My husband and I had been flirting with the idea of getting it for a few months, learning about the watch, shopping around for prices, and reading reviews. The commercial set us on a path that led to Verizon. We ended up leaving the store with one watch for my husband and one on the way to our house for me. We absolutely fell in love with our watches. I had wanted a fitness tracker for a long time and this watch did exactly what I needed and more. My husband was happy to have a watch that would also allow him to call and text.
Pros, Cons, and Replacements
The only downfall was the silicone wristband. It irritated my skin so much that I could only wear it during my workouts. We ended up purchasing metal bands for our watches and the problem was solved. We had those original watches for two and a half years with the intention of keeping them for as long as possible. They worked great, and we weren’t impressed with the release of the Active 2. We both like the bezel and weren’t willing to part with that feature. A few months ago, we started experiencing issues with our watches. They wouldn’t connect calls and would randomly stop receiving texts. The nail in the coffin was when we learned there would no longer be updated for the Galaxy Watch. We both knew it was time to upgrade our watches. We did our research and were excited about the Watch 3. It had everything we were looking for and then some. After shopping around, we ultimately decided to purchase the watches from Best Buy.
Unboxing, Features, and Specs
In true Samsung form, the box is simple and sleek. Compared to the Galaxy Watch, the Watch 3 is housed in a rectangular box with a white lid that adds to the wow factor when opened. The watch lays flat, snug against black cardboard. The bronze pops and is reminiscent of a high-end, designer watch. The leather wristband is smooth and adds to the quality of the piece. My husband and I were both impressed when I lifted the lid to reveal my watch. It was a definite upgrade to what I had on my wrist. I opted for the 41 mm while he chose the 45 mm. The black is classic and looks just as nice.
Key Features and Specs:
Military grade durability and water resistance Upgraded sleep tracker Next Level Fitness Sleek and stylish leather band ECG health monitoring and SpO2 Two sizes: 41mm and 45mm Long-lasting battery, 43 hours run time on 41mm and 56 hours on 45mm Wireless charging Bluetooth v5.0 Wi-Fi b/g/n/ LTE 1 GB RAM + 8GB Three color options: mystic bronze, mystic black, mystic silver
Fitness Tracker
My primary motivation for having a smartwatch is the fitness tracker. I use it every day to keep track of my steps and calories burned through exercise. With over 30 workouts to choose from, customizing and tracking is easy for every fitness goal. The watch will also automatically detect a workout and start tracking for me.
More Features
The Watch 3 offers detailed information about each workout you complete. It measures five heart rate zones: Low Intensity, Weight Control, Aerobic, Anaerobic, and Maximum. Time spent in each zone is broken down in a graph and bar chart format on both the watch face and in the Samsung Health App. Workout duration, total duration, average heart rate, and total calories burned are also displayed. It’s easy to customize the workout screen for any exercise, and you can easily adjust the frequency of the audio guide or turn it off.
Sleep Tracker and Health Monitors
This is where the Watch 3 truly shines. It’s a major upgrade from the original Galaxy Watch. The sleep tracker is more in-depth, not only telling you how long you’ve slept, but breaking down the cycles, assigning a sleep score, and displaying how many calories you burned.
Overview of Upgraded Features
The watch face displays total sleep duration, length of time in each cycle, and sleep score. The Samsung Health app offers more details, displaying a graph and chart, more information relating to the sleep score, and keeps track of your sleep over time. It also offers helpful advice on how to improve sleep. The two new features are pretty cool, but can be touchy to record. The ECG measures your heart rhythm. It can detect signs of Atrial Fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm where the upper chambers beat out of sync with the lower ones. This feature can be reassuring for those with cardiovascular health concerns who want an easy way to monitor their heart. Overall, it’s a great feature for everyone, though. AFib can happen for a variety of reasons and with no symptoms. Early detection can help prevent serious cardiovascular events like strokes, heart failure, and blood clots. The pulse oximeter is now available on the watch itself, which is more convenient than having to perfectly place your finger on the back of your phone. The watch also offers SOS call and fall detection. You can easily enable these features via the Wearables App on your phone.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery life was a major sticking point for many people. When my husband and I read through the reviews on the watch, the biggest complaint was how quickly the battery drained. That was also a common complaint on the original Galaxy Watch. In the two and a half years we had those watches, battery life was never an issue for us so we decided to purchase the new watches anyway. As with any device, it’s all in how you use it, and true to form, our watches last us all day. We both wear our watches religiously. My husband uses his for calls, texts, and to track his steps. His battery lasts him all day and he sets it up on the charger each night. I charge mine in the evening and wear it to track my sleep. I continue wearing it all through the day to record my workouts and steps. When I take it off, I’m usually around 50% battery life.
Charging Dock
The new charging dock is sleeker. I love that I can lay it flat on the counter or table. It’s also easy to charge the watch using your phone’s battery. All you have to do is enable wireless power-sharing in the settings on your phone. Then you lay your watch on the back of your phone to charge.
Final Thoughts on the Samsung Watch 3
Overall, this watch was a great purchase! It actually looks like a watch and the leather strap is much nicer than the original’s silicone band. It doesn’t irritate the skin and gives the watch a more high-end look and feel. My husband and I are both happy to have the bezel. That was a feature on the original that we loved and weren’t willing to do without. It’s a beautiful upgrade and complements our Samsung phones. If you are looking to upgrade from an older model, you can’t go wrong with the Watch 3. I do recommend shopping around though. We purchased ours at Best Buy instead of going through our phone provider, which ended up saving us $200 total. This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. © 2021 Alyssa
Comments
Alyssa (author) from Ohio on June 14, 2021: Thank you Rawan! Rawan Osama from Egypt on June 13, 2021: Informative and useful article Alyssa (author) from Ohio on June 13, 2021: That’s awesome Bill! Alyssa (author) from Ohio on June 13, 2021: Thank you Pamela! Happy Sunday :) Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on June 13, 2021: I never had any desire to wear a watch, even as a teen, but I fell in love with our Fitbits when Bev bought them a few years ago. Now I would feel naked (ugly thought) without it on. Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on June 13, 2021: This is a very informative article. It seems everyone has these watches now. I know 2 of my sons do, but I think theres are from Apple. They love knowing the number of their step and about their heart rates, as one has a very slow rate. Thanks for this information, Alyssa.This is a great article.
