OnePlus Watch 3: Finally a Worthy Smartwatch? (Hands-On Review)
OnePlus Watch 3 offers a sleek design, long battery life, and advanced health tracking, but lacks some features found on rival smartwatches.
The jump from the OnePlus Watch 2 to the Watch 3 isn’t huge, but it still brings some solid improvements. While it’s not a massive upgrade like the shift from the first to the second model, the Watch 3 refines things in a way that makes it a strong competitor against the Google Pixel Watch 3, Galaxy Watch 7, and even the Apple Watch 10.
It looks and feels premium, performs smoothly and stands out with its excellent battery life, thanks to its dual-chip design. While there are only a few extra perks for OnePlus phone users, it’s still one of the best Android smartwatches out there.
My biggest gripe? There’s only one size, no cellular version and a few missing features compared to rivals. But overall, the OnePlus Watch 3 has plenty to offer and definitely earns a spot among the top smartwatches.
Table of Contents
OnePlus Watch 3 Specification
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Release Date | Expected on March 3, 2025 |
| 📏 Dimensions | 47.6 x 46.6 x 11.8 mm |
| ⚖️ Weight | 49.7g (without strap) |
| 🛡️ Build | Sapphire crystal front, stainless steel frame, plastic back |
| 💧 Water Resistance | IP68 (1.5m for 30 mins), 5ATM, MIL-STD-810H compliant |
| 🖥️ Display | 1.5″ LTPO AMOLED, 466×466 pixels, 2200 nits peak brightness |
| 🔋 Battery | 631mAh, lasts up to 5 days (Smart Mode), 16 days (Power Saver Mode) |
| ⚡ Charging | 7.5W wired charging |
| 📦 Storage & RAM | 32GB storage, 2GB RAM |
| 📡 Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS (L1+L5), NFC |
| 🔄 Operating System | Android Wear OS + RTOS |
| 🚀 Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 (4nm) |
| 💓 Health Tracking | Heart rate, SpO2, skin temperature, sleep tracking, stress monitoring |
| 🏃 Fitness Features | Multiple workout modes, step tracking, calorie tracking |
| 📢 Speaker & Mic | Yes, supports calls |
| 🔌 Ports & Slots | No USB, no SIM slot |
| 🎨 Colors | Black Titanium, Silver Titanium |
| 💰 Price | Around €300 / $329.99 |
OnePlus Watch 3 Price and availability
I pre-ordered the OnePlus Watch 3 on February 18th, 2025, and it officially hit stores on February 25th. It costs $329/£319, with extra watch straps at $29.99/£34.99 and spare chargers for $29.99/£29.99.
The price is the same as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and slightly cheaper than the Google Pixel Watch 3. Unlike those, which work best with their own brand’s phones, the OnePlus Watch 3 plays nicely with any Android device.
The only downside? There’s just one size and no cellular option. If you prefer a smaller watch or need mobile data on your wrist, that might be a dealbreaker.
OnePlus Watch 3 Design
The OnePlus Watch 3 looks a lot like the Watch 2, but small upgrades make a difference.
The body is still polished stainless steel, but the bezel is now titanium—making it tougher yet lightweight. The display is protected by sapphire crystal glass, and the strap hardware has more stainless steel. The strap itself is fluoro rubber, which I’m not a big fan of since it can get sweaty, but this one feels soft and well-designed.
The crown and shortcut button are back, but now the crown is taller and actually works for scrolling—something the Watch 2 lacked. The 1.5-inch AMOLED display has thinner bezels and gets really bright, up to 2,200 nits, just like the OnePlus 13 phone.
Durability-wise, it keeps the same strong protections as the Watch 2: IP68 water/dust resistance, 5ATM pressure resistance, and military-grade toughness against heat, humidity, and impacts.
It comes in two colors—Obsidian Titanium (black) and Emerald Titanium (green strap, silver case). Not a huge selection, but the black one should match anything.
OnePlus Watch 3 health features
The OnePlus Watch 3 covers all the basics—heart rate, blood oxygen, and wrist temperature—but also adds some useful extras.
It focuses a lot on heart health, with ECG monitoring (coming to the U.K. later in 2025, so I couldn’t test it) and a Vascular Health app that checks arterial stiffness, which helps monitor blood pressure and heart health.
The 60-second check-in gives a quick health overview by analyzing heart rate, stress, sleep, and temperature. Just hold your arm steady and place a finger on the button, and it generates a report on the watch or in the OHealth app.
Sleep tracking works like other smartwatches, giving a sleep score based on movement, breathing, and snoring. It can track trends over 30 days, but I didn’t wear it long enough to see that.
OnePlus improved stress tracking with the new Wellness app, which now uses emojis to show stress levels and suggests breathing exercises when needed.
The watch supports over 100 workouts, with 11 Pro modes for detailed tracking in activities like running, swimming, and tennis. OnePlus also improved accuracy with better sensors and smarter algorithms.
It’s packed with great health features, but I do wish it had sleep apnea detection and crash/fall alerts like Apple and Samsung watches. Those would have been nice additions.
OnePlus Watch 3 Smartwatch features
Beyond health tracking, the OnePlus Watch 3 has a few software upgrades worth noting.
It runs on Wear OS 5, which means smoother integration with Google apps like Gmail, Maps, and Wallet. You can also switch the watch between phones without a factory reset—a small but welcome improvement.
A fun new feature is video watch faces, adding a bit of extra customization. It’s not unique, but it’s a nice touch.
GPS tracking is also improved, especially in cities with tall glass buildings where signals usually struggle.
The only exclusive feature for OnePlus and Oppo phones is using the watch as a remote camera control for YouTube and TikTok. But everything else works fine on any Android phone running Android 9 or later.
OnePlus claims the best experience is pairing it with a OnePlus phone, but honestly, it works well with any Android device.
OnePlus Watch 3 Battery life and Charging
The OnePlus Watch 3 uses two chips—one for performance and another for background tasks—to balance power and battery life. This setup helps the watch last longer between charges, similar to what OnePlus did with the Watch 2 and what Google uses in the Pixel Watch 3.
OnePlus also borrowed battery tech from the OnePlus 13, allowing more capacity in the same space. Officially, it lasts up to 5 days in standard mode and up to 16 days in power-saving mode.
In my experience, wearing it almost 24/7 (except for showers), tracking sleep, and doing some workouts, I got 4 days and 6 hours before needing to recharge. However, this was without the always-on display (AOD). If you enable AOD, the battery drops to around 2 days, similar to other Wear OS watches.
Charging is pretty fast. In 10 minutes, it reached 12% (enough for a day if you’re careful), and after 30 minutes, it hit 38% (good for at least two days). A full charge takes about 80 minutes.
The watch charges using pogo pins on a base, so it only fits one way. But since the base uses a USB-C connection instead of a built-in cable, you can plug it into any USB-C cable you have, which is really convenient.
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Is the OnePlus Watch 3 Worth It?
If you’re looking for a smartwatch with a sleek design, solid health tracking, and incredible battery life—all at a reasonable price—the OnePlus Watch 3 is a great choice.
Even if your phone’s brand offers its own smartwatch, the Watch 3 stands out with its lower price and the convenience of charging just once or twice a week. However, you don’t get size or cellular options like some competitors.
While it covers most health tracking needs, it lacks a few safety and sleep features found on other brands. And if you’re serious about fitness tracking, it won’t match high-end Garmin watches.
Still, for what it offers, the OnePlus Watch 3 is an impressive smartwatch that’s hard to fault.
Pros and Cons of OnePlus Watch 3
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| 🖥️ Refined design with a larger display | 📶 No cellular or size options |
| 🏋️ Comprehensive fitness tracking with unique metrics | ⚠️ Lacks safety features like sleep apnea and fall detection |
| 🔋 Excellent battery life | ❌ |
| 💰 Well-priced compared to rivals | ❌ |
Conclusion
OnePlus Watch 3 improves on its predecessor with better specs, long battery life, and extensive health tracking. It works with any Android phone (except Apple devices) and lasts for days without charging. However, it lacks some features found on Apple, Pixel, and Galaxy watches and comes in only one size.
