The Samsung Galaxy Watch and Gear S3 series are still some of the best smartwatches on the market for obvious reasons; outstanding design, great quality, long battery life, fitness tracking, and lots of features inbuilt. This post compares the differences between the Samsung Galaxy Watch vs Gear S3 Frontier to find out which is a better smartwatch.
Samsung Galaxy Watch vs Gear S3 Frontier: Specs Comparison
Samsung Galaxy Watch (46mm) (LTE) | Samsung Gear S3 Frontier | |
---|---|---|
![]() |
![]() |
|
ABOUT DEVICE |
||
Device name | Samsung Galaxy Watch (46mm) | Samsung Gear S3 Frontier |
Device type | Classic/Fitness/Standalone smartwatch | Classic/Fitness/Standalone smartwatch |
Predecessor | Samsung Gear S3 | Samsung Gear S2 |
Successor | N/A | Samsung Galaxy Watch |
Date Released | August, 2018 | November, 2016 |
Gender | Men | Men (will look good too on women.) |
WHERE TO BUY |
||
DISPLAY |
||
Display size | 1.3 inch | 1.3 inches |
Display type | Super AMOLED Full color |
Super AMOLED Full color |
Display resolution | 360 x 360 pixels | 360 x 360 pixels |
Pixel density | 278 ppi | 278 ppi |
Display always-on | Yes | Yes |
Input type | Touchscreen, 2 physical buttons physical rotating bezel |
Touchscreen, 2 physical buttons, rotating bezel |
BODY |
||
Shape | Circular | Circular |
Casing material | Stainless steel/glass reinforced with polycarbonate | Stainless steel/glass reinforced with polycarbonate |
Strap material | Silicone (leather straps also available) |
Silicone |
Bezel Material | Ceramics | Ceramics |
Weight | 63 grams | 63 grams (without straps) |
Color(s) | Black and silver | Black |
Dimension | 46 x 49 x 13 mm | 46 x 49 x 12.9 mm |
Strap size | 22 mm | 22mm |
Screen protection | Corning Gorilla glass DX+ | Corning Gorilla glass SR+ |
Durability test | MIL-STD-810G | |
Waterproof rating | Yes, IP68, 5ATM MIL-STD-810G |
Yes, IP68 MIL-STD-810G |
CLOCK FEATURES |
||
Time/Date | Yes | Yes |
Alarm | Yes | Yes |
Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
MEMORY |
||
RAM | 1.5GB (LTE) | 0.75GB |
Internal storage | 4GB | 4GB |
Memory card slot | No | No |
MEDIA |
||
Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
Microphone | Yes | Yes |
Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes |
Camera | No | No |
Music streaming | Yes | Yes |
CONNECTIVITY |
||
Bluetooth | Bluetooth v4.2 | Bluetooth v4.2 |
NFC | Yes | Yes |
Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
Bluetooth calling | Yes | Yes |
NOTIFICATIONS |
||
Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
Email alert | Yes | Yes |
Reminder | Yes | Yes |
CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
||
Network Technology | GSM/HSPA/LTE | GSM/HSPA/LTE |
SIM | Yes, e-SIM | Yes, e-SIM |
FITNESS TRACKING |
||
Steps | Yes | Yes |
Distance | Yes | Yes |
Calories | Yes | Yes |
Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
VO2 Max. | Yes | Yes |
Stress | Yes | Yes |
Swim tracking | Yes | Yes |
Menstrual cycle tracking | No | No |
Blood pressure | No | No |
ECG Tracking | No | No |
Blood oxygen | No | No |
Preloaded sport modes | Yes | Yes |
PLATFORM |
||
Operating system | Tizen OS 4.0 | Tizen OS 2.3.2 |
CPU | Dual core 1.15GHz | Dual core 1.0GHz |
GPU | -- | -- |
Chipset | Exynos 9110 | Exynos 7270 |
SENSORS |
||
GPS | GLONASS/A-GPS | GPS/GLONASS/A-GPS |
Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
Heart rate sensor | Yes | Yes |
Barometer | Yes | Yes |
Compass | No | No |
Pulse Ox. | No | No |
Altimeter | -- | -- |
ECG | No | No |
Thermometer | No | No |
Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
OTHER FUNCTIONS |
||
Interchangeable straps | Yes, 22mm | Yes, 22mm |
Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
Voice Assistant | Yes | Yes |
Compatibility | Android 5.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+ iPhone 5+ and iOS 9.0+ |
Android 4.4+ IOS 9.0+ |
Payment system | Samsung pay | Samsung pay |
Companion app | Samsung Gear app | Samsung Gear app |
BATTERY |
||
Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
Battery capacity | 472mAh | 380mAh |
Est. battery life | Standby :5 days+, Mixed usage: 2 days+ |
Standby :5 days+, Mixed usage: 2 days+ |
Charging mode | WPC based wireless charging | WPC based wireless charging |
Charging duration | About 1-2 hours | About 1-2 hours |
BOX CONTENTS |
||
Samsung Galaxy Watch (46mm) | Samsung Gear S3 Frontier | |
Straps | Straps | |
Charging dock | Wireless charger | |
Quick start guide | Quick start guide |
Samsung Galaxy Watch vs Gear S3 Frontier: The Differences
Galaxy Watch |
Gear S3 Frontier |
|
Watch faces |
More |
Fewer |
Waterproof rating |
|
IP68 |
Dimension |
46 x 49 x 13 mm |
46 x 49 x 12.9 mm |
Glass |
Corning Gorilla Glass DX+ |
Corning Gorilla Glass SR+ |
RAM |
1.5GB |
768MB |
OS |
Tizen 4.0.0.1 |
Tizen 2.3.2 |
Processor |
Exynos 9110-1.15GHz |
Exynos 7270-1.0GHz |
Preloaded sports |
More |
Fewer |
Battery life |
2 days+ |
2 days+ |
Editor's Rating |
|
|
- Design
- Waterproof Rating
- Processor and OS
- Battery Life
- Fitness Tracking
Although the Galaxy Watch succeeded the Gear S3, there isn’t any clear difference in the design. In fact, merely looking at these two, they look pretty much the same. Except for the Gear S3 classic which has the classical appearance of your regular traditional watch. AMOLED still powers the 1.3′ display on both smartwatches which is very much vivid and colorful. And these two have about the same weight and dimension.
However, the Galaxy Watch has more features like good night mode and theater mode that keeps you off from distractions. The Galaxy watch running on a more recent Tizen OS features more watch faces compared to Gear S3 with fewer options to choose from.
Galaxy Watch is rated 5ATM (50 meters) compared to IP68 (1.5 meters) of the Gear S3. As a result, you can wear the Galaxy Watch to the pool or even ocean to a depth of 50meters, but not recommended for the Gear S3. Moreover, the Galaxy has a water lock mode that allows you to eject water from the speaker.
The Galaxy Watch runs on Tizen 4.0.0.1 which is higher than 3.0.0.1 of the Gear S3. And also powered by a higher Exynos 9110 compared to 7270 of the Gear S3. However, there isn’t any noticeable difference in the performance of these two. Performance looks awesome on both devices.
The Galaxy Watch comes with a bigger 470mAh battery capacity compared to 380mAh of the Gear S3. However, both watches have about the same battery life of 3 days or more with light usage.
Both the Galaxy Watch and Gear S3 are fitness smartwatches equipped to track your active life comprehensively. However, the Galaxy Watch has more preloaded sport modes built-in compared to Gear S3 with lesser sport modes to choose from.
Which is Better?
In all, each of these two is a fine smartwatch worth investing in, but I’ll go with the Galaxy Watch. It has more features and a more comprehensive fitness tracker than the Gear S3.