The "classically" designed Samsung Gear S3 will feature its own 4G LTE speeds soon, while those mouth-watering concepts look like a pipe dream.
The post Samsung Gear S3 gets LTE support in Classic flavor, hot concepts at Baselworld appeared first on Pocketnow.
It's definitely not surprising to hear the Apple Watch dominated global smartwatch shipments yet again, but holiday demand was unexpectedly strong.
The post Strong Apple Watch holiday demand bumped Q4 and full-year smartwatch sales to new records appeared first on Pocketnow.
While Google and Apple reached a somewhat surprising agreement way back in August 2015 for the latter’s iPhones to support the former’s Android Wear smartwatches, getting Samsung Gear wearables to work alongside iOS handhelds has proven a far lengthier, more complicated and fickle process.
It’s been over a year since we first heard credible-sounding word of imminent official compatibility for the Gear S2 (to begin with), and after Verizon’s false start last spring, the only small step forward came in pre-release beta form near the end of summer.
Now it’s full-on winter, not to mention a new year, and traditional arch-rivals Samsung and Apple join hands at long last for most relatively new iPhones to properly support a trio of wrist-worn Gear devices.
Specifically, you can use the Gear S2 and S3 smartwatches in combination with an iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 6, 6 Plus, 5s, 5c or 5 running iOS 9.0 and above by downloading the official Samsung Gear S app from the Apple App Store. Also, feel free to sync up the Gear Fit 2 fitness band to any of the aforementioned iPhones through its own Samsung Gear Fit companion app.
Features and functions “will vary by device”, and you may still be best served by an Android phone connected to a Gear wearable. But it’s always nice to have (non-beta) options. Now if only you could also combine a Galaxy S7 with an Apple Watch…
The post Select Samsung Gear wearables are finally properly compatible with iPhones appeared first on Pocketnow.
For many Spotify users who just so happen to own a Samsung Gear smartwatch, there finally is an app for the tiny medium for Tizen that lets them control their music playback and even start up new playlists from browsing categories.
The app is available from the Galaxy Apps store for some Gear S3 and Gear S2 users right now with more users coming in later.
The post Spotify gets on Gear S3 and S2, finally appeared first on Pocketnow.
Two separate Samsung Gear S2-centric news stories in one day? That must be a first, or at least a very unique situation last year’s Tizen flagship wearable hasn’t faced since, well, the fall of 2015.
It’s definitely an unexpected and welcome fresh wave of attention for a smartwatch that’s otherwise clearly overshadowed by a prettier, more powerful and versatile successor. Of course, you can’t buy a brand-new Gear S3 for just $250, and it’s way too early to dream of compelling refurbished deals.
The S2, meanwhile, costs as little as $110, yes, $110 on bargain-specialized website Dailysteals, 60 day warranty included. You’re obviously looking at a small batch of pre-owned, certified refurbished dark gray units here, up for grabs with a massive $190 discount or so compared to the watch’s list price today only.
It’s important to highlight that refurb Gear S2 models can be routinely found at retailers and e-tailers like Best Buy and Amazon too, but never cheaper than $140. Technically, the variant sold through Dailysteals also features 3G support for independent initiation and reception of voice calls on Verizon, though you should be able to use the R730V sans carrier commitments with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Remember, the Samsung Gear S2 now greatly resembles the newer, better Gear S3 from a software standpoint, coming with beta Samsung Pay and iOS compatibility as well. Bottom line, you get a whole lot for a little over a Benjamin.
The post Certified refurbished Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch available for crazy low $110 today only appeared first on Pocketnow.
While they generally tend to make far fewer headlines than full Android version smartphone updates, major smartwatch software renovations can be just as important for their still limited user base. In a way, they could even be considered more valuable, since both the Android Wear and Tizen experience remain rather rudimentary and phone-dependent.
Case in point, Samsung’s late 2015-debuted Gear S2, first refreshed with a substantial “Value Pack” back in July, and again today, December 5, in “major markets”, worldwide availability following in the “coming weeks.”
Granted, we wouldn’t exactly deem this 130MB or so update quite as feature-packed as Google’s delayed Android Wear 2.0 goodie kit headed for a number of Gear S2 rivals in early 2017. But it’s still a pretty big deal.
Changelog highlights include “more opportunities to personalize your smartwatch and add to its convenience”, a new Handwriting Mode in Korean, English or Chinese for Gear S2’s native Messages app, advanced activity tracking functionality, third-party widgets from Uber, Yelp and USA Today, “streamlined” safety, as well as access to fun little games like Stack or Monster Vampire.
In a nutshell, you’re basically getting the Gear S3’s user interface, experiences and all preloaded watch faces at a lower price point. Namely, $250 in a standard configuration on Amazon, or $300 as far as the Samsung Gear S2 Classic is concerned. Too bad the Samsung Pay beta program is still not open for Galaxy outsiders on Gear S3’s revised predecessor.
The post Samsung Gear S2 scores major ‘Value Pack’ update centered on Gear S3 functions appeared first on Pocketnow.
We interrupt our ongoing coverage of the US Cyber Monday deal bonanza for an important public service announcement directed at a very small but vocal group of Android power users in possession of both a Pixel phone and Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch.
There’s unfortunately no point in trying to activate Samsung Pay on the next-gen Tizen smartwatch, be it the Classic or Frontier variant, when synched to a hot new Google-made handheld. The mobile payment app’s official Twitter channel admins have just confirmed “#SamsungPay on the Gear S3 is not available with Pixel devices”… for some reason.
It might be because Samsung is yet to bring Pixel compatibility to either the Gear S3 or S2 in the first place. But technically, the two wearable gadgets aren’t explicitly listed as supporting the LG V20, and there’s already clear evidence the popular 5.7-incher can both connect to the Gear S3 and easily sustain its digital wallet functionality.
Our guess is the reason Pixel owners are met with installation error messages when trying to flip the Samsung Pay switch is their exclusive use of Android 7.1 software. If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be long until the problem gets fixed.
Soon enough, Samsung Pay will also work on select non-Galaxy phones paired with the Gear S2, and that’s information confirmed by the chaebol on social media.
The post Samsung Pay on Gear S3 watch is ‘not available with’ Pixel phones… yet appeared first on Pocketnow.
What kind of sales numbers are good enough numbers for smartwatches these days? Clearly, initial expectations for the still fledgling, increasingly struggling market were unrealistically optimistic, as even the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world might be looking at a shocking year-on-year demand decline.
Meanwhile, Samsung isn’t doing very poorly by its comparatively humbler standards, likely taking advantage of near-complete recent silence on the Android Wear release front. Yes, the Gear S3 is shaping up as a (moderate) box-office hit, both domestically and internationally.
It’s obviously too early for even rough estimations in European countries or the US, but on Korean shores, the latest circular Tizen timepiece has been out and about for a good ten days now. Enough to already reach the 25,000 unit milestone, which means around 2.5K sold every 24 hours or so.
No words on whether the Frontier flavor perhaps eclipsed the popularity of the Samsung Gear S3 Classic or the other way around so far, but we remember a report from the same exact Asian publication as today counting an average of 2,000 Gear S2 units ordered daily in South Korea a year back.
Samsung smartwatch sales are therefore on a (marginal) upswing, which is probably the best you can hope for, given the circumstances.
The post Early Korean Samsung Gear S3 sales suggest slight uptick over 2015 Gear S2 results appeared first on Pocketnow.
Smartwatches and mobile payment services sometimes work in mysterious ways. For instance, Google left its ego aside a while back, convincing Apple to allow iPhone synchronization on Android Wear devices.
But Apple Watches are still not compatible with Android phones. As for Samsung’s Tizen-powered wearables, they fully support relatively new Androids, also picking up beta iPhone functionality a few months ago after a number of false starts.
Where do digital wallets come in? In an unexpected but very welcome twist, it seems that the Samsung Gear S3 will indeed let you pay for stuff on the go from your wrist even when not hooked to a Galaxy phone.
The rumor that originated earlier this week on Reddit today gets the corroboration of Samsung Pay’s official Twitter handlers. No room for doubt or interpretation, as it’s clearly spelled out that “#SamsungPay works on the #GearS3 with other Android devices running 4.4 KitKat or above.”
So, yeah, no need to make a compromise and choose the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge as the explosive Note 7’s replacement if, say, you really want to buy a Pixel or LG V20 alongside a Samsung Pay-enabled Gear S3 Frontier or Classic. Dare we hope the Gear S3 will also support Samsung Pay when paired to an iPhone? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
The post Confirmed: Samsung Pay doesn’t just work with Galaxy phones on Gear S3 appeared first on Pocketnow.
If Samsung perhaps didn’t need Black Friday blowouts in past years to get people excited about the company’s super-successful flagship phones for the holidays, we kinda sorta assumed 2016 would be different.
But it looks like all those Note 7-redeeming discounts on the S7 and S7 Edge got the chaebol prematurely out of the celebratory mood, at least stateside. There’s still a bunch of deals in the pipeline, some rolling out as early as November 18, others on the 20th, and a couple saved for a 28th Cyber Monday start.
Unfortunately, we don’t see anything about additional GS7 cuts previewed on Samsung’s US website. Just certified pre-owned S6 and S6 Edge units slated to cost $400 and $450 respectively before long, a fairly disappointing $70 Gear VR (2015) promo, $150 Gear Fit 2 wearable, $230 Gear S2, $250 S2 Classic, and $300 Gear S3 smartwatches.
The very recently released Gear S3 is the only one we’d wholeheartedly recommend you purchase next week at a $50 markdown in Classic or Frontier derivations, while the tablet selection on sale will include a $400 Galaxy View, $250 Tab A 10.1 with S Pen, $200 standard Tab A 10.1, $150 Tab E 9.6, and $100 Tab A 7.0. Good thing third-party retailers are always in a giving mood this time of year.
The post Samsung unveils wide but underwhelming range of upcoming Black Friday deals appeared first on Pocketnow.
In the market for a fancy new smartwatch this holiday season? If you absolutely insist on buying a new high-end wearable device, and money isn’t a problem, the choice probably comes down to the iPhone-compatible Apple Watch Series 2 or Android-first Samsung Gear S3.
Mind you, the Gear S3, available in Frontier and Classic designs, doesn’t run Android Wear on the software side of things, but rather its manufacturer’s proprietary Tizen OS, losing a bit of ground to the second-gen “iWatch” as it barely launches today in South Korea.
Unveiled way back in late August at IFA Berlin, the “timelessly designed” wrist-worn gadget kicked off pre-orders in a number of countries over the past few weeks, finally shipping to early adopters and arriving in various physical stores across the US, UK, Singapore, Germany, France, Dubai and Australia “starting on November 18.”
Priced at $350 outright stateside by retailers including Amazon and Best Buy, as well as $250 and up on AT&T, the Samsung Gear S3 “enhances standalone convenience”, features its own GPS chip, optional LTE connectivity, a sharp 1.3-inch Super AMOLED screen, dual-core processing power, and IP68 water/dust resistance. It also supports Samsung Pay with built-in MST payment capabilities, at least in the US, Australia and Singapore at launch.
The post Samsung Gear S3 debuts in Korea today ahead of global November 18 expansion appeared first on Pocketnow.
Samsung has fired the starting gun for pre-order announcements on one of the hottest smartwatches of the season (unfortunately, not one of the hottest smartphones, though). Now, it’s up to individual retailers and carriers to confirm their own plans to their customers.
For AT&T, it plans on firing up pre-orders for the Gear S3 frontier tomorrow, November 4. Ma Bell touts the LTE-enabled smartwatch with NumberSync to allow customers to take calls and texts under multiple devices on an account. The watch can also control DIRECTV boxes and smart home appliances through the “Digital Life” hub.
The bolder and heavier frontier smartwatch will retail for $350 full retail over a 20-month AT&T Next plan ($17.50 per month) or $49.99 and a two-year service contract. Hit the source link to put dibs on yours.
No word on any Gear S3 classic action yet, if ever.
The post AT&T Gear S3 frontier pre-orders start November 4 appeared first on Pocketnow.
Samsung has been unexpectedly slow and quiet in putting its newest high-end Tizen smartwatch out there, despite the need for good publicity and strong product launches in the aftermath of the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. Or maybe that’s precisely why the global commercial rollout of the Gear S3 wasn’t rushed or very aggressively advertised.
Technically due out by mid-November in Korea and “other countries”, the GPS-integrating premium circular wearable has kicked off British pre-sales a few days ago, spreading to Germany and the US at last in the meantime.
But pre-order inventory in the UK is already depleted, while over on American shores, Best Buy still vaguely lists both the Samsung Gear S3 Classic and Frontier as “coming soon”, no actual dates supplied.
That’s where Amazon comes in, promising to release silver and dark gray models as soon as this Sunday, November 6, but charging a bizarre and slightly steep $382.66 apiece for early commitments. The recommended retail prices are $350 each, so it’s probably wise to give it at least a few more days. Perhaps you’ll even get a nice gift bundled in if you’re patient, like a free backup strap or Samsung Level Active headphones.
The post Samsung Gear S3 goes up for pre-order on Amazon.com, ‘coming soon’ to Best Buy appeared first on Pocketnow.
In lack of new Android Wear devices, the only premium intelligent timepiece that can possibly hope to contend the Apple Watch Series 2 this holiday season is the Tizen-powered Samsung Gear S3.Sure, there’s also the Asus ZenWatch 3, which looks perfectly fine on paper, ...
The post Samsung Gear S3 is officially launching in Korea and ‘other countries’ by mid-November appeared first on Pocketnow.
Back in February, Qualcomm made a pretty big fuss over the Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC, which was supposed to usher in the “next era of wearables.” Namely, smartwatches, previously powered mainly by the Snapdragon 400 processor, which was hardly a beast to begin with in 2013, not to mention it of course started out as a product designed specifically for smartphone use.Bottom line, we were certainly ready to welcome the 2100 with open arms, but unfortunately, that “next wave” of smartwatches,
The post Samsung makes long overdue jump from 28 to 14nm wearable processors with Exynos 7270 appeared first on Pocketnow.