The Samsung Gear S3 is compatible with a number of Android and iOS smartphones and Samsung just published a handy chart to illustrate it.
Just recently, Samsung announced a permanent price cut for its Gear S3 smartwatch in the United States, indicating that the company is looking to boost sales before Apple and other players release new smartwatches.
The permanent Gear S3 price cut makes the smartwatch more appealing to prospective buyers, but compatibility also plays an important role in one's decision to choose one gadget over another.
For those wondering which smartphones play nice with the Samsung Gear S3, Samsung released an official compatibility chart.
Samsung Gear S3 Compatibility Chart
The Samsung Gear S3 works with a number of Android and iOS smartphones, but not all pairings will yield the same level of compatibility. That's where this chart comes into play, clearly illustrating how compatible the smartwatch is with various devices.
Unsurprisingly, Samsung recommends pairing the Gear S3 Classic and Frontier smartwatches with any of its Android smartphones to enjoy full compatibility. Nevertheless, those who have Android smartphones from brands other than Samsung can still enjoy some compatibility, albeit limited to basic features such as calls, emails and messages.
Gear S3 iOS Compatibility Severely Limited
When it comes to Gear S3 compatibility with iOS devices, things get more complicated. As the chart illustrates, Gear S3 smartwatches don't support features such as Samsung Pay and email over Bluetooth.
Moreover, the latest iOS devices such as the iPhone 7 pose even more limitations, as pairing them with the Gear S3 poses more compatibility problems with messaging, notifications, email and Samsung Pay. Other features such as apps, calls, watch face and S Health also appear under "limited compatibility."
The severely limited compatibility between the Samsung Gear S3 and Apple's latest iOS devices is most likely due to Apple's tight control over its iOS walled garden. Non-Samsung Android devices may be missing out on some functionality, but the compatibility is not nearly as limited as with Apple's latest flagships. At least Android handsets get full functionality with Samsung Pay.
The next-generation Samsung Gear S smartwatch could be even more attractive if it sports full compatibility with any Android smartphone, even non-Samsung ones, but the Gear S3 is pretty good in this area too.
Samsung Gear S3 Specs
As a reminder, the Samsung Gear S3 sports a 1.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 360 x 360 pixels at 278 pixels per inch, Gorilla Glass SR+, water resistance, a dual-core Exynos 7270 processor clocked at 1.0 GHz, 4 GB of storage, 768 MB of RAM, and a 380 mAh battery. On the software front, the smartwatch runs Samsung's own Tizen-based wearable operating system, not Google's Android Wear. The IP68 certification guarantees dust and water resistance.
The Gear S3 Classic is slightly lighter than the Frontier and features a classic design as the name itself suggests, while the Frontier is slightly more rugged. Otherwise, the two versions share the same specifications, offering a solid performance.
If you are thinking about purchasing a Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, does this compatibility chart influence your decision? Let us know in the comments section below.
