The Samsung Gear S is a smartwatch with a large, 2 inch curved display, Samsung’s Tizen-based software, and the ability to display notifications from your phone. But what really makes the Gear S stand out is the fact that you don’t need to use it with a phone: it can connect to the internet whether it’s tethered to your phone over Bluetooth or not.

In the US (and most parts of the world), the Samsung Gear S has a SIM card and support for cellular data from wireless carriers including Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

But Samsung has just launched a new version of the Gear S in Japan that doesn’t support mobile networks: It’s WiFi-only.

gear s

Most smartwatches have Bluetooth, but not WiFi. So the new variant of the Gear S is still able to do some things that a typical smartwatch cannot since it can connect to your home, work, or coffee shop network without using your phone’s internet connection.

The WiFi-only version of the Gear S is currently offered by Japanese carrier KDDI au. There’s no word on if or when Samsung will offer this version of the watch in other markets.

You could theoretically buy a standard Gear S and use it without inserting a SIM card… but the WiFi-only model doesn’t even have a SIM card slot or 3G capabilities.

via Android Authority

Support Liliputing

Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).

But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.

Contribute to our Patreon campaign

or...

Contribute via PayPal

* If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it.

Subscribe to Liliputing via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,547 other subscribers

2 replies on “Samsung launches WiFi-only Gear S Smartwatch (in Japan)”

  1. Hi there, this is Matthew Benson from Android Authority. A quick correction: The docomo version is 3G, the KDDI au version is Wifi only.

Comments are closed.