It would be exaggerated to say that smartwatches have become an essential part of our life, but we are (probably) moving in that direction. And we think Samsung device, one of the industry’s pioneers, has gotten a lot of things right. Even with its hefty price tag of about €460, the current Galaxy Watch3 is the pinnacle of great craftsmanship and software optimization. In terms of the hardware and software they employ, smartwatches today are far more dispersed than smartphones.
You have considerably more choice with smartwatches because Google’s Wear OS platform failed to provide a competitive user experience and because manufacturers are constantly seeking for ways to make their devices stand out. Others can run apps independently and are more autonomous, while some are designed for battery life and merely relay notifications from your phone.
Samsung has been developing smartwatches for a while, and as a result of some trial and error (with many hits but many misses over the years), the company now has a lineup of wearables it can be proud of. A good example of this is the most recent Galaxy Watch 3. You wouldn’t be wrong to believe that this is one of the greatest smartwatches available given its high-end specifications, which make it among the most potent ones on the market, combined with some durable and cutting-edge design elements.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review: Design
Similar to the previous generation, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 has a modified appearance but is still intended to resemble a traditional watch. It has a circular dial with a revolving bezel, but on the right you get two conventional-appearing cylindrical stubs in place of the two flattened buttons. Both the 41mm and 45mm versions of the Galaxy Watch 3’s dial are made of stainless steel. For each dial size, you can even choose models with Bluetooth or LTE. A small red ring is included on one of the physical buttons on LTE models. All models ship with a leather watch band because Samsung doesn’t offer any other options. If another strap is required, it is simple to switch these out.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review: Display
Although the 360 x 360-pixel screen of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is clear, bright enough to see in bright sunshine, and constantly on, that isn’t what drew my attention. I’ll be honest: Apple Watch issues make me anxious. I wish there were more alternatives since I feel like I have to utilize a combination of five different faces at once to view all I could need throughout the day. Introducing the Galaxy Watch 3, which has 40 complexities and 80,000 watch faces. We had to experiment for a while to find the Galaxy Watch 3 design and data combination that made me feel the most secure, but I have a thing for backgrounds with weather information. Why we never check the weather forecast before leaving the house is a mystery to us.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review: Features
Surprisingly, the Galaxy Watch 3 is powered by the same chipset as the first Galaxy Watch, which debuted two years ago. Although that may sound discouraging, we had no problems with the device’s performance when using it. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. The most recent Tizen OS 5.5 software from Samsung is running on the chipset. This is a complete genius. It is quick, responsive, and rather intuitive as well. For instance, navigating through various menus is easy and dependable. Wear OS for Android is not even close.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review: Tracking
In contrast to the Active line, which focuses on fitness, the Watch 3 is obviously made for more general use, although it still has a few additional fitness tracking functions. The Watch 3 now offers improved sleep tracking, blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring, and VO2 Max reporting in addition to the typical activity tracking, automatic workout detection, and heart rate monitoring. Like the Apple Watch, it also features a capability that will immediately phone an emergency contact when a fall is detected.
Samsung’s fitness tracking is not as trustworthy as I would like it to be, but previous models have drawn heavy criticism for their incorrect reporting because I am not an expert in fitness. I struggled to get the blood oxygen monitoring feature to function since it wouldn’t.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review: Performance
When we first started wearing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 with an iPhone 11 Pro, I realized that this combination was simply not made to work. Even though it functions, I had a very bad experience. While I could accept incoming calls on the watch, I had to use the iPhone to carry on actual conversations because notifications were almost always delayed on the watch and the native Spotify watch app wouldn’t work. Changing to the Samsung Galaxy S20+ made a significant improvement. I was promptly informed of notifications, and we could take calls directly from the watch. Using the display or the bezel for navigating, the UI is very snappy.
The majority of apps, including Gmail, WhatsApp, Slack, and others, allow you to reply to incoming notifications, which is convenient given that none of these have native Samsung smartwatch apps. You can input an answer directly on the screen or select one from a list of presets. You can even speak your message and have it automatically translated. The selection of apps in Samsung’s smartwatch app store is relatively limited. Even well-known Google apps are absent, but there are some options, including here maps for navigation apps. Sadly, there aren’t many options beyond this and a select few well-known ones like Uber, Strava, and Edmundo.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review: Battery Life
The battery life of the new Samsung Galaxy Watch appears to be inferior to that of the older model. The Galaxy Watch 3’s 340 mAh battery is only expected to last two days as opposed to the 4-day endurance of the first Galaxy Watch. That’s reasonable by smartwatch standards (the Apple Watch 5 only has 18 hours of battery life), and it probably helps explain the slimmer form.
The Galaxy Watch 3’s battery life matches Samsung’s predictions. The watch lasted around two days on the first two days I wore it, despite hour-long exercises and sleep tracking. The battery life decreased to 24 hours in its second cycle when I turned on the always-on display setting, though. Nevertheless, this is superior than my Apple Watch 5.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review: Price
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 went on sale. There are a few different sizes and configurations available for those who are interested in the new smartwatch. The 41mm variant of the Galaxy Watch 3 is available for $399 in either Mystic Silver or Mystic Bronze. (The latter choice matches the simultaneously released Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Buds Live and is Samsung’s distinctive hue.) The more expensive 45mm variant, which is available in Mystic Black or Mystic Silver, starts at $429. There is also a titanium version available, but it will cost more. Additionally, expect to pay $50 more if you want your Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 with LTE so it can answer calls and respond to messages even when your smartphone is out of Bluetooth range.
Conclusion
Samsung watches have consistently made an effort to do everything. The Galaxy Watch 3 likely offers any function you can think of for a contemporary smartwatch. Many opportunities are lost when there are too many features included, but I believe Samsung succeeded in the majority of these areas. We don’t believe the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is the greatest wearable available for purchase in any particular category, aside from hardware and design.
The fitness and health tracking on Garmin and Fitbit watches is more precise, and the Wear OS app ecosystem is better. we won’t hesitate, though, to claim that the Galaxy Watch 3 is one of the greatest smartwatches you can get for your Android and iPhone because it is so well-rounded overall.
