The two biggest names in the smartwatch market are sitting at opposite extremes. We have the sleek and small Apple Watch on one side, and the gigantic man-gadget known as the Samsung Gear S3 on the other. Let's compare their features and specs, to help you make the call.
Size
Great guacamole, the Gear S3 is a huge watch. It's as if Samsung looked at its customer data, saw that only early adopter men were buying its Gear watches and decided to drop all pretension of serving both sexes, going all-in on that demographic.
Weight
The Gear is also roughly twice as heavy as the Apple Watch, though this is much less of an issue with wristworn wearables than it is with things like phones and tablets.
Build (casing)
You have three casing materials to choose from with the Apple Watch, but only steel for the Gear.
Band materials
Apple also gives you twice as many band materials to choose from, though you can snap any standard 22 mm strap onto the Gear.
iPhone compatibility
Perhaps that should be an X with an asterisk for the Gear, because Samsung has been promising iOS support for its smartwatches for over a year. The Korean firm insists it's still coming, but we're still waiting.
Android compatibility
On the other hand, we're likely to see Mr. T stop pitying fools before we see an Android-friendly Apple Watch.
Standalone cellular
The more rugged-styled version of the Gear S3, known as frontier, has built-in 4G LTE. Some earlier rumors had suggested Apple would go there as well, but that will have to wait for a future generation.
GPS
Both watches have built-in GPS, so you can map runs even when your phone is at home.
Display size
If you have the WWE superstar-sized wrists to match the Gear S3, then you can enjoy a significantly bigger screen.
Display resolution
The Gear actually got a pixel density drop this year, as the Apple Watch now has a notable sharpness advantage.
Display type
OLED (or AMOLED) screens are the standard for wearables.
Display covering
If you splurge for a steel or ceramic Apple Watch, then you get a sapphire display covering. With everything else you get glass.
Pressure-sensitive display
The Apple Watch has the company's Force Touch tech, so you can launch some shortcuts by mashing your finger harder on the screen. It's the precursor to 3D Touch on recent iPhones.
Always-on display
This could be part of why Apple made such a small smartwatch: Without an always-on display option, it can get away with a smaller battery.
Scrolling input
The Apple Watch has a crown you can twist to do things like zoom in and out of pics and scroll through long lists. The Gear's impressive rotating bezel serves a nearly identical purpose.
Water resistance
Both watches have water resistance, but only Apple is advertising swimming tracking.
Mobile payments
Each watch works with its maker's respective payment service. Samsung Pay has an advantage, though, in letting you hold your wrist up to a standard credit card reader (not awkward at all, we're sure) instead of a dedicated NFC terminal.
Step-tracking
Like any self-respecting smartwatch, both will serve as a pedometer and keep tabs on your steps.
Heart rate sensor
Both also have pulse monitors built into their backsides.
Battery
The Gear S3 should have the longer battery life, but keep in mind Samsung likely came up with these numbers with the always-on display option turned off.
Processor
Both watches have dual core processors this year.
Software
Apple's watchOS has deep iOS integration and a familiar Apple-friendly approach. The Gear's Tizen OS is … solid enough, but, based on our impressions of past generations, may be a bit clunky and disjointed in spots.
The app selection advantage also tilts overwhelmingly in Apple's favor.
Release
This Friday is the big day for the new Apple Watch, while Samsung hasn't yet announced an official launch date for the Gear (keep an eye on October).
Starting price
We also don't yet know what the Gear S3 will cost. You can expect the Frontier model, with its LTE radio, to make the bigger dent in your wallet.
For more, you can check out New Atlas' initial coverage of the new Apple Watch and our hands-on with the Gear S3.
