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Samsung Gear S: curved, big, and it's a phone (hands-on pictures)

Samsung's curved-screen smartwatch has its own SIM card and 3G service: check it out on our wrist.

Scott Stein
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Scott Stein
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1 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The Samsung Gear S is, amazingly, Samsung's sixth smartwatch in a year. What makes it different? Screen and 3G.

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2 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The 2-inch 360x480 curved AMOLED screen feels like a super-sized Gear Fit. It's wide, but very vivid.

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3 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

There's plenty of room for notifications.

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4 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The strap snaps together like Samsung's previous Gear 2 watches.

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5 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

We checked out a Gear S with white rubber strap. It pops into the band accessory, as opposed to a regular watch's individually-attached straps.

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6 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

A look from the side shows its thickness.

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7 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The snap-on battery charger also doubles as its own battery: a 350 mAh battery inside tops off your Gear S on the go.

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8 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The Gear S runs Tizen, including the apps that launched for Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo.

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9 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

Browsing headlines and stories feels a little like using a mini-smartphone.

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10 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

An optical heart-rate monitor on the back works like the ones on previous Samsung Gear watches this year.

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11 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The Gear S is also IP67 water and dust resistant, but not fully waterproof.

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12 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The pre-set watchfaces have shortcut buttons for notifications and weather, but vary in aesthetics.

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13 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

Fitness data via S Health.

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14 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The Gear S is comfortable, and even feels a bit sporty. But, again, it's awfully big.

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15 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The Gear S has its own 3G connectivity and SIM card slot for making phone calls and getting messages.

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16 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The band almost feels like a cuff.

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17 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

Another look at the battery charger, which charges via micro-USB.

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18 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

The Gear S also has 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and GPS.

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19 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

A light lets you know when the battery pack's fully charged your watch.

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20 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

You'll need a Samsung phone running Android 4.3 to use the Gear S.

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21 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

You'll also need a phone to install apps onto the Gear S, despite the watch having its own Wi-Fi and 3G.

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22 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

A Nike+ Running App turns the Gear S into a Fuel-earning fitness gadget, a first for Samsung Gear wearables.

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23 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

Apps are stored on the Gear S's 4GB of memory. You can also store music tracks to play via Bluetooth headphones.

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24 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

Will this be the shape of future Gear watches?

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25 of 25 Sarah Tew / CNET

As for data plan pricing and carrier compatibility, stay tuned. But 3G on a watch will be a tall order to ask anyone to pay for unless it works really, really well.

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