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realme Watch 3 Review: Affordable Featured Packed Smartwatch

realme Watch 3

realme watch series debuted two years ago, and the brand has since expanded its wearables portfolio. The realme Watch 3 is the latest offering and a successor to last year's Watch 2 - which features an excellent battery life and health features.

realme Watch 3

realme Philippines just launched the new realme Watch 3 now features a larger display, Bluetooth calling, and all-day comprehensive health monitoring. We have the opportunity to test this new smartwatch to see if it is an upgrade worth buying.

realme Watch 3 Specs

1.8-inch IPS LCD display, 240 x 286 resolution, 323ppi
500 nits peak brightness
2.5D Gorilla Glass 3
22mm Detachable silicon straps, 130-220mm adjustable length
Bluetooth calling, speaker, real-time heart rate monitor, 24/7 SpO2 monitor, sleep tracking, Stress monitoring, Sports tracking, VO2 Max, Step Counter, Meditation, Smart Notifications, Idle Alert, Drink Reminder, Phone Finder, Weather Forecast, Music and camera Control
Sports Modes: more than 100
PPG optical heart rate sensor, SpO2 sensor, 3-axis accelerometer
IP68 Water resistance rating
Bluetooth 5.3
Compatible with Android and iOS
45 x 37 x 11.5 mm
340 mAh battery
Colors: Black, Grey
40 grams

Design and Built
The Watch 3 has the same design as the Watch 2, but with a more premium appearance. Additionally, its touchscreen is larger with a 1.8-inch protected by Corning 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 against scratches.

realme Watch 3

The screen has a 67.5% screen-to-body ratio, which is 35% larger than the previous generation. This makes it easier to see the details on the display and it's also brighter. The Watch 3 has a reflective metallic frame and it's available in black and grey colors.

realme Watch 3

The Watch 3 lacks always-on display functionality and auto-brightness because with its LCD display, thus you must manually adjust the screen's brightness. There are four brightness levels ranging from 20% to 40%, and the 40% choice appears to be optimal in all conditions, even when outdoors in direct sunlight. The Watch 3 has a maximum brightness of 500 nits, which is more than adequate, although the realme Watch 2 was brighter at 600 nits.

The watch's lightweight design (just 40 grams) makes it comfortable to wear all day. It has a button on the right side that can be used to wake it up and navigate the menu on the watch. In addition to the speaker on the right, you also get a microphone on the same side. It has a proprietary charging pin and magnetic sensors that are both situated at the watch base.

Like the Watch 2, it comes with a detachable silicon strap that is 22mm in width and can be adjusted from a standard 130mm to 220mm. However, unlike the Watch 2, there is no realme branding on the strap.

realme Watch 3

realme Watch 3 Package
realme Watch 3
USB charging cable
Paper materials

Watch Features
The Watch 3 runs a custom realme OS and is compatible with both Android and iOS devices thru the realme Link app. 

realme Watch 3

The app displays activity data, notifications, and watch faces. The watch has 4 different face options, and the app provides access to 100+ watch faces.

realme Watch 3

The watch's user interface is intuitive and functional; it connects with the companion app and stores activity data. While you can view messages on the smartwatch, you cannot reply to them. Since the screen is too small to display a keyboard, it is preferable to type messages on your smartphone.

realme Watch 3

Keeping up with the trend of modern smartwatches, the Watch 3 features heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking, stress, and sleep monitoring. 

realme Watch 3

Also over 110 sports and activities can be monitored by the watch. It can display up to 16 different sports modes, but switching between them will require opening the realme Link app on your smartphone.

realme Watch 3

With its All-Day Comprehensive Health Monitoring, the Watch 3 allows users to keep track of their health. In addition to a 24/7 Heart Rate Monitor, additional features include a Stress Monitor, Sleep Detection and Tracking, and Blood Oxygen Level monitoring. The realme Watch 3 includes a Reminder to Drink Water feature. As for female users, the Watch 3 provides Women's Special tracking with a customizable menstrual cycle tracker.

Scan the QR code on the watch to initiate pairing using the realme Link app on your smartphone or tap "Add a new device." Once paired, you can use the companion mobile app to gain access to all of its functionalities.

The watch can be used to control music and the camera, in addition to other functions such as Find My Phone, Weather Details, Alarm, and Stop Watch.

Performance & Health feature
The watch's user interface (UI) is intuitive, and its animations are smooth; it runs a minimal version of the company's own operating system and comes with essential apps which can be edited via the companion app. While the side button can be used as a back button and swipes are used to navigate the watch's menu, double-tapping the screen is not supported.

realme Watch 3

Continuous monitoring of heart rate, oxygen saturation, and stress levels is equally as accurate as those found on more expensive smartwatches. Monitoring your pulse and blood oxygen saturation in real time is simple and quick. While the large, scrollable stats make it easy to keep track of your progress during workouts.

realme Watch 3

During cardio activities, you can monitor data like your average pace, calories burnt, steps per minute, stride frequency, total steps, and average speed. Our experience has been that the watch can unexpectedly reboot itself during workouts, causing us to lose our workout data, hoping that this will be addressed with an update. Despite lacking a built-in GPS, the watch's readings are reliable when paired with the realme Link app.

realme Watch 3

Similar to other popular smartwatches, the Watch 3 breaks down your night's sleep into distinct stages, including rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The data from the sleep tracker does show consistent sleeping and waking intervals.

With its many health-tracking functions and its support for a wide variety of sports, the realme Watch 3 is an excellent smartwatch that can help you maintain your health at a reasonable price and with a wide selection of stylish watch face designs.

The watch stores the health and activity information, but it's not possible to view data over time. The realme Link app on the Health section tab it provides extensive summaries of your health and activity, with comparisons available for up to a month's worth of data. Workout data can be exported as photos for easy viewing and sharing with others, or for use as visual logs of your progress.

realme Watch 3

Bluetooth calling on the Watch 3 worked well in our tests. The keypad on the watch allows you to make phone calls and transfer contacts. The watch can receive calls made on your phone, and vice versa. The dual-mode Bluetooth chip ensures crystal-clear conversations no matter where you happen to be using your phone.

When driving, this feature of the Watch 3 is particularly helpful since it allows you to answer calls without having to take your hands off the wheel and you can enable voice calls on your smartphone using Virtual Assistant. 

The Watch 3's speaker is loud enough 44for calls even outside, and the microphone pick-up is excellent enough for most usage scenarios, though making calls from a watch is an interesting and unusual experience. Despite the noise, callers noted the voice was clear. realme claims it's AI noise reduction system, although an extra mic would be better.

Battery Life
realme claims that the Watch 3's battery will last up to 7 days, and we found these numbers to be accurate under normal conditions of use, however, we only managed to get 5 days of use during our test.

Our testing of the Watch 3 included three workouts per week, monitoring of heart rate, SpO2, sleep, and stress continuously, and constant alerts from all apps from the connected smartphone. When the watch is set to save power, it shows only the time and date. The watch's battery can be fully charged in slightly over two hours.

Pros
Lightweight
Bluetooth calling
Long battery life
IP68 rating
Budget-friendly

Cons
Plastic built
Lower quality screen
No auto brightness
No Wireless charging support
Uses propriety charging pin

Verdict
The Realme Watch 3 is an improved version of the Watch 2. The addition of Bluetooth calling is the most noticeable upgrade, and it actually works, which is uncommon for watches in this price range. While still being comfortably light on the wrist, Watch 3 provides a sense of better quality than its predecessor while being made entirely of plastic. The larger, 1.8-inch screen and reduced bezels are improvements over the original model, but the lower resolution and lower maximum brightness are a letdown.

It monitors your health and fitness stats and syncs the information to the companion app, just like other smartwatches and smart bands within the same price range. A GPS sensor and an upgraded OLED screen would have been nice additions to this watch.

In addition to being one of the most reasonably priced smartwatches currently on the market, the realme Watch 3 is also a great choice if you're in the market for a new fitness partner who can help you keep tabs on your health.

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