[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics unveiled two new feature-rich smartwatches in Berlin on Aug. 31 ahead of this week’s IFA trade fair, one of the world’s largest annual exhibitions for consumer electronics.

The Gear S3 Frontier and S3 Classic feature a mobile payment function, longer battery life and built-in GPS capabilities for emergency calls or texts.

The built-in GPS capability allows users to accurately monitor their daily fitness activities. 



In case of an emergency, Samsung said users can activate the “SOS” and location tracking capabilities to alert family, friends and emergency professionals about crisis situations.

In certain countries, the Gear S3 users can use their smartwatch to make a purchase, Samsung said, noting almost anywhere they can swipe or tap a card with Samsung Pay for Gear S3.

The Gear S3 boasts four days of battery life, compared with the two to three days of battery life in its predecessors, Samsung said.

Samsung did not disclose the prices of the new smartwatches, which are expected to go on sale in South Korea and the United States in the third quarter of this year.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)