

Packaging and accessories

The Gear S3 Frontier comes in a medium-sized black plastic box, shaped like a cylinder.

The watch in the box lies sideways and is magnetized to the docking station.

Under the plastic circle there is an additional silicone strap, a charger with a Micro-USB output (5 V 0.7 A), a small warranty booklet and a quick user manual in English.

Samsung traditionally puts a different size strap in the box along with the watch. Unfortunately, with the third generation of its smartwatches, the South Korean company decided not to have an additional main-size strap (as was the case with the Gear S2), so if something happens to the main strap, you'll most likely have to buy a new one. However, it is worth noting that the Gear S3 is compatible with absolutely any strap from various watch manufacturers, so you can choose the one that suits you best.

The wireless charging dock is good for its compact size and the presence of a magnet, thanks to which the watch is held while charging. In fact, the dock design is similar to what we saw in the Gear S2, so we won't repeat it.

Design

Let's take a closer look at the watch itself. They look great, it feels like you’re wearing not a smartwatch, but some kind of Tag Heuer. And this comparison is not accidental: the Gear S3 looks exactly the same as one of the models of the famous Swiss brand. However, Samsung is not at all shy about this and says that one of the goals when creating the Gear S3 was its similarity to a regular watch. All those who complained that smartwatches look somehow ridiculous can breathe easy.

The Frontier version looks brutal. Like the Gear S2, the watch screen is round and has no dead spots. Steel body, grey. You can control the Gear S3 either using the rim (bezel) or by “flipping” on the screen itself. If you have thin hands, you might want to take a closer look at the Classic version - it's a few millimeters narrower. For example, on the hand of the author of the article, Frontier looked too bulky.

Like the Gear S2, the main design element is the rotating bezel. Operating the watch is really very comfortable: every step in the menu is felt, so it’s really very difficult to miss the right item. When you control it using the bezel, you get real aesthetic pleasure: at such moments you understand that this is exactly how a smartwatch should be controlled.

There are two function keys on the right; they are easy to press. The bottom button allows you to exit to the home menu, the top button allows you to return to the previous menu or screen. Below the bottom button is a microphone hole. On the left there are three speaker holes - the watch can be used as a hands-free headset, which is very convenient if you are, for example, driving.

Screen

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, noticeably better than that of Google Nexus 7 (2013)), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are slightly worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 2013 screen. For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off:

The screen of the Samsung Gear S3 is a little brighter (brightness according to photographs is 131 versus 113 for the Nexus 7). Note that from bright objects reflected in the screen, there is a not very pronounced bluish halo, more elongated along the wrist. The reflection ghosting is weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. When manually controlling the brightness and displaying the white field in full screen, the maximum value (10 on the scale) of brightness was about 600 cd/m², the minimum (1 on the scale) was 10 cd/m². You can enable automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor, which is presumably located under the screen. Depending on the adjustment value (we present the results for 1, 6 and 10), in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 10, 20 and 130 cd/m² (the first two values ​​are normal), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 550 lux) sets to 10, 130 and 300 cd/m² (only the average value is suitable). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately and to some extent allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. Note that the brightness decreases only after the screen is turned off and on. In very bright environments (from bright day lighting conditions outdoors but without direct sunlight (20,000 lux) and brighter), the brightness always increases to an incredible 950 cd/m², regardless of whether auto-brightness is turned on or not. This ensures that the user always sees what the watch is showing him.

In the graphs of brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis), only for low brightness can one see significant modulation at 50 Hz.

As a result, at low brightness there is a visible flicker of the image, but the modulation phase somehow changes depending on the coordinate on the screen, which significantly reduces the noticeability of the flicker.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B) in equal quantities, as confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

We observed a similar “structure” of the screen, for example, in the case. The spectra are typical for OLED - the primary color areas are well separated and appear as relatively narrow peaks:

Accordingly, the coverage is noticeably wider than sRGB, and there are no attempts to reduce it:

Note that the colors of regular images optimized for devices with sRGB screens appear unnaturally saturated on wide-gamut screens without appropriate correction:

Pay attention to the tomatoes and the shade of the girl's face. The color temperature of the white and gray fields is approximately 7500 K, and the deviation from the black body spectrum (ΔE) is 2 units. Color balance is acceptable. Black is just black from any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is simply not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. The screen has excellent viewing angles with a much smaller drop in brightness when looking at the screen at an angle compared to LCD screens. In general, the quality of the screen can be considered very high.

Interface and functionality

Like previous generations of smartwatches and other Samsung fitness devices, the Gear S3 runs the Tizen operating system. The South Korean company continues to believe in its OS and is actively developing it. At the time of writing, the watch was running Tizen OS version 2.3.2.

The user is greeted with a traditional menu consisting of the following applications: Settings, S Voice, Music, Weather, S Health, Contacts, Phone, Messages, Phone Finder, Gallery, Brief News, World Clock, Alarm Clock, Calendar, Reminders, Baroltimeter. You can install other applications from the Galaxy Apps store. You are unlikely to find Google and Yandex.Maps applications there, but it is quite possible to download Yandex.Transport or order a taxi using the watch.

As for the dials, there are 14 options available out of the box. If for some reason you don’t have enough of them, then welcome to the store. You can see the available watch faces in the screenshots below.

Of course, the Galaxy Apps store is developing, but it is still very difficult for it to compete with the similar Apple product.

Smartphone operation and compatibility

Samsung is actively working to ensure that its smartwatches reach as many users as possible. Literally at the time of writing this article, compatibility with iOS was implemented.

First, let's test how the watch works in tandem with the flagship smartphone Galaxy S7 Edge.

On any of the Galaxy devices, you already have the necessary application for working with the clock, it is called Samsung Gear. The principle of its operation has not changed since the Gear S2, so we will not repeat it and describe it in detail - if you want, take a look at our Gear S2 review. It’s much more interesting to check the operation of the Gear S3 with other devices: for example, we tried to connect the watch to the not-so-new LG G4s.

You won't be able to simply connect your watch to the LG G4s (or any other Android device). You will need:

1. The Samsung Gear app itself
2. Gear S Plugin
3. Samsung Accessory Service

Moreover, after installing them, you can only connect the watch. To get the full experience, you'll need a Samsung Account (to download apps), and if you want to use S Health on your Android device, you'll also need to download it separately.

Of course, progress compared to the Gear S2 does not stand still, and this time we were able to “make friends” of the watch with an LG smartphone, but the connection process took us quite a long time.

As for connecting to iOS devices (we are talking about the iPhone, since the Gear S3, unfortunately, does not work with other iOS devices), here to work with the watch you only need the Samsung Gear S application. After you install it on your iPhone, you can fully manage your watch: install and uninstall applications, as well as track other important information.

The watch can be used to receive and send calls. This is very convenient if you are, for example, driving and reaching for your phone is not very comfortable at the moment. Unfortunately, unlike the Gear S (the first generation of Samsung smartwatches), you won’t be able to use the Gear S3 as a standalone device: it must be paired with a smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Currently, virtual e-SIM is not supported by Russian mobile operators.

Battery life

On average, when using the Gear S3 in conjunction with a Samsung device, the watch lasts about 2 days. This is a good indicator, especially considering that the display, Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi are always on. In “normal” mode, where the screen turns on only when you use the watch, the Gear S3 can last up to 4 days.

Conclusions

Samsung Gear S3 is a logical continuation of the line of smartwatches from the South Korean company, which is certainly worth a closer look if you are planning to purchase this type of device. The Frontier version that we tested is recommended for everyone who leads an active lifestyle: the watch has various degrees of protection, is not afraid of shocks, high and low temperatures, so it is almost impossible to break it. But if you have small hands or lead an “office” lifestyle, we would recommend checking out the Classic version.

A logical question immediately arises: is it worth taking the Gear S3 if I have a Gear S2 or Gear S? In the case of the Gear S, it’s definitely “yes” - after all, this device came out three years ago and is already obsolete. The Gear S has a smaller battery capacity, no support for fourth-generation cellular networks, and a very controversial charger concept. But with the Gear S2, not everything is so simple: the model appeared in 2015, but Samsung is still actively working on its development: the fact that it was not removed from the market, but made into a cheaper version, speaks volumes. From a software point of view, the Gear S2 is almost as good as the Gear S3: it can also connect to other Android devices or iPhones. Therefore, in this case, you should be guided only by your desire and financial capabilities: if you have the funds to buy a new toy, great, you can go to the store to buy it. No - you have a good, current model, and you may well miss the new product.

We recently published our first look at Samsung's new product - the Gear S3 smart watch. Now a detailed review of the new smartwatch has been released on 4pda.

It seems that smart watches are a very recent invention that has yet to prove its viability. But this year Samsung released no less than the fifth generation of its smart watches - the Galaxy Gear S3 Classic. The South Korean manufacturer did not return to using a curved display, but noticeably “pumped up” the gadget, which received a new “stuffing” and, most importantly, a rotating bezel for controlling the device. How convenient the innovation turned out to be, and what other surprises the Gear S3 has in store – we’ll tell you in the review.

Specifications Samsung Gear S3 Classic

• Screen: Super AMOLED, 1.3", 360x360, 278 ppi
• Processor: dual-core Samsung Exynos 7270, 1 GHz
• Graphics accelerator: ARM Mali-T720
• Operating system: Tizen 2.3.2
• RAM: 768 MB
• Built-in memory: 4 GB
• Memory card support: no
• Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, MST
• Navigation: GPS, GLONASS
• Cameras: no
• Sensors: accelerometer, microgyroscope, barometer, heart rate monitor
• Battery: 380 mAh, Li-Ion, non-removable
• Dimensions: 49x46x12.9 mm
• Weight: 59 grams

Packaging and accessories

The smart watch comes in a cylindrical box, the design of which is made in blue and black. Inside, the gadget itself is fixed in a vertical position, and in the compartment under it there is a wireless charger, an additional, shorter strap and a power supply with a micro-USB connector.

Appearance

Samsung offers smartwatches in two versions: Frontier and Classic. The first is distinguished by support for eSIM cards and cellular communications, but the classic version has been tested, which is named so for good reason: from a distance, the Gear S3 is indistinguishable from a regular mechanical watch (or electronic, depending on what dial you have installed). There are no color modifications; if you buy the Classic model, you will receive a mirror-silver stainless steel case and two black leather straps of different sizes. However, you can buy absolutely any strap - a standard 22 mm mount is installed on the gadget’s body. The gadget is sealed and certified to the IP68 standard, which allows the device to continue operating at a depth of more than 1.5 meters for longer than 30 minutes. Despite this, you should not swim while wearing a watch, especially in salt water.

The front panel of the watch is occupied by the display, which is located in a small recess - this should protect it from getting scratched too quickly. The outer contour of the bezel protruding above the display is covered with notches for more convenient rotation.

On the right side of the watch there is a microphone, a back button and a home button, which, despite the specific name, is multifunctional. The buttons are quite large and have a clear tactile response. An unpleasant feature noticed by the author is that when wearing the watch on the right hand, the buttons can be accidentally pressed by the sleeve of the jacket. This cannot be called a disadvantage, but left-handers should keep this nuance in mind.

There are no buttons on the left, but there is a perforation behind which the speaker is hidden. The reverse side of the watch case is made of plastic; a heart rate monitor is located in the middle of the rear panel.

Ergonomics

The Gear S3 Classic is no larger or heavier than almost any mechanical watch of the same diameter. However, we advise you to try on the gadget before purchasing, especially for girls.

The feeling of a watch on your hand will be purely individual - for some, like the author, the gadget will instantly become an extension of your hand, while for others it will seem too big.

Screen

The watch is equipped with a fully round display with a Super AMOLED matrix with a diameter of 1.3" and a resolution of 360x360 pixels, which gives a density of 278 ppi. In terms of characteristics, the display is practically not inferior to the screens of Samsung flagships - it has excellent color rendition and picture clarity. Pixelation when using the watch is not noticeable, but The maximum brightness of the display is even excessive when using the device and will only be necessary on the sunniest days. The screen is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass SR+, which has a high-quality oleophobic coating. The watch supports adaptive brightness control, but it is not clear where exactly the manufacturer placed the light sensor. succeeded. At least the presence of the sensor did not prevent the manufacturer from making a completely round display.

Like Samsung smartphone screens, the Gear S3's display has a high-sensitivity mode that allows you to operate the device even with gloves. The display can simultaneously recognize up to two touches, although multi-touch gestures in the Gear S3 are rarely used and only in third-party applications.

Interface

Gear S3 runs on Samsung's own operating system, Tizen 2.3.2, which allowed the manufacturer to implement an unusual interface and functions that are not found in Android Wear. The fastest and most convenient way to control the new interface is the bezel. It is used to scroll screens and lists, switch tracks in the player, change brightness, volume, and has a number of other functions that depend on the running application. Thanks to this method of controlling the watch, interaction with the gadget has been simplified extremely: in most standard programs, the required action is selected by rotating the bezel, and confirmation is carried out by pressing the center of the screen. Of course, the clock also supports a more familiar control method - scrolling with swipes and selecting the desired icon with a tap, but this is not so convenient.

In smart watches, by analogy with desktops on a smartphone, the concept of widgets was implemented. The first widget on the home screen is the watch face. It cannot be removed, but, of course, it can be changed. Additionally, most standard watch faces are customizable in some way. Typically, the user can choose colors and display additional information.

The rest of the widgets, which are located clockwise from the dial, can be customized by the user: add, delete, and change the order.

Most widgets are added to the main menu only once, but some (such as widgets with app shortcuts and favorite contacts) are allowed to be duplicated.

Counterclockwise from the dial are cards with notifications - they can come from applications on the watch itself, or duplicated from a smartphone. The text of smartphone notifications is always displayed on the watch, but reactions for it are not available for all applications. For example, clicking the “Reply” button on a Hangouts notification will only open that messenger on your phone. To remove any notification, simply swipe it up.

Pressing the bottom button while the watch face is open launches the application menu. The program is selected using the bezel, and to launch it, just tap on the center of the screen. If you hold down your finger, the menu will go into edit mode, from which you can remove third-party applications and rearrange their order, including moving shortcuts between pages.

In addition to controlling the bezel and taps, the smartwatch also supports S Voice - voice input of commands. To launch it, just double-click the bottom button, or say the phrase “Hello, Gear.” Smart watches can use voice commands to launch programs, set a timer and alarm, show the weather and perform a number of other functions.

Swiping down from the top of the watch face opens the quick settings panel, where you can adjust the brightness, volume, enable Airplane or Do Not Disturb modes, and also launch the audio player.

On those rare occasions when you need to enter text, you can use either S Voice or the keyboard. Switching between layouts, number pad and emoticon panel is done using the bezel.

In the dialer, the keyboard is designed differently and is located in a ring. You can use your watch to receive incoming calls from your smartphone, and then talk using the built-in microphone and speaker of the watch, or a headset.

Synchronization with smartphone

To control your watch from your smartphone from Google Play, you must install the Samsung Gear application. The application can’t do almost anything that the watch itself can’t do, but it allows you to conveniently and quickly configure the gadget.

Among the functions available only in the application, it is worth noting the setting of an emergency mode (sending messages and calling selected contacts when you press the Home button three times), sending music and images to the Gear S3, as well as a watch search, when activated, the device will begin to vibrate and make sounds. loud sound. It is worth noting that the search function also works in the opposite direction: it turns on a melody on the smartphone when activated from the watch.

You can view activity data both from a smart watch and in a more convenient form on your smartphone in the S Health application. In automatic mode, the Samsung Galaxy Gear S3 can record information about steps and floors traveled, heart rate and sleep, and during training, the watch must first activate the appropriate mode.

Another thing you can't do directly from the watch is install apps (with the exception of a few watch faces). To do this, you will need the Galaxy Apps application store, in which programs for smart watches are collected in the Gear section. The selection of programs (except, again, watch faces) for the Tizen platform cannot be called too large, but it is quite sufficient to expand the capabilities of the Gear S3 for certain needs. It's nice that Russian developers didn't stand aside either. For example, a number of Yandex programs are available for Samsung smartwatches, including Metro, Transport and Taxi.

Among other applications, we would note a program for remotely controlling a smartphone’s camera and a convenient stopwatch and timer from Samsung.

Also among the auxiliary programs that require installation of the main application on a smartphone are Navitel and Uber.

The device in operation

The smartwatch uses Samsung's own SoC - Exynos 7270. The processor is made using the most modern 14-nm process technology, has two ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1 GHz and an ARM Mali-T720 graphics accelerator. The amount of RAM has increased to an impressive 768 MB of the LPDDR3 standard, but the amount of internal memory of the eMMC 5.0 standard has not changed and is still 4 GB. Out of the box, the user will get only 1.5 GB of internal memory, so, unfortunately, it will not be possible to download the entire music collection to the gadget.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear S3 is perhaps the most powerful smartwatch on the market and, given the optimized operating system, you won't have to think about the lack of performance for a very long time. The gadget’s interface works as smoothly as possible, and there are no slowdowns in third-party applications.

In addition to the obligatory vibration motor, the new Samsung product also received a surprisingly loud speaker. However, it is used quite rarely - for playing a melody on an incoming call, listening to music from the internal memory (although hardly anyone will use a smart watch for this purpose) and for talking on a cellular connection. In the latter case, the speaker volume is enough for conversations even in noisy places, but placing the watch against your ear is inconvenient, and it looks quite strange. In short, the speaker in a smartwatch is more of a nice additional feature than something you will use often.

Wireless interfaces

The watch does not have a single wired interface, but the Gear S3 was fully “charged” with wireless standards. First of all, it is worth noting the energy-efficient Bluetooth 4.2 for connecting the watch to a smartphone and headsets, as well as Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. The watch needs Wi-Fi to stay connected even when there is no connection to a smartphone.

To support Samsung Pay, the watch is equipped with NFC and MST modules, but in order to pay for purchases, you need to have support for this system on your smartphone. This means that unless the Gear S3 is connected to one of Samsung's latest flagships, you won't be able to use this feature.

Among other things, the watch received support for GPS and GLONASS. The gadget needs navigation to more accurately track activity during training, but using it will reduce the battery life to just a few hours.

Autonomous operation

The smart watch is equipped with a non-removable 380 mAh battery. The operating time of the Samsung Gear S3 Classic with standard settings is a fair 3-4 days, depending on the intensity of use of the gadget. This became possible thanks to several factors at once: a relatively large battery capacity, the use of its own operating system and the use of an AMOLED display, which, when using dark themes, consumes energy quite economically.

If you want to see the dial all the time, you can enable this mode in the watch settings. At the same time, after the timeout expires, the display backlight is reduced to a minimum, and the dial itself is simplified. This mode only works if the watch is on your wrist, and reduces its battery life to approximately two working days.

The watch is charged using wireless charging. Fully charging the battery takes about 2.5 hours.

Results

If you don't take into account professional gadgets like Garmin Fenix, the Samsung Gear S3 Classic can easily be called the most advanced mainstream smartwatch on the market. The functionality of the device is impressive even out of the box, not to mention the ability to install third-party programs and watch faces. Activity tracking apps work completely automatically - you just wear the watch on your wrist, and in the evening you open S Health and get detailed statistics. If you do sports or fitness on a regular basis, you can tell the watch which of the 16 exercises should be tracked and, while you strain your muscles, the gadget will do the rest for you, in the end, again, providing detailed statistics. At the same time, the watch does not look like a sports accessory and successfully combines the features of classic and modern design. Samsung Gear S3 can be safely recommended to those who care about their health and love new technologies.

Pros:

• moisture protection;
• convenient control;
• Great functionality out of the box.
• high autonomy.

Cons:

• not a very large selection of applications;
• Samsung Pay only works with smartphone support.