One year after their launch, Samsung is beefing up its Gear S3 smartwatches with a major update.
The Samsung Gear S3 Value Pack update is now available. The update adds several improvements to the Gear S3 smartwatches, including for workouts, communications, and more.
The Value Pack update includes improved accuracy and detailed feedback on real-time heart rate monitoring as well as a nutrition management feature. With this, users can add calories consumed, check their calorie balance, and compare it to their daily target.
Samsung is also enabling Gear S3 users to create new contacts on their smartwatch with the Value Pack update. They can create events, too, which include information like date and time, reminder alerts, and location. There's support for viewing and editing checklists as well as video and web reminders created on a synced smartphone here, too. This means that you can create a shopping list on your phone and then check items off on your watch as you go.
Also included in this Value Pack update are widget improvements. Widgets are now optimized to fit the Gear S3's circular display, including a band around their perimeter to show widget-specific info like contact names and detailed weather info. Users can rotate the bezel faster and slower to see more information on their screen, too.
Another bezel movement action will let you move from a text message notification to a reply input. There are additional quick replies for text messages as well as the ability to create a custom quick reply on the Gear S3.
Rounding out the Gear S3 Value Pack's improvements are the ability to sort apps in the order they were most recently used, the ability to access the Moment Bar to check battery and volume levels with a swipe up or down from any screen, and an improved, image-focused UI for syncing your smartwatch to your smartphone.
Samsung says that the Gear S3 Value Pack update can be downloaded through the Samsung Gear app on your smartphone.
