After a long stint as a closed ecosystem, Samsung’s wearables are now opening up to make some new friends. The Korean tech giant today announced, on the heels of CES 2017, that Samsung wearables would now come with iOS compatibility, allowing iPhone owners to use the smart watches and fitness bands whether or not they have a Samsung smartphone.
The news includes iOS compatibility for the Gear S3, the Gear S2 and the Gear Fit2.
Here’s what Younghee Lee, Samsung’s EVP of Global Marketing and Mobile Comms had to say about it:
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. By offering Android and iOS compatibility with our latest Gear devices, we’re giving users more ways to optimise their wearable experiences and connect to Samsung’s Galaxy of possibilities.
Last year, Samsung’s flagship device hit a major roadblock when units of the Galaxy Note 7 started to combust and catch fire due to a battery problem. Meanwhile, the Gear S3 is widely considered one of the best smart watches available on the market.
It’s possible that Samsung doesn’t want to slow sales of its wearables based on the unbecoming performance of its flagship mobile device.
Samsung is also opening up iOS compatibility for its SmartTV platform, offering an iOS version of the new SmartTV remote app for the freshly unveiled QLED smart TVs.
If you wish to download the iOS apps for your Samsung wearables, you can find them here for the Gear S3 and Gear S2 and here for the Samsung Gear Fit.