Like all Samsung watches, the Gear S3 ships with the Tizen OS, not Google’s Wear operating system. It’s compatible with Samsung smartphones, Android phones running Android 4.4 and higher with more than 1.5GB RAM, and iPhones running iOS 9.0 or later. All versions have built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a heart-rate monitor, a microphone, and speakers. An LTE version lets you make phone calls and send texts from your wrist even when you leave your smartphone behind. These are the five best Samsung Gear S3 features. You can also use the GPS to share your location in case of an emergency via SOS mode. Once you enable the feature in your watch settings, you need to assign at least one emergency contact. You can create a new one or pull one from your saved contacts. To activate SOS mode, press the watch’s home key three times in quick succession. Your emergency contacts receive an SOS message along with your location. They also receive a link that tracks your whereabouts on a map for up to an hour. You can also opt to have the Gear S3 automatically call your first emergency contact when you activate SOS mode. The Gear S3 counts steps and even measures elevation if you’re the hiking type or you take the stairs a lot. Note that the watch won’t necessarily realize you’re on an escalator, though. You can also manually input water intake, and weight and the watch can track your sleep and heart rate. While the watch is waterproof, Samsung doesn’t recommend using it while swimming; it can withstand showers and rainstorms, though. To enable this setting, press the home key or rotate the bezel to apps, tap Settings > Style, and then the checkmark next to Watch always on.
