Leaked certification documents of Samsung smartwatches sparked rumors on the release of the much-awaited Galaxy Watch 2. How does the new smartwatch compare with the Gear S3, Samsung’s older but highly successful smartwatch? We unpack its specs and features that we know so far to help you decide whether it’s worth upgrading to the new Galaxy Watch 2.
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Galaxy Watch 2 vs Gear S3 Smartwatch Comparison Chart
| Model | Galaxy Watch 2 | Samsung Gear S3 |
 | Deal Finder  Samsung Gear S3 Frontier The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier smartwatch features an always-on 1.3-inch Super AMOLED full color display. Track your location, receive notifications and pay right from your wrist. We are reader supported. When you buy through our links we may earn an affiliate commission. | |
| Price | Coming Soon | Deal Finder Samsung Gear S3 Frontier The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier smartwatch features an always-on 1.3-inch Super AMOLED full color display. Track your location, receive notifications and pay right from your wrist. We are reader supported. When you buy through our links we may earn an affiliate commission. |
| Variants | 40mm, 44mm | classic, frontier TUMI |
| Display | Super AMOLED* | Super AMOLED |
| Screen Size | n/a | 33 mm |
| Weight | n/a | 63 g |
| OS | n/a | Tizen |
| Bixby | Yes | No |
| Storage Size | 8GB* | 4GB |
| Call & Text Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Water Resistance | Up to 50 meters 5ATM, IP68 | Up to 1.5 meters IP68 |
| ECG Monitor | Yes | No |
| Pedometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Calorie Burn Tracker | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Swim Tracking | Yes | No |
| Female Health Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Built-in | Built-in |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | v5.0 | v4.2 |
| LTE | Available | Available |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Compatibility | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Battery Life | n/a | 380mAh Lithium-Ion Up to 3 days |
| Colors | n/a | Silver Earl Gray |
| Year of Release | Coming in 2020 | 2016 |
Major Differences
Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch 2 offers significant upgrades from the Gear S3 smartwatch
As the Galaxy Watch 2 and the Gear S3 are released four years apart, they come with significant differences:
- Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch 2 is expected to sport a slimmer profile than the bulkier Gear S3 smartwatch
- Unlike the Gear S3, the Galaxy Watch 2 will have ECG and SpO2 sensors and better water resistance
- The Galaxy Watch 2’s storage capacity will be 8GB, double the 4GB storage of the Gear S3 smartwatch
- Bixby is not available in the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch
Design
The new Galaxy Watch 2 is expected to have a slimmer profile than the Gear S3
Unlike the Galaxy S20 smartphone series whose marketing images were leaked before the February Unpacked event, there have been no images of the Galaxy Watch 2 to date. Whether the upcoming Samsung smartwatch will be a Galaxy Watch 2 or a Galaxy Watch Active3 remains to be known. What the leaked certifications confirm is they will come in 40mm and 44mm sizes.
As the smartwatch trend leans toward slimmer, modern-looking frames, we can expect the new Galaxy Watch 2 to look sleek and lose the heft of the Gear S3 or the Galaxy Watch 1. Meanwhile, the Gear S3 sports a timeless watch design that’s familiar in luxury watches. With its physical rotating bezel, the Gear S3 looks more like a classic, high-end wristwatch than a smartwatch. It comes in classic and frontier variants and interchangeable straps.
Activity Tracking
The new Galaxy Watch 2 will be equipped with ECG and SpO2 sensors and swim tracking, features not available in the Gear S3 smartwatch
With new sensors such as ECG and SpO2/pulse oximeter, the new Galaxy Watch 2 can track more data for your health and fitness than what the Gear S3 can. With an ECG sensor, your Galaxy Watch can alert you of any irregularities in your heart’s rhythm or if atrial fibrillation occurs. Meanwhile, SpO2 sensors can measure the blood oxygen levels, a data that’s typically included in sleep quality reports.
The older Samsung Gear S3 is equipped with basic sensors that can track heart rate, steps, calorie burn, and similar basic activities. Both the Galaxy Watch 2 and the Gear S3 are equipped with an onboard GPS so they don’t rely on your phone’s GPS. This means you can track your distances and map your route even without your smartphone with you, as long as you have an LTE connection.
Smart Features
Both the Galaxy Watch 2 and Gear S3 let you pay directly from your smartwatch
While the Galaxy Watch 2 is expected to have better Bluetooth 5.0 than the Bluetooth 4.2 in the Gear S3, these smartwatches are both equipped with NFC connectivity. This means you can pay contactless using your Samsung smartwatch as long as the establishment accepts Samsung Pay. If you have the LTE model, you can even do so without your smartphone with you.
Among other smart features available in the Galaxy Watch 2 and the Gear S3 are call and SMS alerts, Spotify controls, weather, alarms, fitness apps, and similar applications. A major difference between the two Samsung smartwatches is their voice assistant. The Galaxy Watch 2 works with Bixby, whereas the Gear S3 smartwatch only comes with S voice.
Battery Life and Additional Features
Both the Galaxy Watch 2 and the Gear S3 have long battery life, but the new Galaxy Watch 2 has larger storage and better water-resistance
To track sleep quality more consistently, the smartwatch should have a long battery life so they can be worn while sleeping. The battery of Gear S3 smartwatch can last up to three days, given the Always-On display is not activated. As for the new Galaxy Watch 2, it’s expected to last longer as the Galaxy Watch 1, its predecessor, boasts up to four days of casual usage.
Both the Galaxy Watch 2 and the Gear S3 have IP68 rating, but their water-resistance is vastly different. Like the Galaxy Watch Active2 and the Galaxy Watch 1, the new Galaxy Watch 2 is expected to be waterproof for up to 50 meters. On the other hand, the Gear S3 can only withstand submersion of up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes, thus the absence of a swim tracking feature in the Gear S3. As for their storage capacity, the Galaxy Watch 2 and the Gear S3 offer 8GB and 4GB internal storage, respectively.
Verdict
The new Galaxy Watch 2 offers better value for your money
Samsung Galaxy Watch 2
Samsung Gear S3 frontier
The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier smartwatch features an always-on 1.3-inch Super AMOLED full color display. Track your location, receive notifications and pay right from your wrist.
The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier smartwatch features an always-on 1.3-inch Super AMOLED full color display. Track your location, receive notifications and pay right from your wrist.
Both Samsung smartwatches do not come cheap. Even though the Samsung Gear S3 was released four years ago, its current price is almost the same as the expected launch price of the new Galaxy Watch 2. Our favor tips for the Galaxy Watch 2 as it packs more features. In addition, future updates by Samsung can allow the smartwatch to offer more.
As an older model, the Gear S3 cannot have the same updates. Even its voice assistant is still stuck with the outdated S Voice. With that said, the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch remains a classic, high-quality timepiece with basic activity tracking. However, it falls slightly short compared to the new Galaxy Watch 2. If you want a similar luxury watch look, but with more updated features, you may want to take a look at the Galaxy Watch 1.