Why it matters to you
This update to the Gear S3 smartwatch may seem rather unassuming, but it actually enhances one of the best smartwatches on the market with an assortment of helpful little improvements.
Samsung has unveiled a “Comprehensive Value Pack” update to its Gear S3 and S2 smartwatches that introduces a host of interface enhancements and tweaks to Samsung Health, Reminders, and various other apps and functions. Users can download the update now through the Samsung Gear app, though most of the additions are limited to the Gear S3.
Health seems to be the primary focus of this release, as Samsung has revised the user experience on Gear S3 with new, colorful line and bar graphs for heart rate monitoring, a stretching guide, and the ability to auto-locate and record paths on a map while running. You can also now sync pace-setting targets with the Samsung Health app on your phone.
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Samsung
Voice reminders are seeing a boost as well. Previously, you couldn’t set a specific date for reminders through S Voice, but Samsung has added this function to the Gear S3 and S2 in th latest update. The Gear S3 has also gained a few readability options through the accessibility menu, with new grayscale, dark screen, and negative colors settings.
In the event you lose your Gear S3, you’ll be pleased to know you can now add personal information to the lock screen through the Find My Gear section of the Gear Manager app. Other additions have been made to the smartwatch’s altimeter/barometer, stopwatch, News Briefing app, Settings menu, and watch faces. Users can now customize select faces on the Gear S3 with a series of complications, like music playback buttons and date readouts.
We were reasonably impressed with the Gear S3 when we reviewed it in December, calling it the best watch an Android owner could buy. Samsung’s top-notch build quality and laundry list of unique features, including LTE connectivity, make it stand out among the competition.