Samsung Gear S Review: Could the Gear S Replace Your Smartphone? Not Really

While Samsung has been advertising its Samsung Gear S smartwatch as something you could replace your smartphone with, some people are doubtful about it.

Most smartwatches require a connection to a smartphone with a SIM card to be able to send and receive messages, access the Internet and use the smartwatch for "phone tasks."

However, the Samsung Gear S is the first of its kind to have the capability to operate independently, or without the need to connect to a smartphone.

The best way to describe the Samsung Gear S is that it is like a wearable smartphone. It has its own SIM card, which allows you to call, text, connect to the Internet and do other tasks. Every other smartphone in the market requires a Bluetooth connection to your phone.

However, this smartwatch may not actually replace your smartphone. You cannot use apps with the smartwatch unless it is connected to a phone. It still requires a phone—and not just any phone—but specifically a Samsung Galaxy Android 4.3 or higher.

What makes it different is that pairing is allowed not only over Bluetooth but over Internet as well. This means that the two devices do not have to be within close distance of each other. Your phone could be in New York while your smartwatch could be in Los Angeles, but you'll still be able to pair the two devices together.

Although the Samsung Gear S lives up to Samsung's promise, it is not as much as you would expect. A fully standalone smartwatch is still a dream as pairing it with a smartphone is still inevitable. Kudos to Samsung for manufacturing an almost-standalone smartwatch. However, at then end of the day the Gear S is still, ultimately, a phone accessory.