Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 Review: A Premium Smartwatch With a Rotating Bezel

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 stands out as one of the best smartwatches available, blending a classic circular design with modern features and robust health tracking capabilities. This device caters to users seeking a premium wearable experience, though it comes with notable trade-offs in software and sensor functionality.

Design and Build

The Galaxy Watch 3 boasts a sophisticated design with a stainless steel frame and premium leather straps, available in 41mm and 45mm sizes. Its rotating bezel enhances navigation, offering a tactile and intuitive user experience. The watch is durable, certified with 5ATM/IP68 water resistance and MIL-STD-810G compliance, ensuring it can handle everyday wear and tear.

Display

Equipped with a vibrant Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy Watch 3 offers sharp visuals and excellent contrast in sizes of 1.2 inches or 1.4 inches. Protected by Corning Gorilla Glass DX, the screen remains responsive and clear, even under direct sunlight. While the watch face options are abundant, many appear amateurish, and finding a suitable one may require some scrolling.

Performance and Software

Powered by the Exynos 9110 chipset and Tizen Wearable OS 5.5, the Galaxy Watch 3 delivers smooth performance for most tasks. However, occasional lag and stutters can occur, particularly when switching between apps. The rotating bezel significantly improves menu navigation, though selecting items still requires lifting a finger from the bezel, breaking the otherwise seamless flow. Samsung’s Bixby assistant falls short, struggling with complex commands and often failing to respond accurately.

Health and Fitness Tracking

The watch excels in health monitoring, offering 40 workout modes and automatic detection for six activities. While automatic detection can be inconsistent, manual tracking is reliable. Features like GPS mapping, heart rate monitoring, and sleep tracking provide detailed insights, though the ECG and blood pressure sensors remain unused due to lack of supporting software. Sleep tracking, in particular, stands out for its accuracy and comprehensive reporting.

Battery Life

Battery performance varies by model, with the 41mm variant housing a 247mAh cell and the 45mm model featuring a larger 340mAh battery. With typical use, including heart rate monitoring and notifications, the smaller model lasts around 25 hours on a single charge, while the larger version can extend to over two days with minimal use. Wireless charging is convenient but can generate heat during extended sessions.

Connectivity and Features

The Galaxy Watch 3 supports Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi, NFC, and GPS, enabling seamless integration with Samsung Health and other apps. Spotify integration allows offline music streaming but can suffer from synchronization issues. Notification delivery is robust, though some apps may not display images properly. Call quality is excellent, but VoIP calls are redirected to the paired phone.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is a well-crafted smartwatch that balances style, functionality, and health tracking in a premium package. Its rotating bezel and vibrant display make navigation and viewing content a pleasure, while its health features offer valuable insights. However, limitations in Bixby’s capabilities, inconsistent automatic workout detection, and unused sensors hinder its potential. Despite these flaws, the Galaxy Watch 3 remains a strong contender in the smartwatch market, particularly for those prioritizing design and health monitoring.