The OnePlus Watch 3 arrives with a host of improvements over its predecessor, maintaining its signature large design while refining core features that make it a serious competitor in the smartwatch market. With a robust stainless steel build, a newly introduced titanium bezel, a significantly brighter display, and a battery life that outlasts most competitors, this smartwatch is engineered for users who want a powerful, long-lasting wearable.
However, its size and weight make it a niche product that won’t suit everyone’s wrist. While packed with fitness and health-tracking features, it still lacks LTE support, making it dependent on a connected smartphone for full functionality. In this in-depth review, we’ll explore every aspect of the OnePlus Watch 3, from its design and display to its performance, battery life, and health-tracking capabilities, helping you decide if this is the right smartwatch for you.
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Design and Build Quality
One of the first things you’ll notice about the OnePlus Watch 3 is its sheer size. At 46mm, this is one of the largest smartwatches available today, making it an ideal choice for those who prefer a bold, traditional watch aesthetic. However, for those with smaller wrists, this may feel oversized.
The stainless steel case gives the watch a solid, premium feel, but OnePlus has introduced a titanium bezel in this generation. While mostly decorative, it adds an extra touch of elegance. Weighing 81 grams, it is notably heavier than other flagship smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, which comes in at around 60 grams. If you’re used to wearing a heavier watch, this might not be an issue, but for newcomers, it may take some adjustment.
The watch comes with a floral rubber strap, which OnePlus has used in previous models. It features a corrugated design that adds a bit of texture and flexibility, making it comfortable for extended wear. The quick-release pin system ensures easy band swapping if you prefer a different look. However, the lack of multiple size options is a notable downside. If 46mm is too large for your wrist, there’s simply no smaller variant available.
Display and Brightness
OnePlus has upgraded the display on the Watch 3, making it larger and significantly brighter than before. The 1.5-inch AMOLED panel offers deep blacks and vibrant colors, with a refined design that reduces the bezels compared to the previous model.
What truly stands out, however, is the 2,200-nit peak brightness—a major leap from the OnePlus Watch 2’s 1,000 nits. This makes outdoor visibility far superior, ensuring that notifications, fitness tracking, and apps remain easy to read even in direct sunlight.
Like many smartwatches, it supports an Always-On Display (AOD), though it is disabled by default. Enabling it provides a more convenient experience but reduces battery life. OnePlus estimates that turning on AOD cuts battery life by two days, which is still impressive given the watch’s overall longevity.
Performance and Software
At its core, the OnePlus Watch 3 is powered by the Snapdragon W5 processor, paired with a secondary MCU co-processor designed to handle background tasks more efficiently. This dual-chip architecture improves battery life while ensuring smooth operation.
Navigation is seamless, thanks to a new rotating crown, which is a welcome improvement over the previous model. Pressing the crown brings up the app screen, and rotating it now provides labeled icons, making it easier to recognize apps at a glance—an intuitive feature that adds to the watch’s usability.
The Watch 3 runs on OnePlus’ custom software and is compatible with Android phones running Android 9 or higher. While it works best with OnePlus devices, users of other Android phones won’t miss out on essential features, except for minor perks like a remote camera shutter and remote music control. Unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series, which locks some health-tracking features behind Samsung phones, OnePlus keeps its ecosystem more open.
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Health and Fitness Tracking
For health-conscious users, the OnePlus Watch 3 is packed with an extensive set of tracking features. Standard sensors include heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen tracking, sleep analysis, and stress measurement.
One of the newer additions is Arterial Fitness tracking, which attempts to measure arterial stiffness—a metric related to cardiovascular health. While it’s an intriguing feature, its accuracy remains questionable without clinical validation. OnePlus claims that Huawei is one of the only other brands offering a similar function, but real-world reliability is yet to be proven.
The 60-second health assessment is another notable feature, providing a quick snapshot of vital stats like heart rate, blood oxygen, stress levels, and arterial stiffness. You activate it by placing your finger on the lower button, and within a minute, it delivers a comprehensive health check.
Sleep Tracking
Sleep tracking has become a core feature in modern smartwatches, and the OnePlus Watch 3 follows suit. It measures sleep stages, blood oxygen levels during sleep, respiration rate, and snoring detection when used with a connected phone.
However, one challenge with sleep tracking on this device is its chunky size. Wearing an 81-gram smartwatch for multiple nights might not be comfortable for everyone. That said, its analysis is comparable to other high-end smartwatches, though its estimates of deep sleep duration were sometimes higher than competing devices. Whether it’s more accurate or just more generous is unclear, but it provides useful insights nonetheless.
Fitness and Workout Modes
If exercise tracking is a priority, the OnePlus Watch 3 offers over 100 workout modes. From running, cycling, swimming, and rowing to more niche exercises, it supports a wide range of activities. It also features six auto-detected workouts, including running and cycling, which eliminate the need for manual tracking.
For GPS-enabled workouts, the watch offers dual-band GPS, enhancing accuracy for outdoor activities. While testing it for running and hiking, the heart rate monitoring was mostly accurate, though some inconsistencies were observed during high-intensity workouts like rowing.
Battery Life
One of the biggest selling points of the OnePlus Watch 3 is its exceptional battery life. With a 631mAh battery, it surpasses most competitors in longevity.
In standard use, the watch can last five days in Smart Power mode. Even with Always-On Display enabled, it still delivers around four days of use. This is a significant advantage over competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Ultra, which typically require daily charging.
Connectivity and Smart Features
Unlike some premium smartwatches, the OnePlus Watch 3 does not support LTE, meaning it relies on a Bluetooth connection for phone calls and notifications. It does include dual-band Wi-Fi and dual-band GPS, ensuring better signal reception for connected activities.
Notifications sync seamlessly with an Android device, and text messages, emails, and app alerts are displayed clearly. However, due to the lack of LTE, direct calling and standalone app usage remain limited.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Premium Build Quality – Stainless steel with a titanium bezel offers durability and a stylish look.
- Bright and Large AMOLED Display – 2,200 nits of brightness ensures great visibility outdoors.
- Long Battery Life – Lasts up to five days on a single charge.
- Comprehensive Health Tracking – Heart rate, blood oxygen, arterial fitness, and sleep tracking.
- Extensive Workout Modes – Over 100 supported exercises with dual-band GPS.
- New Rotating Crown – Improved navigation with labeled icons.
Cons:
- Too Large for Some Users – The 46mm size and 81g weight make it bulky.
- No LTE Support – Requires a phone for full functionality.
- Limited Smart Features – Lacks app support compared to Wear OS competitors.
Final Verdict
The OnePlus Watch 3 is a powerhouse smartwatch designed for users who want a large, rugged design, exceptional battery life, and deep health tracking. While its size won’t suit everyone, those who appreciate a bold, traditional watch look will find it appealing. If you value battery longevity over LTE connectivity, this is one of the best smartwatches in its class.
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FAQs About the OnePlus Watch 3
1. Does the OnePlus Watch 3 support iPhones?
No, the OnePlus Watch 3 is not compatible with iPhones. It only works with Android devices running Android 9 or higher.
2. Does the OnePlus Watch 3 have LTE support?
No, the OnePlus Watch 3 does not have LTE support. It relies on a Bluetooth connection to your phone for calls, messages, and notifications.
3. How long does the battery last on the OnePlus Watch 3?
The OnePlus Watch 3 has a battery life of up to five days with regular usage. If you enable the Always-On Display (AOD), battery life drops to around four days.
4. Can you make calls on the OnePlus Watch 3?
Yes, but only via Bluetooth. You can take calls directly on the watch when connected to your phone, but there is no standalone LTE calling.
5. What health-tracking features does the OnePlus Watch 3 have?
The OnePlus Watch 3 includes:
- Heart rate monitoring
- Blood oxygen tracking (SpO2)
- Sleep analysis (including snoring detection)
- Stress measurement
- Arterial fitness tracking
- 60-second health assessment
6. Is the OnePlus Watch 3 waterproof?
Yes, the watch has a 5ATM and IP68 rating, making it water-resistant up to 50 meters. It is safe for swimming but not recommended for deep diving or high-pressure water activities.
7. Does the OnePlus Watch 3 have built-in GPS?
Yes, the OnePlus Watch 3 has dual-band GPS, which improves location accuracy for outdoor workouts like running, cycling, and hiking.
8. Can I reply to messages from the OnePlus Watch 3?
Yes, you can reply to text messages and app notifications using preset responses or a keyboard, but only when connected to an Android phone.
9. Does the OnePlus Watch 3 support Google Assistant or Alexa?
No, the OnePlus Watch 3 does not support Google Assistant or Alexa. It runs on OnePlus’ custom operating system, which lacks built-in voice assistant support.
10. Can I use third-party apps on the OnePlus Watch 3?
No, the OnePlus Watch 3 does not support third-party apps like Wear OS smartwatches do. You are limited to the pre-installed apps and features provided by OnePlus.
