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Under Armour, Nest, and BMW bring new apps to the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch

While most people just use the core apps of a smartwatch, the app story is still important. A few major app partners rolled out new apps for the Samsung Gear S3.
Written by Matthew Miller, Contributing Writer
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Image: Samsung

The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier (see my full review) is one of the best smartwatches available today. Samsung announced a few new apps from major partners to enhance the Gear S3 functionality.

Music

While the press release advertises Spotify, I received this app on my Gear S3 a couple of months ago. Spotify on the Gear S3 lets you connect and enjoy music via your phone and Bluetooth or directly via Wi-Fi or LTE. In April, premium Spotify subscribers will have the capability to download music for offline playback.

Fitness

At CES 2017, Samsung announced that the Under Armour Connected Fitness suite would launch for the Gear S3. This suite contains UA Record, MapMyRun, Endomondo, and MyFitnessPal. While there are a vast selection of fitness-focused apps available for the Gear S3, these are some of the most popular across various platforms, and it is great to see them now appear for the S3.

UA Record, MapMyRun, and Endomondo have similarities, with the ability to track your workout using GPS and view maps. However, each of these apps also have differences so that the end user is presented with choices when it comes to tracking their fitness.

MyFitnessPal is a powerful app for tracking your food and water consumption, with the world's largest nutritional database at your fingertips.

Connected devices

As an original Nest thermostat owner, I regularly use my phone to change the temperature while enjoying a movie on the couch or lying in bed. The Gear for Nest app ($1.99 price) lets you use your Gear S3 to control your Nest. Just like the Nest itself, you can rotate the watch bezel to change the temperature.

If you own a BMW vehicle, then you may be able to use your Gear S3 to lock and unlock the doors, check fuel status, view details of your trip, find your vehicle, and more.

Directions

HERE WeGo was offered in the Samsung Gear store a few months ago, but it was recently updated to include real-time updates and an Android companion to more easily follow directions on your phone. You can use this app for turn-by-turn directions, with offline map support.

New York City commuters may want to download the NYC Transit app, as it provides bus, rail, and subway schedules on your wrist. You can find your location and then navigate to the closest station to catch public transportation.

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