Shortly after the Samsung Gear S3 and Gear S3 Frontier have been permanently discounted earlier this week, the South Korean company decided to make things easier for prospective buyers by publishing a compatibility chart detailing the features that can or can’t work while pairing the wearable with different ecosystems. Evidently, all the features flaunted by the new Samsung Gear S3 and Gear S3 Frontier can be taken advantage of while pairing them with an Android-powered Samsung smartphone, but the chart at hand goes into more detail as to what features users might miss out on if they pair their smartwatches with a different Android device or an iPhone.
Starting off with the Android category, prospective Samsung Gear S3 buyers who intend to pair the smartwatch with an Android smartphone manufactured by a company other than Samsung will face some limited compatibility issues. Although features such as notifications, applications, Samsung Pay and S Health work to their full potential, things such as calls, messaging, and email have limited compatibility with Android smartphones not wearing the Samsung brand. Sadly for iPhone users, the list of features compatible with iOS is more lackluster, missing features such as Samsung Pay and email on both the Bluetooth-only and LTE-enabled models. Furthermore, when paired with an iOS device, non-LTE Samsung Gear S3 models will suffer from limited compatibility with messaging, apps, S Health, and Watch face, while retaining full compatibility with calls and notifications. Unfortunately, the list of features compatible with iOS devices only diminishes when looking at the standalone Samsung Gear S3 models, which offer only limited compatibility with calls, apps, S Health and Watch face, while missing any sort of compatibility for notifications, messaging, email, and Samsung Pay.
Given the compatibility chart at hand, it should be easier for customers to decide whether or not the Samsung Gear S3 is the right wearable for their needs considering their smartphones. Clearly, the Android ecosystem has the upper hand in terms of compatibility with Samsung’s Tizen-powered smartwatches, and a Samsung smartphone is recommended for the entire list of features. In any case, it’s worth reminding that following the recent $50 discount, the Bluetooth-only Samsung Gear S3 and Gear S3 Frontier can be acquired for $299, whereas the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier with LTE connectivity now costs $349.