2016 was an exciting year for wearables. Many companies have launched not just one wearable but a whole series of fitness trackers and smartwatches. Fitbit, Pebble, and other leading brands have been launching their new and upgraded versions for the past 3-4 years but this year, the two biggest tech giants Apple & Samsung have been dominating the Smartwatch market with head-to-head competition.
Today we’re here to get a unique perspective on both the devices and a fiery war between both watches, the Samsung Gear S3 and Apple Watch Series 2. So, we’re to review and compare both the smartwatches side by side and which one’s better. Let’s get started.
Overview
The long-running competition between Apple and Samsung has led to some significant leaps forward in the field of technology and smart gadgets. Whether it’s a flagship smartphone or the latest wearable smartwatches, both are trying to dominate each other in the market.
Back in September, Samsung unveiled its Gear S3 smartwatch, and it was only a matter of a few days when Apple launched its first-ever Apple Watch Series 2, apparently, both of the smartwatches are smarter and tougher than ever.
Samsung introduced its fan base with two distinct versions of the Gear S3, Frontier and Classic. On the other hand, Apple came with the 38mm and 42mm version. The following post is our effort to break down the comparison and specs of both devices.
Comparison
Display
First things first, being a smart watch all the four watches come with an attractive display which also impacts the size of the smartwatch.
Both the 38mm and the 42mm versions of the Apple Watch Series 2, as the name suggests has a screen of 38.6mm height (1.51 inches) and 42.5mm (1.67 inches) respectively.
Samsung offers a larger 49mm (1.93 inches) screen with the Gear S3 which is somewhat circular in shape, differentiating it with the rectangular screen of Apple’s Watch 2.
Talking about the specs, Apple has offered an OLED Retina display which comes with a 272 x 340 resolution in the 38mm variant. The 42mm variant holds a 312 x 390 resolution for better display. Apple also confirms that the latest version has 2x Brightness as compared to the older variant. Moreover, Samsung’s Gear S3 packs a Super AMOLED display with a standard 360 x 360 resolution.
Battery Life
The one thing that differentiates both the devices is the lasting battery life and Samsung has won this section with its promising battery backup that lasts for around four days on a single charge. Gear S3 also has an “always-on” option that displays Time on the screen. It certainly affects the battery life but it’s nothing as compared to the 18 hours of battery life of Apple’s Watch Series 2.
Well, Apple always seemed to be uninteresting regarding Battery Backups. Be it the iPhones or the Smartwatches. So, you really can’t complain.
Processor
The heart of the Apple Watch Series 2 is powered by Apple’s own dual-core S2 chip mainly crafted for smartwatches. Apple always compares its upgrades with the previous versions itself; you really draw a comparison with other devices. However, the Gear S3 also packs a dual-core processor with a clocking speed of 1.0GHz. The processor is not disclosed but it could be Samsung’s Exynos 7270.
Weight
Samsung Gear S3 packing a bigger battery and Display is the heavier of the two smartwatches; Weighing 62 grams, the Frontier version is the heavier variant whereas the Classic version weighs a little less, 57 grams.
Apple Watch Series 2 does vary as the weight depends on the case of the watch. We’re not talking numbers here but to differentiate, keep in mind that the aluminum case is lighter than the stainless-steel version.
Cellular and GPS
It is the one thing that both the watches have packed to show off their capabilities. You won’t be disappointed if you go for any of the watches as both, the Gear S3 and Watch 2 have built-in GPS that works irrespective of your smartphone’s location.
The differentiator here lies in the Cellular Connectivity options. Samsung’s Frontier variant offers 3G and LTE connectivity but the classic version doesn’t. However, Apple fails to deliver the 3G/LTE in any other variants.
Price and Availability
Last but not the least, the pricing of the devices. Apple has offered various color and strap options for both variants. The lowest price for the Apple Watch Series 2 is $269 for the Silver Aluminum variant and goes to $1049 for the Stainless Steel Black Case. You can get more information about other extended variants on Apple’s Official Online Store.
Samsung has priced its Gear S3 for $349.99 for both Classic & Frontier Versions. However, several other variants are also present with additional features going up to $449.
So, this was the whole comparison and it is now up to you which watch you want to opt for. I would personally recommend going for the Gear S3 due to its long-lasting battery life.
