Singapore – 1 November, 2016 – Samsung Electronics Singapore today announced the launch of the all new Samsung Gear S3, a striking and innovative smartwatch that further solidifies Samsung’s leadership in the wearables category. Built to incorporate compatible pairing between Samsung’s existing products family, the Gear S3 combines timeless design with the latest in mobile technology, including Military-grade Protection1, IP68 water and dust resistanc2, mobile payments, and built-in speaker and GPS, making it the ideal addition to any watch collection.
The 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 expand the portfolio of our wearables line, offering consumers an enhanced intuitive smartwatch experience,” said Eugene Goh, Vice President, IT & Mobile, Samsung Electronics Singapore. “This latest addition to our family of products seeks to truly integrate aesthetics and technology within an incredibly intelligent smartwatch, presenting a beautiful timepiece catered to our consumers’ varying lifestyle needs.”
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 circular bezel 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 bands3 so consumers can easily personalize their watch to match any outfit or special occasion.
Refined Craftsmanship with Superior Capabilities
Boasting IP682 standards for water and dust resistance, the Gear S3 offers military-grade durability1 so consumers can get through their day, regardless of weather conditions. For the first time on the Gear series, the Gear S3 also features Corning® Gorilla® Glass SR+, which is specifically designed for wearable devices to provide a tougher, more scratch resistant and crisp display.
The full-colour Always On Display (AOD) also comes with a 16-megapixel SUPER AMOLED screen, further differentiating the Gear S3 from other smartwatches. The AOD always 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 just by navigating the Rotating Bezel Menu Control. In addition, messages will automatically be converted to texts simply by writing on the display. Users can also create short reminders and to-do lists to manage even the most hectic schedules with the Reminders feature via voice commands4.
The Gear S3 puts convenience at the flick of the wrist – the built-in GPS functionality enables users to accurately monitor their daily fitness activities, while the Altimeter, Barometer and Speedometer allow users to track everything from altitude and atmospheric pressure to sudden changes in weather, distance travelled and speed.
The built-in speaker on the smartwatch allows users to activate voice commands4 to check their schedule and the weather or to make and receive phone calls when their hands are full. The Gear S3 also comes with a 4 GB9 internal memory and when paired with a Bluetooth®-enabled headset, users can bring their favourite tunes with them everywhere they go. With a 380 mAh battery that lasts up to four days5 on a single charge, there is finally a trusty wrist companion that can keep up with active lifestyles.
Consumers can access a diverse range of apps such as fitness, music, news, sports and travel apps – all optimised for the Gear lineup of devices including the Gear S2 and the Gear S3. With a variety of customisable watch faces available for download, users can personalise the circular UI to fit their lifestyle. Select apps and watch faces will also be available for download directly from the Gear S3 without the need to first download on a smartphone.
In addition, thanks to a special partnership with Arik Levy, renowned artist and industrial designer, Samsung will also introduce artistic watch faces and strap designs later this year. Through an open collaboration with developers and partners, Samsung continues to enrich its wearables ecosystem and provide users with a unique smartwatch experience.
Samsung Pay: Payments On the Go
Samsung Pay will be available on the Gear S3 upon its launch in Singapore, allowing users to use their smartwatch to make a purchase almost anywhere6 they can swipe or tap a card. Incorporating Samsung’s proprietary Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, together with Near Field Communication (NFC), users can easily register a credit or debit card and use their Gear S3 to make mobile payments without limits7, slimming down users’ wallets by making payments accessible on their wrist.
As the Gear S3 is compatible with any smartphone running AndroidTM 4.4 (KitKat) or higher with 1.5 GB of RAM, devices such as the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S6 will now be able to support Samsung Pay on the Gear S3. Users simply have to input their card details via the Samsung Gear app on their smartphone and they will be able to make payments on the go using their Gear S3.
Superior Security with Enhanced Connectivity
The Gear S3 was also designed with consumers’ safety in mind. In case of an emergency, users can activate the SOS and location tracking capabilities by pressing the home key three times to alert up to four members of their family and friends about crisis situations8, even when their phone isn’t in-hand.
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 customised applications for Samsung’s wearable ecosystem. With the Samsung Knox security platform, the Gear S3 will enable broader enterprise business opportunities.
Local Pricing and Availability
The Gear S3 will be available at a recommended retail price of $548 from Q4 2016.
Gear S3 Product Specifications: