Samsung’s Gear smartwatches can now be paired up with iOS devices, opening up the market for the wearables to a greater number of users.
The company announced at CES 2017 the launch of new Gear S and Gear Fit apps that bring iOS compatibility to its latest wrist-worn devices, including the Gear S3 (both Classic and Frontier models), the Gear S2 and the Gear Fit 2.
iPhone users can download the free app from the Apple App Store, and are then guided through the steps necessary to pair their phone with a compatible Samsung wearable device.
It works with any iPhone from iPhone 5 onward and iOS 9.0 or later.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to enhance our offerings and we do this in part by listening to what our customers want — and that includes greater access to our cutting-edge wearable technologies with iOS support,” commented Younghee Lee, executive vice president of Global Marketing, Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics.
Features supported on the iOS platform include the standard notifications, Find My Gear, downloading apps onto the wearable device, and syncing health and fitness data with Samsung’s S Health service. Users can track their fitness by monitoring distance and route travelled, running pace, calories burned and heart rate.
Samsung has also announced a collaboration with sportswear brand Under Armour, in which Under Armour will develop four health and fitness apps for the Samsung Gear Fit2, Gear S2 and Gear S3.
