Introduction and unboxing
Few bear in mind the unique OnePlus Watch, however many beloved the OnePlus Watch 2 for its spectacular uneven case design. It stays this reviewer’s favourite watch design alongside Huawei’s Watch GT 5 with its angled case. The OnePlus Watch 2 was additionally among the many most long-lasting Put on OS watches round, due to its twin structure – two processors, the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, working Put on OS, and a customized BES2700BP, working a watered-down real-time OS to get the most effective endurance out of its 500 mAh battery. Coupled with the lengthy listing of options, the OnePlus Watch 2 is a fan favourite even a 12 months on from its launch.
However the OnePlus Watch 2 wasn’t constant in its well being monitoring, and OnePlus’s OHealth app was rudimentary and unpolished to say the least.
This is the place the OnePlus Watch 3 is available in – it additional improved the design by trimming the bezels, leading to a bigger round show. It is also bumped the battery capability by 23%. And it is now a way more dependable tracker.
The retail package deal hasn’t modified – you get the OnePlus Watch 3, a USB-A to USB-C cable, and a removable four-pin magnetic charging cradle (with a USB-C port). We want magnetic cradles/pucks that do not require alignment when charging, just like the Huawei Watch GT or Galaxy Watch chargers. The OnePlus Watch 3 requires you to thoughts the way you connect it.
The OnePlus Watch 3 is $350/€300/£300, however there are common reductions on OnePlus’s web site (you additionally get a alternative of a free second fluoro-rubber strap or charger). You’ve got a alternative of Obsidian Titanium (with a darkish gray case and black strap) and Emerald Titanium (brilliant silver case and inexperienced strap). The Watch 3 is on the market in a single 46mm dimension and in a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi possibility (there is no eSIM).
Design and construct high quality
The OnePlus Watch 3 is a stunner. It combines a basic spherical look with distinguished lugs with an uneven proper edge that does not put the design off steadiness, however makes it really feel stronger and extra distinguished.
The watch physique weighs 49.7g, add within the strap and it goes as much as 81g. The case weight alone is substantial for a smartwatch – heavier than most, although Samsung’s final Traditional mannequin even heavier.
The case is product of chrome steel, whereas the dial is a brushed titanium – you may have every in both silver or black. The show is not recessed underneath the dial, however that is superb, as a result of it is a sapphire crystal piece that is unlikely to scratch.
The OnePlus Watch 3 may be very sturdy. It has MIL-STD-810H certification for a bunch of checks – low-pressure altitude, excessive temperature (70°C/158°F), low temperature (-40°C/-104°F), temperature shock, photo voltaic radiation, rain, humidity and warmth, salt spray, sand and mud, immersion, vibration, impression, fluid contamination, acidic environment, and ice accumulation and freezing rain. The watch can be IP68 and 5ATM rated.
The buttons look an identical to final 12 months, however the 2 o’clock crown’s rotation is now usable for scrolling and navigating the OS with very exact and quality-feeling haptics backing it.
The crown can be a button.
The second button sits very flush with the body of the watch. It opens up the exercise menu.
You would possibly bear in mind the entire “Meda in China” fiasco, the place OnePlus initially launched the Watch 3 with the misspelled inscription on the underside and needed to pull it off the market to repair the difficulty.
Ours is one such flawed unit, nevertheless it’s in any other case a totally useful unit.
The optical pulse oximeter, coronary heart fee, and temperature sensor are all on the underside of the watch.
It is also the place the 4 pins for the magnetic charging are situated.
The OnePlus Watch 3 has built-in speaker and microphone, so you can also make calls on it (no eSIM so it must be linked to your cellphone). I would not suggest the expertise, nonetheless. Sound is tinny, and the microphone high quality is barely common.
The Watch 3’s lug width is 22mm – a typical and the best dimension for the sort of watch. Xiaomi and Huawei additionally default to 22mm, solely Samsung appears to make use of 20mm for its larger watches.
The fluoro-rubber strap is a high-quality one. I additionally just like the inexperienced colour. There’s additionally Black and Nordic Blue to select from. There is no OnePlus Purple, which is a horrible oversight!
The show of the OnePlus Watch 3 is attractive. It measures 1.5 inches, and it is an LTPO AMOLED panel with a 466x466px decision. It is a tad larger than the 1.43-inch on the earlier mannequin, and has twice the brightness at 2,200 nits.
There are a variety of high-quality watch faces to select from. Naturally, being Put on OS, you may obtain many in style watch face apps like Facer or Pujie.
Every preloaded OnePlus watch face has its personal At all times-on show counterpart, which is sweet. The AOD display screen even has some colour, although that is not uncommon these days.
The OnePlus Watch 3 is available in a single 47mm case dimension. It is a huge watch and greatest fitted to above averagely sized wrists.
This reviewer beloved the match of the OnePlus Watch 3. It could very nicely be essentially the most snug huge smartwatch I’ve ever tried. I day by day drive a Galaxy Watch6 Traditional, which is an nearly an identical dimension to the OnePlus Watch 3, however the match is not practically nearly as good.
The lugs on the Watch 3 are ever so barely contoured to the wrist, which in flip shapes the fluoro-rubber strap to suit extra snugly.
Twin-engine and Put on OS, Health and sleep monitoring, battery life
The OnePlus Watch 3 continues in its predecessor’s footsteps of providing a two working methods with two completely different processors to run them. Primarily, you are getting the full-fledged Put on OS with the 4nm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 and a customized real-time OS, working OnePlus’s personal BES2800 low-power processor.
You may go away the Watch 3 in Good Mode, which is able to decide which OS to make use of relying on the battery you could have left, or drive the watch into Energy Saver mode. You will not discover a lot of a visible distinction within the UI (although textual content is larger), however many capabilities at the moment are disabled – some watch faces disappear, some apps do not work – mainly, you get notifications, health monitoring, Bluetooth connection, calls, alarms, and messages.
The OnePlus Watch 3 is a breeze to function. A press on the crown brings up the apps display screen, a press on the second button opens up the Exercises display screen, scroll left or proper for the assorted widgets you could have arrange, swipe from the underside for notifications, and swipe from the highest to get your fast toggles.
As you’d anticipate, there are over 100 sports activities and exercise modes supported. 11 of those are “skilled” with distinctive metrics, equivalent to monitoring swing velocity for tennis. The watch will routinely detect actions equivalent to working, strolling, rowing machine, elliptical, biking, and swimming.
The watch additionally helps the L1+L5 bands for GPS, and accuracy was glorious. I used the Watch 3 for a number of runs in tandem with the Huawei Watch Match 2 and Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Traditional and located it constant (with the extra correct Huawei).
The working display screen exhibits key info higher than the opposite two, with a notable coronary heart fee studying and tempo.
Operating
I additionally wore the watch to mattress whereas testing it for this evaluation. I can not attest to the watch’s readings in a scientific means, however it’s in keeping with my different two watches (once more, the OnePlus is extra in step with the Huawei Watch Match 2, which is mostly higher at sleep monitoring than Samsung’s watch).
You get an in depth evaluation of your sleep phases, respiratory fee, and blood oxygen throughout sleep, pores and skin temperature, and you’ll decide to trace your loud night breathing with the assistance of your smartphone.
Sleep monitoring
Battery life is the most effective this editor has skilled on a Put on OS watch. I obtained 4 days of full use with the OnePlus Watch 3 – meaning an lively At all times-On Show, notifications, a day by day exercise, two runs, and sleep monitoring at evening. That is mightily spectacular!
I can get two out of my Galaxy Watch6 Traditional with the identical use!
Then, when it is time to cost, the OnePlus Watch 3 can do it in lower than an hour!
Conclusion
There’s little to complain about with tech as of late. It appears we have hit considerably of a golden age with developments in each expertise and manufacturing. However even in these hard-to-fault instances, some merchandise stand out from the pack. The OnePlus Watch 3 is a notable product in simply each facet.
It could very nicely have the most effective battery on a Put on OS wearable, and it is the prettiest and most snug this editor has tried. It is also constructed to the best normal – chrome steel, titanium, sapphire, the lot!
Then again, the OnePlus Watch 3 is not precisely low-cost – it is usually €349/£319 however is commonly discounted all the way down to €299/£269. For comparability, the Pixel Watch 3 45mm will set you again €369 (€469 with 4G LTE), the Galaxy Watch Extremely is €469 (with LTE), whereas the Galaxy Watch6 Traditional is often €449 however might be discovered for considerably much less on third-party sellers (€240 on Amazon).
The OnePlus Watch 3 would not hand over floor to both of those watches, and you may make the argument that it even beats them.
However sufficient about specs and supplies – a watch is as private a alternative as fragrance. It is a extra subjective factor to decide on. A timepiece must have the suitable type for you. The OnePlus Watch 3 is fashionable and exquisite past a easy smartwatch. When you prefer it as a lot as I do, go on the market and see it for your self!
Professionals
- Very nicely made – titanium bezel, chrome steel crown, sapphire show
- A good looking design – is available in black or silver
- Rotating crown now useful
- Glorious show
- Fairly tackle Put on OS
- Exemplary battery life
Cons
- It is a huge watch
- It isn’t low-cost
- Charger wants you to align the pins
- No SIM connectivity possibility
