Customer reviews from Samsung US
Samsung - Gear S3 Frontier Smartwatch 46mm - Dark Gray
Average customer rating
4.4
(1,020 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 1,020 reviews
5 Stars
704
4 Stars
172
3 Stars
55
2 Stars
32
1 Star
57
89%of customers recommend this product.
(
879 out of
985)
Customer Reviews for Samsung - Gear S3 Frontier Smartwatch 46mm - Dark Gray
Customer Rating
5
Great looks, feels normal, awsome features
on February 3, 2017
Posted by: Jason1135
from Ann arbor, mi
Expertise:Expert
I like this watch very much, it looks like a high end sport watch at quick glance, not too bulky. It is even smaller in size than my old dumb watch, with way more features. Use of it feels natural, and its reaction is quick. Think ill try out a different band later, but having options is great to make it your own. Over all i would recommend this as a very capable and comfortable watch.
Pros: Bright display, Durable, Lightweight, Built-in speakers, good size
Cons: no camera
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
4
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
4
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Best watch yet!
on February 4, 2017
Posted by: Papatuv
from Colorado, USA
Expertise:Expert
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Samsung has done a great job designing this watch! This is what a smartwatch should be!. A lot of forethought has gone into the new Gear S3. One of the best features of the Gear S3 is the larger bezel. Another wonderful feature is that all versions of the watch ( LTE and Bluetooth) have a built in speaker, giving you the ability to take and make calls on your watch! You can customize your style by choosing from 100s of watch faces to go with your day, and your wardrobe. The Frontier is rugged enough for the outdoors, exercise and play but is also very classy. Most folks for dress would choose the Classic, but the Frontier has every bit of appeal to wear in with a suite. The functionality of this watch is amazing with not only it telling the Time, Date and Weather at a glance, a quick swipe or turn of the bezel gets you additional features and apps for your every day in addition its very easy to use, configure, customize and wear, it actually wears very comfortably. If there was one minor thing I could say about this watch that I dont like, it would be the order of the buttons ( back button vs home button) for me, I feel like they should be switched ( Home button on top and back button on bottom) I wish Samsung would have coded it to give us a choice. Maybe in upcoming updates? That would be great. My complaint is by no means a deal breaker, I love this watch and so will you!
Pros: Bright display, Realistic color, Durable, Lightweight, Built-in speakers
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
4
Not Just for Guys!
on February 6, 2017
Posted by: Lanfier
Expertise:Intermediate
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have recently had the pleasure to test drive the new Samsung Gear S3 Frontier. This review is being done by someone who has never owned a smartwatch, so I may not get into a lot of the internals as I think at least some of us who buy this are just going to buy it because it’s really cool and not because we have any understanding as to “what’s under the hood”.
First off the packaging is very nice as you would expect from any high end device you may purchase. The bottom half even becomes a charging base stand if you have a lot of room where you want to charge your S3. The Gear S3 comes with a charging base, cable and block to plug it all in. It also comes with two different sized bands. The Large comes pre-installed and there is also a Small provided. The bands are very easy to change thanks to the Quick Release. This is a little nub that is in a recess of the band and you just push it over with a fingernail.
I have pretty small wrists and am female. My wrists measure 6.5 inches. While large, the Gear S3 does not actually seem as big once you are wearing it. I do highly recommend buying a new band. For my wrist size I found the one provided to be too stiff and made the S3 a lot more uncomfortable than it is now. The provided band is Silicone and is easy to clean, but I found the black metal mesh one I bought to fit me better.
Thanks to the Gear S3’s water rating you are supposed to be able to really put this sucker to the test! White water rafting anyone? I have yet to try any water tests but I would be willing to wear the Gear S3 to the beach! The Samsung Gear S3 is rated to 5 feet of water for 30 minutes so I guess Swimming is out but you could leave it on in the shower? Just make sure the band and your wrist is dried off after because you can cause some real funk to your wrist if water is trapped under the band! Washing the S3 is simple with a little water and some non sudsing soap. Guys, you are going to have to make a trip down the facial cleansing isle. Or you could just buy it online, I bought Auquaphor. I also use it on the families fitbits and other household watches.
The first thing I noticed about the Samsung Gear S3, the screen is amazing! Viewing photos, playing games, and…. WATCH FACES!! There are hundreds of free watch faces to choose from! I absolutely love the live saltwater aquarium! I shut off the “Always On” watch face to save battery. I also disabled “Quick View” this turns on the screen when you lift your arm or turn your wrist as if you want to check the time. All I have to do is tap a button or turn the bezel and I can see my fishes swim! Oh and I guess see the time, date, day of the week, BPM and steps. You did read right earlier, I did say GAMES! So far I have only played fruit ninja but wow, not having to take out my phone like everyone else at the doctor’s office made me feel special!
I have no other way to measure my heart rate but the average that the Gear S3 seems to record sounds about right from what I know of myself. I used to have a fitbit HR and it seems on track with that. If you are really concerned with tracking accurate heart rate though you should buy one that has a strap. I do currently own other Fitbits and there really seems to be a discrepancy between their data and what the Gear S3 records. The Gear 3 recording about 500 less steps a day. The floor counting is kind of a joke and takes forever to sync. I had climbed 6 flights of stairs and sat down for at least 5 minutes before my watch buzzed and congratulated me on climbing one flight. Then the Gear S3 only recorded me doing 2 flights of stairs. So if you are looking for a device to accurately track your fitness this is not for you. It will keep you motivated by constantly telling you you have been sitting too long though! I watched a movie at the theater with my son yesterday, our theater has an app that rewards you and silences your phone during the movie. My Gear S3 however did not get this memo because towards the end of the movie it buzzed, lit up and told me I had been sitting too long! Yikes! I downloaded the theater widget for future use!
The widgets are quite useful. I have Weather, Calculator, Samsung Pay. I can even turn the screen into a flashlight!
Samsung Pay works independent of your phone, I believe this is because you do not have to have a Samsung phone to use the Samsung Gear S3. You can even use an Apple phone! This means even if you have Samsung pay on your phone you are going to have to re-add all of your cards to the watch. Once you do this it will add a pin you pick out to lock your watch anytime it loses contact with your skin! Kinda neat but also a pain… especially if you like to wear your watch loose. I did try last night to use Samsung Pay for the first time and got an error. I have never used it before so may have been my fault! I had no idea how long I had to keep my wrist next to the car reader.
Answering calls is a breeze! I don’t even think my callers know they are talking to me through a watch! You can add individual contacts to the Bezel rotation or grab the multi contact widget so you don’t use as many spots. I have my husband’s cell separate because he is the one I use most. I wear my watch on my right hand, which makes using Samsung Pay easier, but texting is a lot slower when you are using your off hand! I use the feature where you draw the letter with your finger. It will not correct if you use a mixture of upper and lower case in a word however. So I had to actually think to make SUrE it DIDn’T CoMe OUt LiKe ThiS… Get to fixing that Samsung! Lol.
The Samsung Gear S3 is also capable of tracking your sleep. This worked pretty good when I took a nap on the couch but sleeping at night is a whole other thing! I really don’t know how well it would track actual sleep, I have to take it off. Even with the always display off, and quick view off, the screen lights up all the time! Every time you move and accidentally touch the bezel you will be bombarded with light! This may not happen with some of the darker watch faces but with my aquarium it is quite distracting at night and will wake you up. I would love a night lock, but until then I use night to just set the Gear S3 on the charger, which is not necessary because after a day of use the Samsung Gear S3 is still at 80% Battery!
Overall I am extremely pleased with the Samsung Gear S3 and I am sure there are many things I have yet to discover! I would also be interested in trying to make my own watch face someday to share with others!
First off the packaging is very nice as you would expect from any high end device you may purchase. The bottom half even becomes a charging base stand if you have a lot of room where you want to charge your S3. The Gear S3 comes with a charging base, cable and block to plug it all in. It also comes with two different sized bands. The Large comes pre-installed and there is also a Small provided. The bands are very easy to change thanks to the Quick Release. This is a little nub that is in a recess of the band and you just push it over with a fingernail.
I have pretty small wrists and am female. My wrists measure 6.5 inches. While large, the Gear S3 does not actually seem as big once you are wearing it. I do highly recommend buying a new band. For my wrist size I found the one provided to be too stiff and made the S3 a lot more uncomfortable than it is now. The provided band is Silicone and is easy to clean, but I found the black metal mesh one I bought to fit me better.
Thanks to the Gear S3’s water rating you are supposed to be able to really put this sucker to the test! White water rafting anyone? I have yet to try any water tests but I would be willing to wear the Gear S3 to the beach! The Samsung Gear S3 is rated to 5 feet of water for 30 minutes so I guess Swimming is out but you could leave it on in the shower? Just make sure the band and your wrist is dried off after because you can cause some real funk to your wrist if water is trapped under the band! Washing the S3 is simple with a little water and some non sudsing soap. Guys, you are going to have to make a trip down the facial cleansing isle. Or you could just buy it online, I bought Auquaphor. I also use it on the families fitbits and other household watches.
The first thing I noticed about the Samsung Gear S3, the screen is amazing! Viewing photos, playing games, and…. WATCH FACES!! There are hundreds of free watch faces to choose from! I absolutely love the live saltwater aquarium! I shut off the “Always On” watch face to save battery. I also disabled “Quick View” this turns on the screen when you lift your arm or turn your wrist as if you want to check the time. All I have to do is tap a button or turn the bezel and I can see my fishes swim! Oh and I guess see the time, date, day of the week, BPM and steps. You did read right earlier, I did say GAMES! So far I have only played fruit ninja but wow, not having to take out my phone like everyone else at the doctor’s office made me feel special!
I have no other way to measure my heart rate but the average that the Gear S3 seems to record sounds about right from what I know of myself. I used to have a fitbit HR and it seems on track with that. If you are really concerned with tracking accurate heart rate though you should buy one that has a strap. I do currently own other Fitbits and there really seems to be a discrepancy between their data and what the Gear S3 records. The Gear 3 recording about 500 less steps a day. The floor counting is kind of a joke and takes forever to sync. I had climbed 6 flights of stairs and sat down for at least 5 minutes before my watch buzzed and congratulated me on climbing one flight. Then the Gear S3 only recorded me doing 2 flights of stairs. So if you are looking for a device to accurately track your fitness this is not for you. It will keep you motivated by constantly telling you you have been sitting too long though! I watched a movie at the theater with my son yesterday, our theater has an app that rewards you and silences your phone during the movie. My Gear S3 however did not get this memo because towards the end of the movie it buzzed, lit up and told me I had been sitting too long! Yikes! I downloaded the theater widget for future use!
The widgets are quite useful. I have Weather, Calculator, Samsung Pay. I can even turn the screen into a flashlight!
Samsung Pay works independent of your phone, I believe this is because you do not have to have a Samsung phone to use the Samsung Gear S3. You can even use an Apple phone! This means even if you have Samsung pay on your phone you are going to have to re-add all of your cards to the watch. Once you do this it will add a pin you pick out to lock your watch anytime it loses contact with your skin! Kinda neat but also a pain… especially if you like to wear your watch loose. I did try last night to use Samsung Pay for the first time and got an error. I have never used it before so may have been my fault! I had no idea how long I had to keep my wrist next to the car reader.
Answering calls is a breeze! I don’t even think my callers know they are talking to me through a watch! You can add individual contacts to the Bezel rotation or grab the multi contact widget so you don’t use as many spots. I have my husband’s cell separate because he is the one I use most. I wear my watch on my right hand, which makes using Samsung Pay easier, but texting is a lot slower when you are using your off hand! I use the feature where you draw the letter with your finger. It will not correct if you use a mixture of upper and lower case in a word however. So I had to actually think to make SUrE it DIDn’T CoMe OUt LiKe ThiS… Get to fixing that Samsung! Lol.
The Samsung Gear S3 is also capable of tracking your sleep. This worked pretty good when I took a nap on the couch but sleeping at night is a whole other thing! I really don’t know how well it would track actual sleep, I have to take it off. Even with the always display off, and quick view off, the screen lights up all the time! Every time you move and accidentally touch the bezel you will be bombarded with light! This may not happen with some of the darker watch faces but with my aquarium it is quite distracting at night and will wake you up. I would love a night lock, but until then I use night to just set the Gear S3 on the charger, which is not necessary because after a day of use the Samsung Gear S3 is still at 80% Battery!
Overall I am extremely pleased with the Samsung Gear S3 and I am sure there are many things I have yet to discover! I would also be interested in trying to make my own watch face someday to share with others!
Pros: Bright display, Durable, feature packed
Cons: Too big
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
4
Performance
4
Design
2
Value
3
(click to see the video)
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Great Watch
on February 7, 2017
Posted by: pettysean53
from Austin, TX, USA
Expertise:Expert
When shopping around for smartwatches for my LG G4, I saw a lot of options. I originally wanted the Gear S2 Classic, but when I saw this watch, I fell in love. It does everything I need it to do, including text messaging and calling. The battery life on it is AMAZING, I will put it on at 6am and when I get back home at 8pm the battery will only be at 75%. The only thing that I don't like is that I cannot get certain apps because I'm using a non-Samsung phone. Other than that, this watch is perfect. Stay gold, Samsung!
Pros: Bright display, Realistic color, Durable, Inexpensive, Lightweight, Built-in speakers, convenient
Cons: app compatibility
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
The watch that does it all!
on February 8, 2017
Posted by: jmuel0184
from Janesville, WI
Expertise:Expert
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have had this watch for a week so far and I have been amazed by how the technology has become better in order to limit actual time relying on a phone. I enjoy that the watch carries it's own wi-fi when not connected to your phone, you can listen to music w/o having to have your phone with you on iconX blue tooth headphones, the screen is amazing (best of it's kind), water resistant, responsive, tracks your fitness quite well (better than anything I've used thus far (nike fuel band, fit bits, etc.), and most of all, it actually tells you the time!
This device has created a break away from requiring you to have to look at your phone, which I love my Galaxy s7 edge, but if I can enjoy just as many features on a smaller device that's attached to my wrist, why not!? I also enjoy being able to send full texts and answer or make calls from the s3. Keep the best coming Samsung, you've got this!
Pros: Bright display, Realistic color, Durable, Inexpensive, Lightweight, Built-in speakers
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Great Product and Well Built
on February 8, 2017
Posted by: busybox
from Dallas, TX, USA
Expertise:Expert
The Samsung Gear S3 is at the top of the smart watch market for the price, I have had mine a few weeks now and works better than expected. I am a heavy user getting all my email, text messages and social media information directly to your wrist is a quick and easy user experience. Also an marathon runner the watch is comparable to other high end brands at gps accuracy and information for multiple sports. If you are looking for a well priced good looking smart/sports watch this is a definite must if you are an android (Samsung) believer.
Pros: Bright display, Lightweight, Built-in speakers
Cons: none
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Wonderful smart watch, Everything I want
on February 14, 2017
Posted by: Lilbertha87
Expertise:Expert
I have had many different smartwatches ranging from the original pebble to the pebble time, samsung gear, gear s2, and now finally the gear s3. I love this watch more than all the others I have had. I wanted the Gear s2 to have a speaker and I didn't want the 3g version. With this new frontier they added a larger battery and I have been able to get 4 days with the always on set to off, and brightness set to about 5 or so. This is a huge jump from the s2. Also the fact that you can now take calls on the watch when your phone is out of reach is super convenient. People that I talk to on it say they can hear me just as good as when I am using my phone. I love this watch and would recommend it to anybody looking to get a smart watch. The only negative is that I no longer want to wear all my other high class watches. haha
Pros: Bright display, Built-in speakers, rotating bezel, larger looking than s2
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Rugged yet Sexy
on February 20, 2017
Posted by: WSmitty
from Middle Tennessee
Expertise:Expert
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The Gear S3 is the leading edge of innovative technology, and with the Gear S3 they did not hold back with packing a massive amount of technology into this compact device. Everything from a GPS antenna to an internal speaker with built in microphone for making phone calls and anything needing audible feedback. The screen is super bright, and being able to view the photos that are received in text messages without opening your cell phone is a super nice feature.
The battery, although it does take a bit longer to charge than its predecessor, does last over 50% longer than the Gear S2. If you want a way to monitor just how well your sleep habits are, then this is the device to get. It automatically monitors your sleep time with 3 degrees of rest as shown in the attached photo.
But the battery does take longer to charge, which is not an issue for most people who do not wear their watch to bed like I do. I enjoy the ability to have the built in alarm function to wake me in the mornings by vibration. With the Gear S3 addition of a built in speaker, I also have the option to turn on a speaker when the alarm rings or it is adjustable to have one or the other used.
Samsung stepped it up a bit to include their MST – Magnetic Secure Transmission – alongside NFC, which others use for mobile type payments. The MST allows for a more secure form of payment to keep your Debit/Credit card isolated from others when using it. I have been able to utilize MST at most locations, with the exception of gas pumps (but I can pre-pay to keep information secure). When others see me using my watch, the first reaction I get is " We don't offer A**** Pay" and of course my response is always, " Good, because I would try it with that device", then when the transaction goes through, their eyes get big and say "Wow, how did you do that? I didn't know we had that capability here". This usually leads into a good conversation about how it works with the magnetic card reader instead of a MFC reader. Then I get the deer in headlight look, and I know I lost them.
The weight of the Frontier had me concerned before I received it. I have been wearing the Gear S2 for some time and was really used to not realizing it was there. After I opened the box and seen that it was actually bigger then the predecessor, my concerns got higher, that is until I put it on. Once I did that I realized that this this is legit. It is rugged yet sexy, powerful yet simple to use, and most importantly it does not feel like wearing a toy watch. This thing is the real deal. Feels better than any watch I have worn before, and after a few days, I cannot tell the difference in it. Which is the way a watch should feel when you are wearing it. I do not think it will fall apart if I bump it up against something.
Which brings me to the Corning® Gorilla® Glass SR+. Not having to worry about a scratch if you do bump it up against something is a wonderful feeling when you are wearing a quality watch. And the Frontier is built with Quality in mind.
In the age of smart phones, some people do not have a need to wear a watch, when they can easily just check their phone for the time, but this is way more than just a time keeper, it is a personal computer on your wrist, that’s ready to assist you when you are ready.
The battery, although it does take a bit longer to charge than its predecessor, does last over 50% longer than the Gear S2. If you want a way to monitor just how well your sleep habits are, then this is the device to get. It automatically monitors your sleep time with 3 degrees of rest as shown in the attached photo.
But the battery does take longer to charge, which is not an issue for most people who do not wear their watch to bed like I do. I enjoy the ability to have the built in alarm function to wake me in the mornings by vibration. With the Gear S3 addition of a built in speaker, I also have the option to turn on a speaker when the alarm rings or it is adjustable to have one or the other used.
Samsung stepped it up a bit to include their MST – Magnetic Secure Transmission – alongside NFC, which others use for mobile type payments. The MST allows for a more secure form of payment to keep your Debit/Credit card isolated from others when using it. I have been able to utilize MST at most locations, with the exception of gas pumps (but I can pre-pay to keep information secure). When others see me using my watch, the first reaction I get is " We don't offer A**** Pay" and of course my response is always, " Good, because I would try it with that device", then when the transaction goes through, their eyes get big and say "Wow, how did you do that? I didn't know we had that capability here". This usually leads into a good conversation about how it works with the magnetic card reader instead of a MFC reader. Then I get the deer in headlight look, and I know I lost them.
The weight of the Frontier had me concerned before I received it. I have been wearing the Gear S2 for some time and was really used to not realizing it was there. After I opened the box and seen that it was actually bigger then the predecessor, my concerns got higher, that is until I put it on. Once I did that I realized that this this is legit. It is rugged yet sexy, powerful yet simple to use, and most importantly it does not feel like wearing a toy watch. This thing is the real deal. Feels better than any watch I have worn before, and after a few days, I cannot tell the difference in it. Which is the way a watch should feel when you are wearing it. I do not think it will fall apart if I bump it up against something.
Which brings me to the Corning® Gorilla® Glass SR+. Not having to worry about a scratch if you do bump it up against something is a wonderful feeling when you are wearing a quality watch. And the Frontier is built with Quality in mind.
In the age of smart phones, some people do not have a need to wear a watch, when they can easily just check their phone for the time, but this is way more than just a time keeper, it is a personal computer on your wrist, that’s ready to assist you when you are ready.
Pros: Bright display, Durable, Built-in speakers, battery life
Cons: charging time
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
4
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US