The impending release of the Samsung Note7 hasn’t stopped Samsung from also plotting the release of the Galaxy Gear S3 smartwatch.
Galaxy Gear S3: All about timing
It’s perfect timing for Samsung to release their new watch as smart watch sales declined by a third this year. The release of the Note7 sets the stage for Samsung to harness the buzz around a handset launch will help entice customers to buy the Gear S3. A familiar strategy that paid off for Apple when they released their Apple Watch with the iPhone 6. Samsung are one of a few firms not to suffer watch sales decline. The timing of the Gear S3 launch should keep Samsung ahead of the curve.
Naturally, the question emerges for the customer. With there be much reason to upgrade from their Gear S2? Should wearable fans wait for a decrease in S2 pricing? We’ve looked into what to expect and will let you decide on weather or not it’ll be worth investing in.
Expected Specs
From the teaser images Samsung has released, we expect the watch to have a rounded face. This seems to be the preferable trend from smart watch consumers. They seem to want to keep their watches similar to your standard watch, but with the added perks of it… well… being smart.
On the theme of design, if leaked images are accurate, we can expect to have a premium metal band on the watch. To maintain a grasp of the wider market, it’s likely Samsung will also release a lower end model. Such a model will probably come with a rubber, or possibly leather, band for those who don’t want to spend an extra few bob on a metal band. Or for those, like myself, that just don’t like them.
It’s rumoured that the size of the bezel will decrease offering more touch space for users without making the physical size of the face bigger. Bigger isn’t always better. The frame of the watch face will be able to rotate also to give you more functionality in the watch.
As of now, there doesn’t seem to be much more in terms of the hardware of the watch. So let’s delve a little deeper.
Sensors
The new Galaxy Gear S3 will be coming with various different sensors. Depending on your hobbies, some of these may be of use to you. Mainly people that are into their fitness and want to keep track of their progress.
An altimeter, barometer, and speedometer may be of use for the runners or cyclists out there. Also, the Gear S3 boasts a GPS sensor so you can keep track of your routes that you take during exercise. It will also display weather information in real time so you know when it might be time to turn around and run to the safety of your warm home – a handy feature for us here in Ireland.
And as nearly all premium smart watches have nowadays, there will be a heart rate monitor to also keep track of fitness levels. Plus a sleep sensor so it can keep your sleeping patterns up to date, which is important for people that are into fitness. Finally, the watch will be waterproof too which will appeal to the swimmers out there.
Conclusion
While not many other details have been confirmed, we speculate on a 2-day battery life expectancy, Gorilla Glass 4 for the display, S Voice integration and of course a notification system that will integrate with our phone. But the main question on everyone’s mind is, what is this going to cost me?
Right now we reckon you’re looking at about €400 for the Galaxy Gear S3. But again, different models have yet to be confirmed. Although we don’t even know what this price is based on as of yet. The release date for the watch is August 31st, so at least we don’t have to wait long for our questions to be answered.
