Samsung Galaxy Watch3 Review: Good Looks, Rich In Features
October 10, 2020Galaxy Misc: Blood pressure monitor, compatible with standard 20/22mm straps, Rotating bezel, Loudspeaker, LTE connectivity.
Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, heart rate, barometer, NFC
OS/Software: Tizen-based wearable OS 5.5
Memory: 8GB RAM
Chipset: Exynos 9110, Dual-core 1.15GHz
Display: 41mm, 1.2: super AMOLED, 360p resolution. Always on display.
Body: 41mm
Battery : 247mAh, Wireless charging
Weight: 54g
Rating: 9/10
Price: RM1,699
In the world of smartwatches, Apple rules the roost. Its WatchOS has been refined over the past several years, allowing it to morph into a digital fitness coach that happens to tell time. It’s why Google seems to have perpetually lost ground. Despite toiling for years to bring about a worthy competitor, the Search giant, hasn’t made an impactful impression.
But, for a fleeting moment, Moto360 and TicWatch devices renewed our hope in a possible Apple Watch competitor. Sadly, WearOS is just too power hungry, lacks important features and simply isn’t polished enough to garner enough attention. In time, and with enough resources, Google could mount a comeback, but that isn’t the case today.
This lends credence to Samsung’s rationale of using its own homebaked operating system, TizenOS to power its smartwatches. Things were a bit sketchy in the early generations, but with the Galaxy Watch3, the Korean giant has really begun to hit its stride. Made from well crafted 316L stainless steel, the device feels much more than a watch.
See Also: Titanium Watch3
What’s It like?
It feels a little chunky, but a trade off had to be made somewhere, to accommodate the plethora of sensors. At 41mm, it fits nicely on smaller wrists. I would imagine that the 45mm option would be better option for men, but the only disparities between the two, are screen size and battery capacity.
Our test unit has a 1.2-inch super AMOLED touchscreen that’s quite bright and responsive. Icons and text are clearly legible and devoid of ‘pixelated edges’ associated with low-res screens. Content looks nice and crisp, which adds to the overall elegance of this timepiece. It does adequate justice to the plethora of detailed watch faces that are available.
When the always-on display is kept active, the screen maintains a satisfactory amount of brightness at all times, even when your wrist is down. As such, with a single flick of the wrist, you’ll be able to tell time or review a notification easily. Though it does eat into your overall battery life, this isn’t as impactful as it should be.
The watch also allows you to create custom watch faces using pictures in your galleries or pre-defined patterns. Each offers various different designs and complications such as ECG monitoring and steps taken. And if the default options aren’t to your liking, you have the option of downloading a whole host of others, each tailored to suit your mood or attire.
It’s feasible to navigate efficiently through the watch’s various menus by touch, but I often found myself using the bi-directional, rotating bezel instead. It’s an impressive creation that offers a firm, tactile click with each advancement. It’s oddly satifying, reminiscent of mechnical diver watches. This bezel allows for precise navigation through the Watch3’s menus.
It is a far more efficient way to use the watch than having to tap on the screen constantly. There’s enough resistance to prevent it from overshooting your desired selection. The entire experience feels ‘premium’ and the more you use it, the better it becomes, allowing you to swiftly get to the desired menu.
The Bezel Is Everything
The UI (user interface), is arranged in a circular pattern, similar in design to that of the screen. Rotating the bezel in either direction moves the selector accordingly. It’s self explanatory, which means that, with just a little common sense, anyone can use it effectively.
Both buttons on the side can be used to exit to the main menu or assign special functions and calendar options. But the main allure of this watch, lies in its ability to seamlessly control what’s happening on your phone and wireless earbuds. Answering and declining calls can be done with a single tap, and if you’ve chosen the latter, options are then given to text a response.
Since there’s a built-in loudspeaker, you can even choose to answer calls or play something on your watch. Although, from a practical standpoint, this is pointless. But it does provide for a certain level of flexibility. Being able to answer and converse with an important caller when your phone is nowhere in sight, can prove useful at times.
Skipping through songs can be done by rotating the bezel or tapping the screen. And if you want to adjust the volume of the music that’s blaring in your ears, just tap the speaker icon on the watch. The effortless way with which the Watch3 is able to interact with the other two devices, makes for a pleasant experience. There are no hiccups, stuttering or crashes here.
When a notification comes in, the watch displays it in a concise manner. which allows you at a glance, to tell what it’s about. This is carried over into the way the watch alerts you to messages and other notifications. The haptic feedback is vigorous enough to grab your attention, but not enough to startle you. It’s subtle but firm.
It’s a testament to the improvements made to TizenOS. It feels like a full-fledged operating system, that is more than capable of being a stand-in for Google’s own WearOS. This is evident in the way the watch records and monitors your daily routine and exercise patterns. This data can then be reviewed both on your watch or phone.
The Features
Admittedly, the report is rather thorough, allowing you to view your progress and areas that require improvement. Watch3 also lets you specifically choose the type of strenuous activity you’re about to do. This includes cycling, running as well as many others. By telling the watch this, it’s able to accurately track you activity and give you a proper report.
It’s quite extensive, which should be to the liking of fitness buffs who love to crunch data. But even if you aren’t into that lifestyle, Watch3 is still able to monitor your activity and provide feedback for when you’ve been sedentary for too long. It tries to condition your mind to remain active, even when you’re subconsciously being lazy.
Granted, it’s still no match for Garmin’s fitness trackers, but the Watch3 is sophisticated enough to be a better all-rounder. It behaves like a personal assistant and fitness coach, whilst keeping you abreast on the alerts, news and messages that your phone receives.
It’s ECG monitoring feature is quite helpful too. It can accurately track your heart rate and inform you of abnormalities. This data can then be shown to your doctor for further analysis. The same can’t be said of the blood oxygen level feature. It only gives you a ballpark figure of your reading, so take this data with a pinch of salt.
GPS and Wifi support, extend its functionality beyond that of a regular watch. Where you are, and the places you’ve been to, can be accurately recorded and reviewed when needed. They also allow the watch to control other devices and appliances. The functions may seem endless, but there is still room for improvement.
It’s Tough Enough
The Watch3 has IP68 water resistance certification, so you can take it just about anywhere and not worry about getting it wet. This is a hardy device, thanks to the Gorilla glass protecting the display. Light bumps and knocks shouldn’t be a cause for concern, unless you’re worried about getting it scuffed by grazing it against a table or something similar.
Despite the 41mm having a slightly smaller battery than the 45mm one, you can still expect about a day and a half worth of use out of it. It’s not bad, considering that most watches struggle to last for an entire day. But this watch will. It can keep up with you for the entire day, then soldier on throughout the evening when you hit the gym.
As such, it’s comforting to know that the Watch3 can last for the entire day without needing to be topped up. This invokes a sense of confidence in the fact that you can explore and use the watch’s various functions without having to ponder on the repercussions of your actions. And since it supports wireless charging, you can drop it on the charger for 2 hours to get a full charge.
Should I Buy One?
Other than the fact that’s a little bulky for women, the Galaxy Watch3 is a really good smartwatch. But because it runs TizenOS instead of WearOS, you’re cut off from the several ‘google-centric’ features that help it communicate better with your Android smartphone. That said, TizenOS is less taxing on hardware and runs smoothly on this watch.
Bearing this in mind, I’d say that this is a good smartwatch to have. It looks really good and has a decent number of features to make it a credible smartwatch. Like the Moto360, the Watch3 is one of the prettiest circular smartwatch ever made. Rarely are manufacturers able to make something look beautiful, without trying too hard.
