Samsung Gear S review

The Samsung Gear S is a standalone smartwatch ... with some caveats

Samsung Gear S
The martwatch almost without the phone

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

As I mentioned before, the Gear S won't work without a Samsung Galaxy running Android 4.3 or higher. This also means the watch is a picky beast and will only pair up with Samsung phones. It's a strange move for the company to lock in the Gear S.

On top of sneakily tethering the watch's calling and texting abilities, you'll need a data plan to even use the SIM card - which is another chunk of change you're giving up. In the US, Verizon and T-Mobile both charge an additional $5 per month while AT&T and Sprint want $10 a month. Though Sprint will waive the fee through December 2015 if your plan has 20GB of data or more.

Samsung Gear S and Samsung Galaxy Note 4

The Gear S can remotely connect via Wi-Fi as well but only for certain notifications. If it's not set up with a SIM card, you won't get call and text forwarding if you've left your phone at home.

Battery life

At 300mAh, the Gear S has a significantly lower battery capacity than the 360's 320mAh and the G Watch R's 410mAh but I was able to get almost two days of usage before needing to charge up again. Usage here means having the pedometer on, getting notifications, messing around with apps, texting, checking emails and of course, using the phone. The main battery suck is using the Gear S over Wi-Fi or 3G. It lasted slightly longer over Bluetooth - by a couple of hours, specifically.

Samsung Gear S

The charging cradle is similar to that of other smartwatches. The cradle itself can be charged then unplugged to clip on and juice up the Gear S without being tethered. Essentially, you can take the cradle with you, pop it on on the back of the smartwatch and charge on the go. Then when both run out of battery life, you can plug the cradle in with a micro-USB cord and charge both simultaneously. The length of time to charge up to 100% isn't terrible - about two hours if completely dead and much less if the battery is at half. The cradle can also hold a charge for several days before needing to be plugged in.

TOPICS
Latest in Smartwatches
Garmin Forerunner 965 on wrist in the dark
New Garmin leak suggests a release is days away, but don't get your hopes up for the Forerunner 975
Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED watch on wrist
Garmin owners were confused about 13.35 software update for Fenix 8, here's what actually happened
UNA Watch
UNA Watch is the sustainable wearable that wants to replace your Apple Watch
The Apple Watch Series 10 on a pink background with text saying Don't Miss next to it.
The beautiful Apple Watch Series 10 drops to its lowest-ever price at Amazon
Amazfit Active 2
I ditched all my strength training plans for a $99 smartwatch – here's what happened
Google Pixel Watch 3 side dial and button
The Pixel Watch just got a secret display upgrade in Wear OS 5.1, but here’s why you probably shouldn’t use it
Latest in Reviews
Samsung Music Frame on a table beside some books and a vase
I spent six weeks listening to the Samsung Music Frame and it kept missing the beat
GlocalMe KeyTracker
When I tested this global tracker, it trounced the Apple AirTag in so many ways
An AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D on its retail packaging
I've reviewed three generations of 3D V-cache processors, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the best there is
Mac Studio on a desk
Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra): the ultimate creative workstation
Apple iPad Air 11-inch M3 (2025) Review
I tested the 11-inch iPad Air with M3 for five days, and it stretches the value even further with more power for the same price
Moiraine using her magic in The Wheel of Time season 3
The Wheel of Time season 3 proves that Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV show isn't the only high fantasy heavyweight worth watching on Prime Video