Unveiled at IFA 2016, the Samsung Gear S3 is finally going up for preorder and shipping out to the public.
As it turns out, reports about the wearable launching in the United States mid-November were true.
Gear S3 Preorder Details, Release Date And Price
Right off the bat, preorders for the Gear S3 start on Nov. 6, but AT&T is getting ahead of the competition by accepting preorders earlier than the rest on Nov. 4.
As for the release date, it's set to start shipping out on Nov. 18, and just to be clear on that, it's also expected to hit the shelves on that day.
The starting price of both the Classic and Frontier is $349.99, but that shouldn't come as much of a surprise to some, as Best Buy did jump the gun when it posted listings of the two before the official details made rounds online.
However, pricing hasn't been exactly cleared up just yet, as it will most likely depend on the carrier.
That said, AT&T offers it for $49.99 with a two-year contract when it's bought with a Galaxy smartphone on AT&T Next or AT&T Next Every Year. The carrier is also putting it up for grabs for $17.50 a month for 20 months.
Gear S3 Classic vs. Frontier: What's The Difference?
With the Gear S3 nearing launch, the burning question is probably about the difference between the Classic and Frontier.
Long story short, the Frontier is the rugged version, while the Classic could be called elegant. That's the obvious distinction between them, but the former has an advantage of sorts: it has an option that comes with LTE support, which could come in handy in emergencies.
It should be mentioned that the LTE option was somewhat expected on the Frontier, as it does seem geared toward those who spend a lot of time outdoors.
Other than those factors, the two are more or less the same. Running on Tizen-based wearable OS, they both have GPS function, 1.3-inch displays that are topped off with a Gorilla Glass SR+ to prevent scratches, stainless steel bodies with an IP68 certification for dust and water resistance and the same Exynos processors under the hood.
What's more, they both house 4 GB of storage, 786 MB of RAM and 380 mAh batteries that are touted to last up to three days.
As a first for smartwatches, they also bring MST technology to the table, and that means they'll have built-in Samsung Pay support.
Wrapping Up The Samsung Wearable
The Gear S3 Frontier and Classic are designed to cater to every customer's needs — in a wearable, at least — and they are pretty big improvements from the Gear S2 lineup.
"Consumers are increasingly recognizing the benefits of a smartwatch that operates even without their phone. With the LTE capability of Gear S3 it is easy to make or receive phone calls and read or reply to texts and notifications, so they can stay connected while leaving their phone behind," Gary Riding, Samsung America's senior vice president of product marketing, says.
Will you be nabbing the Gear S3 Classic or the Frontier? Feel free to drop by our comments section below and let us know.
