Samsung Unpacked Gear S3 launch: Watch the live stream right here

Samsung is to host a live video stream of its Unpacked event in Berlin on 31 August. The presentation is expected to feature a new smartwatch called the Gear S3 and comes exactly a year after Samsung launched its predecessor, the S2.

As with previous years, the event will be held at the Tempodrom exhibition centre and falls on the eve of IFA, Europe's largest consumer technology trade show which also takes place in Berlin. The launch event kicks off at 6pm local time (5pm BST) and is expected to last for between 60 and 90 minutes.

A live stream will be switched on by Samsung on its global news site, as well as on Samsung.com. There is also likely to be a live stream on the company's YouTube channel, too, and the option to watch in virtual reality with the Gear VR headset.

As for the Gear S3 itself, we expect to see a smartwatch running the Tizen operating system, with a circular touchscreen and a rotating bezel for scrolling through menus.

It is understood that Samsung will release several different versions of the Gear S3, with one aimed at the fitness tracking market and one designed to look more like a regular watch.

According to SamMobile, a trademark filing by Samsung in South Korea reveals the company has reserved three names for the S3. These are Gear S3 Classic, Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Explorer. A luxury version will be made by Swiss jewellers de Grisogono, who also worked with Samsung to create a $15,000 (£11,500), diamond-studded version of the S2 earlier in the year.

There have been very few leaks related to the Gear S3 so far, although it is claimed it will feature more sensors than the S2. These include a barometer to measure atmospheric pressure, a speedometer to show your current and average speed during a run or cycling session, and an altimeter for displaying the altitude.

The Gear S3 will go up against the Apple Watch, which is itself expected to receive an update before the end of 2016. Apple is hosting a media event on 7 September where it will reveal the iPhone 7 and, possibly, the Watch 2, although leaks of the latter have been thin on the ground so far.