Samsung’s latest wearable device takes the concept of connectivity to a whole new level. Perhaps, a little too far.

While most smartwatches rely on a smartphone to access the Internet, Samsung’s Gear S connects to the world on its own. There’s no need to tether to another wireless device via Bluetooth.

Inside the rectangular, somewhat large device, sits a cellular transmitter that offers the same level of connectivity you get with a phone or phablet. Coupled with an internal SIM card, which you’ll need a wireless plan for, the Gear S is always plugged in.

The thinking is that you don’t need to have your phone out all the time. You can glance at emails on the Gear S, receive Facebook updates, make phone calls and send text messages. And like pretty much every wearable device, you can use it to track your health.

Look ma, no phone

Yup. You could be out for dinner, with your phone stashed in the glove compartment of your car, and never miss another distraction as the Gear S is able to send and receive phone calls and data alerts on its own.

Users also have the option of reading and responding to text messages on the Gear itself.

The easiest option to input text is to use voice dictation – which works pretty well. But if you’re a British spy on a covert operation in Moscow, your best bet will be to tap or swipe out your message on the 2-inch curved touch screen.

Yeah, it’s going to be tight and awkward, but there’s no need to pull out a phone.

The software

The Gear S runs on Samsung’s own mobile operating system – Tizen. It has its own app store that’s small, but growing. Samsung says there’s more than 1,000 titles available.

To download and install new apps on the watch, you need to have a Samsung phone. It’s much easier to search for apps on a larger device, but this caveat does require users to pair the device with a Samsung handset.

I tried out the Nike+ app along with Samsung’s own S Health app – both worked well with the Gear S, and the wearable device served well to augment the experience on the phone.

There are also maps, music and web browser apps, among the many titles available. Soccer scores on my wrist? No problem.

Inside sits a 1 Ghz dual-core processor, 512 MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage for your music and apps.

An accelerometer, barometer, gyroscopic sensor, geomagnetic sensor, heart rate sensor and finally, a light sensor, are all designed to capture data about your lifestyle and feed it into the respective apps. For a workout, I was able to track my distance, intensity and heart rate.

Battery

With average use, the Gear S appeared to last for about a day and a half. To charge it, you simply snap it into a cradle that’s powered via a standard micro USB cable. The cradle also has a built-in battery, so it can charge the watch when it’s not being worn, without having to plug anything in.

Conclusion

The Gear S pushes the boundaries with its built-in 3G connectivity and curved touchscreen. Early adopters will love it for those features.

However, I found myself often reverting to my smartphone if I wanted to send a message, read an email, or…actually make a phone call. Maybe it was habit. The robust fitness tracking was helpful, but some may find the Gear S to be too bulky for everyday use.