Samsung Gear S3 Smartwatch Is Coming This Month
Samsung Electronics on Tuesday said it will showcase its new high-end smartwatch, the Gear S3, in Germany later this month. The showcase event will take place on Aug. 31 in Berlin, just ahead of the Internal Funkausstellung (IFA) tech fair.
Its invitation card suggests that the new smartwatch will pack a rotary bezel and have a round shape like its predecessor, the S2.
Industry watchers expect the latest device to run on Samsung's own operating system, Tizen, and will be compatible with Samsung Pay. The device is also expected to be equipped with improved health and tracking features.
Samsung's launch means that we could be set for yet another Samsung versus Apple showdown. The Apple Watch 2 is going to be revealed later this year, boasting an array of new features. That’s according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has been pretty accurate with his Cupertino tech forecasts in the past.
Kuo states a 2016 second half launch for the Apple Watch sequel is on the cards; a smartwatch boasting GPS connectivity, a faster TSMC-built processor, improved waterproofing and a barometer sensor.
IFA 2016 could also see two new Fitbits going live. Codenamed Laryon and Fermion, the duo are said to be undergoing field testing before launching as the Fitbit Charge 2 and the Fitbit Flex 2 in Berlin next month.
Finally, it’s excepted that Google will reveal two Nexus Android Wear smartwatches before 2016 is up. The new watches are purportedly the round-faced variety but without that annoying dead area at the bottom that the likes of the Moto 360 have been blighted by.