With Samsung’s release of the Gear S3 smartwatch coinciding with the release of the Apple Watch Series 2, we once again face the battle of iOS and Android (Samsung’s Tizen OS).

Let’s take a closer look at how these two wearables compare.

1.Design

Both wearables stay true to their brands classic design, with the Gear S3 offering a round and chunky clock face (similar to the previously released S2) with rotating bezel and the iWatch Series 2 replicating the rectangular design of the original iWatch.

There are two versions of the Gear S3, the Frontier and the Classic. The Frontier offers a more rugged strap (weighing in at 62g), whilst the Classic is, as the name suggests, slightly more minimalist and lightweight at 57g.

The Apple Watch Series 2 is aesthetically close to the original, but with some new case materials, including a ceramic white model that is ‘four times harder than steel’. The familiar 38mm and 42mm cases are available, with 272 x 340 and 312 x 390 screen resolutions, respectively.

2. Operating Systems and Software

Apple launched the Series 2 Watch with watchOS 3, offering Fitness apps with real-time access to heart rate.

Samsung’s Tizen operating system is the OS of choice on the Gear 2, with up to 10,000 apps available including Uber and Spotify. You’ll even be able to use Spotify directly from the watch if you have an LTE-enabled Gear 3.

Both watches offer a similar SOS feature built in to alert someone of your whereabouts if you’re ever in a spot of trouble.

If you’re a big gamer take note; Pokémon Go is also now available on the Apple Watch for gaming on the go.

3. Hardware:

A new dual cored S2 chip is housed inside Apple’s new wearable, promising 50% faster performance.

Samsung’s Gear S3 offers a dual-core 1GHz processor with 768MB of RAM and  4GB of storage inside.

4. Sensors:

Both wearables now benefit from an inbuilt GPS and heart rate sensor, improving their usage whilst running or cycling. You’ll also be able to get an improved distance- and speed-tracking through routed maps.

Samsung’s Gear S3  also provides an accelerometer and a gyroscope for an all-encompassing sporting experience.

5. Waterproofing

This is where the Apple Watch Series 2 wins, since it an be submerged to 50m  making it a more appealing choice for serious swimmers. The Gear S3 is IP68 rated though, allowing it to be submerged in 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes.

Apple Watch Series 2 Specs at a glance:

• Colours: Gold, Rose Gold, Silver, Space Grey Aluminium case and Space Black, Silver Stainless Steel case and Ceramic
• S2 Dual-core processor
• GPS
• Height: 38.6/42.5mm
• Width: 33.3mm/36.4mm
• Depth: 11.4mm
• Case weight: 28.2/34.2g
• Retina display with Force Touch (2x brighter than original)
• Digital Crown
• Heart rate sensor
• WiFi 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Up to 18hrs battery life
• Water resistant IPX7 (swimming proof – water depth up to 50m)

 Samsung Gear S3 Specs at a glance:

• OS: Tizen Based Wearable OS 2.3.2
• Display 1.3” (33 mm), 360 x 360 Fullcolor AOD, Corning® Gorilla® Glass SR+
• Dimensions: Frontier 46 x 49 x 12.9T (62 g), Classic 46 x 49 x 12.9T (57 g) *Weight without watch bands
• Chipset: Exynos 7270, Dual 1.0GHz
• Network: LTE with Embedded SIM (*Applies to LTE models only)
• Bluetooth 4.2
• Wi-Fi b/g/n,
• NFC, MST,
• GPS/Glonass
• Water and dust resistant
• Frontier IP68
• Classic IP68
• Mic, SPK, Linear Motor

The Apple Watch Series 2 is compatible with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus.

The Samsung Gear S3 is compatible with Android devices running Android 4.4 or later, including the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.

Unless you were living under a rock this week you will know by now that Apple’s Launch event went down a storm yesterday, with the promise of two new devices, an improved iWatch and retro gaming heaven – Super Mario for the iPhone.

If you’ve got a spare two hours and want the full info check out Apple’s Keynote September 2016 Video, but if you’re looking for the best bits read on.

1. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are here.

Initially announced by Apple on their Twitter feed before it appeared on stage, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus come in the usual range of colour ways with the addition of a super shiny Jet Black (not available in the 32GB variant). Thanks to the A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture and embedded M10 motion coprocessor they’re the fastest iPhone created and feature some impressive specs including faster LTE with the best worldwide roaming and support for WhatsApp/Facebook calling.

2. The Headphone Jack is no more

We hate to break it to you but the rumours are true; Apple have scrapped the Headphone Jack in favour of wireless connections and a slimmer casing. To connect your favourite headphones to the next iPhone you will need to use the lightning adapter (which will be included in the box). The only downside to this will be the inability to listen to your media via headphones whilst charging your handset. If you’d like to get around this problem Apple have used their own W1 chip to design AirPods (wireless earbuds) that pair via Bluetooth or you can purchase a third party set of wireless headphones that are compatible with the new handsets.

3. Dual Camera on the iPhone 7 Plus

The iPhone 7 Plus houses the same 12 megapixel wide-angle camera that’s on iPhone 7 as well as an innovative 12 megapixel telephoto camera providing higher-quality zoom and an all-new depth-of-field effect (coming soon).

4. Increased power with better battery life

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus both boast the ‘best battery life and performance’ we’ve seen from Apple with  a single charge is said to last up to two hours longer than the iPhone 6, even with the 25% brighter Retina HD display.

5. Water Resistant handsets and wearables 

Apple have entirely reengineered the enclosure for both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to create their very first water‑resistant iPhone. It is important to note the emphasis on ‘Resistant’ not ‘Waterproof‘ as the handsets have an 1p67 rating, meaning the device can be dropped in 1 meter or 3.3 feet of water for nearly 30 minutes. So while you’re now protected like never before against spills, splashes, and even dust you’re not completely covered if you submerge your handset for a lengthy period.

The Apple Watch Series 2 has also answered many of our prayers with water resistant protection up to 50m. Apple have sealed off every possible point of entry except the watch’s speaker and are encouraging users to use the Watch while they swim, with the promise of swim-specific workout modes on Series 2.

6. Super Mario for the iOS and Pokemon Go for the iWatch

2016 continues to be the year of Nintendo’s Retro gaming comeback. Super Mario Bros. creator Shigeru Miyamoto took to the stage to announce Super Mario Run - due for release by the holidays. It is very similar in design to the 2D platform format that we’re all familiar with, with the addition of  multiplayer mode where players compete to collect coins on a map.

Pokemon Go isn’t going anywhere either, with a Pokemon Go app for the iWatch also launching later this year. The  Apple Watch version of mobile game won’t be independent from your mobile gaming experience as the wearable version is more about spotting pokémon than catching them, but it certainly makes Pokémon Go’s egg-hatching feature more convenient.

7. iOS 10 is officially coming out on September 13th

iOS 10 was officially announced alongside the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Check out our previous post to find out what you can expect from the OS update.

8. Apple Watch Series 2

The Apple Watch Series 2 features all the requisite specification upgrades including GPS, Two-Times-Brighter Display, Dual-Core Processor and watchOS 3.

The main advantage is the water resistant coating for use up to 50m (see above) and Apple have partnered with likes of Hermès and Nike to create models specifically aimed at fashionistas and sports fanatics alike.

9. Apple Music gets a welcome overhaul

As part of iOS 10 we’ll see Apple Music face a major redesign with bold new aesthetics, a personalized playlist generator (Discovery Mix) and lyric integration.

10. iWork, Collaborative work and Education

Tim Cook shone a light on Apple’s future education initiatives, including ConnectED grant (which aims to deliver 50,000 iPads to students and 4,500 Macs to teachers)  and the new and improve iWork apps that will now offer real time collaboration between colleagues. 

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are both available to pre-order sim free today, with stock arriving September 16th.