Today was Samsung’s big day as they officially unveiled the Gear S3 in two separate variants, which include the Gear S3 Classic for those who want a little bit more of an understated look, and the Gear S3 Frontier for those who want something that matches up more with an adventurous look. Both watches have almost all of the features and specs in common, aside from a few key factors, like the few design elements on the Frontier model’s case which aren’t there on the Classic, in addition to the LTE capability on the Frontier, where the Classic is only able to connect to a smartphone through Bluetooth, or utilize the Wi-Fi capability to connect to a local network.
Both watches also come with different watch straps, as the Gear S3 Classic comes with a leather strap attached, while the Gear S3 Frontier comes equipped with a silicone strap. The nice thing about the straps though is the fact that Samsung is using an industry standard 22mm strap, which means that not only can consumers choose from a myriad of available options that will be coming from Samsung as well as their design partners, but really any strap that can be purchased just about anywhere as long as it’s a 22mm. This alone enhances the value of the Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier tenfold if the benefit of customization is something that matters to you.
While some elements are returning from last year’s Gear S2, such as the rotating bezel, Samsung has taken a deeper look into the finer points of traditional watch making to produce a smartwatch that blends together the features and functionality of technology and innovation that Samsung is known for with the timeless style and design of traditional watches, so while the Gear S3 doesn’t look too different from the Gear S2, it definitely has a more refined look. Samsung has added in new features too, like the SOS feature which is part of their ongoing partnership with Glympse, and support for MST on top of the returning support for NFC to allow for a more widely compatible mobile payment capability with Samsung Pay. If you’re interested in seeing more of the Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier, you can check out our regular hands-on post for a gallery of images with varying styles of watch straps as well as different features. The Gear S3 Classic will launch in October for a cost of $299, while there is no price or availability details just yet for the Gear S3 Frontier.