The new Samsung Gear S app is available today in the Apple App Store.
Samsung has announced that they have extended iOS compatibility to the latest Gear family of devices including the Gear S3, Gear S2, and Gear Fit2. You'll need to have an iPhone 5 or newer and be running iOS 9 or higher on it to use the new app, so most iPhones out there should be compatible.
Starting today, users can download the Samsung Gear S app for the Gear S2 and Gear S3 or the Samsung Gear Fit app for the Gear Fit2 on compatible iOS devices from the Apple App Store. Once the appropriate app is downloaded, users will be guided through steps to complete pairing with the user's compatible Samsung wearable device.
On the functionality side, Samsung mentions that features will vary by device, the Gear S3's built-in GPS, altimeter, barometer and speedometer apps are supported as well fitness tracking by monitoring distance and route traveled, running pace, calories burned and heart rate.
Samsung making their smart watches available to more users is a smart move — especially iOS users. Research shows that iPhone owners tend to have the most disposable income to buy luxury products with, and the design of the latest additions to the Gear family stand out in the sea of wearables. We're not sure how many iPhone users wanted to use something like a Gear S3, but now every one of them can.
Reader comments
Samsung brings iOS compatibility to the latest Gear devices
Darn, I just sold my iPhone because I couldn't use it with my Gear S3. Time to test this with my wife's phone and then get another iPhone!
Thats exactly what Im going to do...my girlfriend have an Samsung Gear S2...Im going to test that watch today!!!
I haven't used my gear s2 in months since I switched back to iPhone and didn't get in the beta. I'm charging my watch now can't wait to try out.
Good thing here is you can have Apple Pay going on the iPhone and Samsung Pay going on the Gears S3. Win--win.
Sent from the iMore App
Are you sure that you can use Samsungpay on gear s 3 when using an iPhone
The new Samsung Pay is supposed to be standalone but who knows. You might be right.
Samsung Pay needs to be set up on the Gear App on your smartphone before you can use it, so it depends whether the iOS version supports this function.
I don't believe the app does. At least not mine
Whoa! Jerry writing for iMore! (I know, I know...)
Sent from the iMore App
It is about time I have a gear 2 classic and a iPhone 7 plus
I think iMore should have Jerry as special quest on their podcast...
Posted via the Note 5 or iPhone 7 Plus
Apple, please make a round watch already. I love the look of the Gear S3 and other round smart watches, but don't want to give up the functionality the Apple Watch provides. I personally find square watches ugly.
When I read this over at AndroidCentral (thx Jerry!), I was psyched. My wife and I are HUGE Sammy fans and have had Almost all of the Galaxy S and Note phones. TODAY, I swapped my wife into an iPhone 7 plus and hooked her S2 Classic Rose Gold to it. Flawless. Simple install and pairing process. Was actually smoother than when I had paired it from her S6+ to her S7+.
Next week, I'll be going over to a 7+ as well. The only thing holding us both back was that the Gear S2 only worked on Android.
Why not just get iWatches? Neither of us like the design. The Gear S2's rotating bezel super useful, especially since the software update that aligns it more with the Gear S3. Also, I spent close to $900 on both our classics when their versions launched (platinum (mine), rose gold (hers) and have since spent close to $400 total on watch faces for both of us. (watchface makers rejoice, lol). In my mind, I've invested close to $1300 in our Samsungs and would rather stay in their little Tizen ecosystem....