Samsung Gear S3 Classic And Frontier First Impressions: The Smartwatch To Beat?

Samsung Gear S3 Classic And Frontier First Impressions: The Smartwatch To Beat?

Earlier, Samsung Electronics has officially launched the Gear S3 Classic and Frontier in the Philippines. The 3rd generation smartwatch from their premium S series. It promises to be a total upgrade over the Gear S2 as it provides bigger look, sturdier construction, better overall specs, and longer battery life.

Samsung's premium Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier!

So, without further ado, here's what we initially think about those two devices.

Samsung Gear S3 Specs

Display: 1.3 Inch Circular Super AMOLED 360 x 360 resolution w/ Always On and Gorilla Glass SR+ at 278 ppi

CPU: 1.0 GHz dual core processor

RAM: 768 MB

ROM: 4 GB

Battery: 380 mAh w/ wireless charging

OS: Tizen 2.3.2

Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, LTE, NFC

Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, hrm, barometer, ambient light, GPS, A GPS, GLONASS

Others: IP68 water and dust resistance
Dimensions: 49.1 x 46.1 x 12.9 mm
Weight: 57 g (Classic), 62 g (Frontier)

Price: PHP 16,490

Build Quality / Design

Leather strap for Classic, rubberized strap for Frontier

The Gear S3 comes in two forms, the Classic and Frontier. The Samsung Gear S3 Classic comes with a more classic Swiss watch style w/ genuine leather strap while the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier has a sportier look with its rubberized strap and larger textured buttons.

View at their back, 22 mm strap

In terms of quality, both body and rotating bezels of the above-mentioned models are made out of high-grade US stainless steel which feels very sturdy. The glass on top of the circular display used Gorilla Glass SR+ for superior scratch resistance and toughness while maintaining great optical clarity and touch sensitivity.

Classic rounded buttons on the Classic

Textured buttons on the Frontier

The genuine leather strap on the Gear S3 Classic is also arguably the best I ever saw on a smartwatch. In comparison, it even feels better, tougher, and more flexible than what Fossil Q offered.

It's simply one of the most stylish smartwatch yet!

In terms of design, the body of both models are bigger than the S2, but slimmer than most Android Wear smartwatches. It looks and feels very premium which resembles classic Swiss made timepieces as well. If you prefer a more formal look, go for the Gear S3 Classic. If you want a more rugged feel, then the Gear S3 Frontier might suit you better. Overall, both are very stylish and can fit most occasions well.

We also find it ergonomically easy to use as its touch screen feels accurate, the rotating bezel that can be used for navigation is no gimmick, and all its buttons are easy to located.

Initial findings

Classic look, rugged feel!

1. Its screen is bright and has a surprisingly accurate touch response.

2. Both models feels extremely tough yet beautiful. It has IP16 rating for water and dust resistance.

3. It acts like the Gear Fit 2 as well, but better. This device is complete with gyroscope, accelerometer, optical heart-rate monitor, GPS, and barometer. Fitness tracking is easy as well, with or without the S Health app.

4. This device has tons of features to tinker, it can even do calls now and has a built-in speaker.

5. It has a promised battery life of 2-4 days on average. That's at least 2x longer than what most Android Wear smartwatches have. Faster wireless charging is also available.

As of the moment

The Samsung Gear S3 Classic and Frontier are shaping up to be the smartwatch to beat this year. We're initially impressed with its attractive classic design, high-grade materials used, bright and good display, lots of features, and long battery life (for a smartwatch). It isn't just compatible to iOS devices, but so far so good!

Samsung Gear S3 Classic And Frontier First Impressions: The Smartwatch To Beat?
Samsung Gear S3 Classic And Frontier First Impressions: The Smartwatch To Beat?