The third iteration of the Galaxy Watch hopes to satisfy Apple Watch-envious consumers with improved health monitoring capabilities and a more fashionable design.
It will appeal to Apple iPhone customers who don’t like the Series 5’s square shape and Android users who want a premium smartwatch with real health credentials but can’t use the Apple Watch. That’s a sizable target audience to shoot for.
All You Need To Know About The Samsung Galaxy Watch Series 3
Yet, it doesn’t even try to appeal to users who want a cheaper Apple Watch substitute. Both the smaller 41mm Galaxy Watch 3 and the larger 45mm version put Samsung in direct competition with Apple.
We have been testing out the new Galaxy Watch 3 to see if Samsung has improved upon an already excellent wristwatch.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 Specs at a Glance
- 41mm/45mm
- Tizen OS
- LTE versions available
- 2-inch/1.4-inch display
- 360 x 360 Super AMOLED
- 247mAh/340mAh
- Exynos 9110 Dual core 1.15 GHz
- ECG
- Blood pressure
- SpO2
- Sleep tracking
- Heart/rate VO2 max
- Fall detection
Design and Bezel of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Samsung’s prior Galaxy Watch clearly demarcated the premium model from the more affordable, casual variant. It became noticeably larger, with an aesthetic focus on providing a more refined, classic take on the wristwatch form, and the now-iconic spinning bezel taking centre stage around the screen.
The Watch 3 seems to be an attempt at moderation, which may not be a bad thing. It looks like it was inspired by the sleeker design of the sportier Samsung smartwatch, yet it still has the refined air of a dress watch more so than the Active 2.
One example is the variety of sizes that can be purchased. The Galaxy Watch has a larger range of case sizes (46mm to 42mm), however the Apple Watch only offers two (45mm and 41mm). The Active 2 comes in two different case diameters, 40mm and 44mm.
The more subdued appearance of the rotating bezel makes the 45mm mystic black, stainless steel version we had to test feel like it sits smaller on the wrist, but it still feels a touch big for our liking.
The fact that both of its available sizes are smaller and lighter than their predecessors does not come as much of a surprise. Then, there’s that bezel we need to discuss. The Watch 3 brings back the hardware heart rate monitor after Samsung omitted it for the Active and then reinstated it in a new form for the Active 2.
Despite its diminished prominence, the rotating bezel remains the most interesting and useful design element that Samsung has contributed to the smartwatch.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Screen and Band
That presentation is gorgeous, too. The AMOLED screen size and resolution are identical on both the 45mm and 41mm Watch 3 models: 1.4 inches and 1.2 inches, respectively. That’s the same high-quality screen featured on the Galaxy Watch, so it’s still a pleasure to look at.
While the always-on display and Goodnight mode are convenient, the alarm clock might do a better job of reminding you to switch them off before bed. It succeeds in its primary role as a screen you can view both indoors and outdoors, even in more challenging light, and it does well when displaying pictures like album cover art or YouTube thumbnails.
The bigger Galaxy Watch 3 from Samsung comes with a leather band measuring 22 millimetres in width. It’s a high-quality band that, thankfully, can be swapped out for something more sporty before or after a workout.
But, given the asking price and the device’s rich feature set for activity tracking, it’s a little disappointing that Samsung doesn’t throw with an extra sportier strap. When we decided to put the wristwatch’s sports tracking abilities to the test, we had to dig through our collection of wearables to borrow one from another device.
Two more physical buttons are on the right side of the watch and provide access to other functions including Samsung Pay and the app menu. The optical heart rate monitor is located on the back of the watch, and a charging cradle in the standard puck shape, which attaches to the back of the watch by magnets, is included.
The 5ATM rating that Samsung has always offered means that you may take a shower or swim in water (both pools and the open ocean) up to 50 metres deep without worrying about damaging your phone. Remove the leather strap first, please.
Some may say the alterations are unimportant, but we prefer the new, smaller size and the elegant appearance provided by the rotating bezel.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Smartwatch Features
The latest Samsung watch is powered by Tizen OS, which is compatible with both Android and iOS devices but is optimised for Android. If you want to use functions like music streaming and chatting without a smartphone, you can get either size with LTE, though it will cost you more.
The requirement to install two applications and a few plugins before you can use this smartwatch’s health and fitness capabilities is still a minor annoyance. We’d like to make a request of Samsung and have them bundle these features into a single app.
Once the initial overdraft pairing setup was complete, we generally used it with an Android phone, and syncing data and other features like notifications went off without a hitch. Tizen’s functionality and the features available in its supplementary apps don’t appear to have undergone any major changes.
The screen widgets are all conveniently located in the same spots as they were on the previous Watch, and you can navigate between them by using either the bezel or the touchscreen.
The fundamental wristwatch features of receiving and responding to notifications continue to function as expected, and the quality of messaging has been improved with the addition of the ability to view images attached to messages.
You can still use Samsung Pay, and there’s still Bixby, Samsung’s intelligent assistant that’s still developing. Not all smart assistants on watches are as well integrated, but Samsung’s version still feels like it might be more helpful. It still appears to have little uses.
There is a music player preinstalled, so you can use some of the 8GB of space to play your own tunes. That includes Spotify and any other approved music streaming services. The Spotify app performs admirably on Samsung smartwatches and provides superior offline playlist support to that of Garmin’s devices.
Naturally, we must discuss apps, which continue to be a weak point of Samsung’s Tizen operating system. You can browse its online shop using either your wristwatch or mobile device.
There is a good selection of useful native programmes ready to go, such as Spotify, Microsoft Office, a voice recorder, and a calendar. Nevertheless, some capabilities that are standard on competing smartwatch systems, like as Apple’s watchOS and Google’s Wear OS, are typically paid for via apps on Android Wear.
When discussing smartwatch functions, watch faces are essential, and Samsung succeeds admirably in this area. There is a wide variety of both digital and analogue choices available to you, some of which feature attractive animations and all of which provide ample space for data complexities such as step counts, sleep duration, heart rate, the UV index, and the current temperature.
You can locate additional faces in the app store, but finding high-quality ones will take some time and effort.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Fitness and Sports Tracking Features
The Apple Watch Series 3 is an all-in-one health and fitness monitor, sports watch, and timepiece. First, there’s fitness tracking, where you can do things like count steps, keep tabs on your sleep, check your stress levels, and keep tabs on your heart rate all the time.
The beneficial idle alerts that Samsung debuted on the Active are carried over, as is the heart-shaped activity monitoring widget for seeing daily progress. So, it will suggest physical activity to get you going again rather than simply pointing out that you haven’t been active recently. It’s one of our top picks for best features.
When comparing our daily step counts and distance covered with a Garmin fitness tracker, we found that the two were very similar when worn together. The latest sleep data is displayed on the watch, and further analysis can be done via Samsung Health, where you’ll find details like REM sleep percentage, total sleep time, sleep scores, and average wake-up times.
We compared it to the same Garmin fitness tracker, and the data shown in the preceding screenshots is representative of what we typically saw after a night’s sleep on each device. Overall sleep duration was consistent within a 30-minute to 1-hour margin of the Garmin, although sleep analysis suggested a shorter duration of sleep.
The numbers for REM and deep sleep in the sleep breakdown sounded dubious as well. When you’re ready to track more than just a stroll through the mall, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 3 comes with all the features of the Galaxy Watch and Watch Active 2 and more.
All the major detectors are active. That’s the kind of sensors that measure acceleration, pressure, and rotation. The satellite navigation systems Glonass, Beidou, and Galileo are all supported in addition to the built-in GPS.
The heart rate monitor can be used to keep track of how hard you’re working. Nevertheless, it can’t be used in conjunction with other sensors due to a lack of ANT+ connectivity capabilities. The workout screen can be accessed by rotating the bezel to the right, which is where we did most of our tracking.
Here you may keep tabs on your favourite sports and activities, from basic ones like jogging and cycling to more in-depth ones like going to the gym or going on a hike. Again, the kind of real-time metrics available vary, with core sports typically receiving more attention.
Run tracking
After logging a significant number of miles with the Galaxy Watch 3, we maintain that it is best suited for the occasional runner who isn’t training for a marathon.
The tracking experience on the watch itself also needs some polishing. It means a more seamless integration between Samsung Health and your fitness tracking app, as well as a more straightforward interface for accessing your statistics.
Before your workout, you can adjust a few more parameters, such as the number of data fields displayed, the type of goal you want to achieve (either in terms of time or distance), and the look of the workout panels. It’s best to take care of those settings before you start jogging, as Samsung doesn’t offer you much wiggle room once the clock starts ticking.
The watch provides a positive experience on most runs. The bezel can be a little hard to navigate when you’re moving quickly through your training displays, but other than that, the display is great for reading information.
The run description you just read included both road and off-road segments. What it demonstrates is consistent with our overall findings: for shorter distances, it provides reasonably accurate estimates of things like distance, pace, and cadence. Variations in pace and distance covered appear as soon as the mileage is increased.
Heart rate accuracy
This Galaxy Watch feature clusters with other wrist-based sensors. On-the-spot measurements and light exercise were its strong points, but as the intensity was increased, it faltered. The same can be said for the heart rate monitor on the Galaxy Watch 3.
The watch’s continuous heart rate measurements feel very accurate when viewed in the Samsung Health app. By reviewing your data over the course of a week, you may see if your resting heart rate has remained stable or experienced any unusual fluctuations.
Advanced running metrics
The updated and improved running metrics are a major addition. Samsung claims it can now provide information about a runner’s form and technique, including ground contact time, flight time, and vertical oscillation. For sports watches to produce comparable stats, an external sensor, like a chest strap or foot pod, is required.
The watch displays your asymmetries on a screen to reflect this. The extra metrics that are available are presently hidden from view. These parameters include symmetry, vertical oscillation, lateral stiffness, lateral oscillation, contact time, and flight time.
The asymmetry screen updates its assessment of your performance during the run in real time. After a run, those extra measurements and a slew of convoluted-appearing graphs are available in the Samsung Health app.
