Let me just start out by saying that I am not a fitness nut, but I love my Samsung Gear S3 Classic Smartwatch. This watch is not just for fitness people, but for anyone who wants a smartwatch. It is convenient, and even fun to wear because there are many things you can do with it. At present, the smartwatch serves primarily as The Great Notifier, but is that all it can do?
One of the biggest misconceptions regarding the Samsung Gear watch is that it is a replacement to your cell phone. This is not the case. Rather, today’s smartwatch serves as an accessory to your cell phone.
What Should You Expect?
History suggests that we should expect the smartwatch to be the one and only device that you should have with you at all times. When laptops first came out, there was no way that they could match the power of a desktop computer. As time passed, however, that all changed. Today, the desktop computer and laptop have experienced a role reversal where there are more laptops than there are desktop computers. Not only is the laptop more convenient, but it is just as powerful as the desktop computer.
When tablets became popular, (namely with the release of the Apple iPad in 2010), it was thought that they just might replace the laptop. As of 2018, they still have not replaced the laptop, and they almost certainly will not. Although cell phones have not replaced the need for a computer, they have significantly limited the need for one. We can play the latest games on our cell phones, watch movies, deposit paychecks, stream live video, shop online, and do so much more! To prove my point, which device do you spend more time on? Is it your laptop, desktop computer, or your cell phone?
With the release of the Samsung Gear watch, the tendency is to think we should be able to cram all of the functionality of the cell phone into that small device strapped to one’s wrist. As it stands now, this is just not the case. But, it is getting closer.
Given all that the Smartwatch is capable of doing today, in ten years do you really think that it could not be as popular as the smartphone is today?
Will The Smartwatch Serve Only As An Accessory?
The smartwatch industry is only a few years old and has an enormous potential for growth; however, as of today, the smartwatch serves only as an accessory—not a replacement for any other device. However, recall that the first cell phones only placed phone calls. Digital watches once only told the time. Just as the cell phone became a smartphone, so too is the watch becoming a smartwatch. You can now do more than ever with a cellphone. In fact, using the cell phone to place calls is almost an after-thought. It is used for so much more than what was originally intended. Though it is behind the cell phone, the watch is on the same path to becoming far more valuable than just telling the time.
So, what would it take for the smartwatch to become independent of the cell phone? Is it possible for the smartwatch to become self-sufficient? What would that look like? Specifically, what would it take for the Samsung Gear watch to gain independence from the cell phone?
The Future of the Samsung Gear Watch
Let’s be honest. We do not want to be bound by the limitations of what we have. We want more. We always want more. Yes, the Samsung Gear S3 does allow for the use of LTE for talking and streaming (should you wish to leave your cell phone behind); however, when using LTE in that manner, the battery will only last approximately an hour and a half. That is a nice start, but those numbers will have to change dramatically if Samsung wants to continue moving forward as a leading contender in the market.
In the rest of this article, we will be discussing the five things that are required for the Samsung Gear watch to become a stand-alone unit, completely independent of the cellphone: network speed, processing power, internal memory, battery life, and available apps.
Available Apps
What do you really want your Samsung Gear watch to do for you? At present, it will notify you of an incoming text, and let you read it, and even respond to it using your voice. The same applies for e-mail. You can pretty much pay for anything by simply waving your wrist at the payment terminal. You can set an alarm or make an appointment just by speaking to it. If you want to listen to music, not a problem. Check the weather, place a phone call, track your fitness, manage your calendar, or even play a game. You can do all this and more, all from your wrist.
Processing Power
The Tizen operating system is efficient. Very efficient. Just try navigating through your library of watch faces to see how well the 64-bit dual-core Exynos 7270 1.0 GHz processor runs. It doesn’t stutter. It flows. Gone are the days of clunky, waiting-to-catch-up, awkward navigation that you find in other smartwatches. This processor, coupled with the 768 MB of RAM, makes for a great marriage.
“In addition to advanced 14nm FinFET process, integrated LTE modem with various connectivities, and 64-bit dual-core CPU, the Exynos 7 Dual integrates memory and Power management IC all in a small tiny package making it perfect for slim form-factor wearable devices that are powerful and has incredibly long battery life.”1
The 64-bit dual-core Exynos 7270 processor really shines on the Gear S3. Just watch the video below to see for yourself.
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Internal Memory
Right now, the Samsung Gear S3 has 768MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage. It is already fast. It has a reputation of consistency without hiccups. More RAM and storage is always welcome, but as it stands right now (based on the comments found in forums and articles I have read on the internet), people seem to be quite happy with it. It just works out of the box as expected. There is no lack of speed or slowness in opening apps. Even Flipboard opens in about 1 second, with the content ready and available at launch. Now, as apps mature and become more power-hungry (they always do), more RAM and storage will be needed. Right now, however, it shines—and brightly at that.
Battery Life
The 380 mAh battery provided in the Samsung Gear S3 offers tremendous flexibility and long battery life, and when I say long, I mean long. For example, when fully charged at 100%, you can expect the following results:
- In the DEFAULT setting mode, the battery will last for 2 Days, 7 hours and 48 minutes.
- In POWER SAVING mode, you get 6 days, 3 hours and 11 minutes.
- In WATCH ONLY mode, you get 41 days, 21 hours and 15 minutes!
You have the freedom of determining which battery mode you want in order to maximize functionality that you want. That’s the freedom and flexibility that I, for one, love. I’ve had friends tell me that they get 5 to 6 days out of use without the need of charging by simply turning GPS and NFC off, turning his brightness to 4 or 5, removing the weather app and heart monitor functionality. Again, the flexibility of only turning on and using what you want, in order to provide better battery life, is just fantastic.
Network Speed
Both the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier Smartwatch and the Samsung Gear S3 Classic Smartwatch can take advantage of 4G LTE. As of February 2018, this is the fastest speed at which cellular devices can attain outside of WiFi. However, when 5G LTE comes out, the Samsung watch will need to be capable of taking advantage of the 5G LTE speeds. With the release of the upcoming Samsung Gear S4 series, the hope is that Samsung will build 5G LTE capability into the watch. 5G LTE will invite a flood of developers to create applications that can take advantage of 5G LTE, but more on that later. The Samsung Gear S3 was released in November of 2016.
As mentioned earlier, if the Samsung Gear S4 is built to fully take advantage of the upcoming 5G LTE, a flood of developers will build applications for the Gear series, making this smartwatch even more popular. I for one, very much look forward to the next hardware release of the Samsung Gear watch. It has a lot of momentum behind it, and it is only going to get better with the release of new apps and hardware functionality in their next release.
What functionality would you like to see moving forward? Drop a note below in the comments and share with the rest of the community.
1 http://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/exynos/products/mobileprocessor/exynos-7-dual-7270/