As a leading Android smartwatch since launch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 continues punching above its age class across core performance metrics while enjoying steep price cuts. Attractive attributes like its durable premium design, best-in-class fitness tracking capabilities, smooth responsiveness and long battery life keep it highly competent versus both newer and similarly priced wearables.
Still Setting the Bar for Android Smartwatch Design
Upon its August 2020 release, the Galaxy Watch 3 set the new style benchmark for circular Android smartwatches with its classic chronograph inspired design ethos. Core aspects like its:
- Stainless steel case and finishing (aluminum on 40mm model)
- Sporty yet elegant form factor at 41 x 42.5 x 11.3 mm (45 x 46.2 x 11.1 mm for 45mm model)
- Vibrant 1.2” (396 x 396) or 1.4” (450 x 450) full circular Super AMOLED displays with Corning Gorilla Glass DX protection, matching or exceeding latest watches’ screen specs
- Physically rotating bezel with crisp, satisfying clicks
- Interchangeable 20mm bands – including premium leather, silicone, stainless steel mesh, and milanese loop
All set it apart style-wise even today. These capabilities also enable unmatched versatility in personalization possible – beyond what Apple Watches or Wear OS watches can offer.
And build quality remains leaps ahead of cheaper smartwatches, with premium touches like the curved glass display merging seamlessly into its metal form factor. The attention to detail shines through across the board – this watch simply looks and feels like an expensive luxury timepiece.
The 41mm’s measured 52g mass (with silicone band) also means long-term wearing comfort beats out heftier competitors like the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro or Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Despite slimming down its profile compared to older Gear watches, all-day or overnight use won’t be an issue comfort or weight wise.
Top Tier Performance Powered by Robust Hardware
In terms of core tech specs, the Exynos 9110 dual-core Cortex A-72 (1.15 GHz) + dual-core M4 (1.15GHz) chipset and 1GB RAM combo provides ample performance headroom for smooth operation years later:
- Capable of opening apps instantly versus lag of several seconds on cheaper watches
- Responsiveness advantages translate into better workout tracking
- Enables noticeably better touchscreen experience over past Tizen watches
- Latest One UI Watch firmware further enhances fluidity
The older processor does benchmark slower than the latest Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chips of course. But in real-world usage, the interface never feels sluggish or underpowered. Any transitional lags are minor and infrequent on Tizen’s mature, well optimized platform.
Connectivity aspects like onboard WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and GPS also cover all functionality bases. Support includes connecting to wireless headphones for music playback as you exercise.
Most importantly, excellent battery optimization delivers capable 1.5-2 day runtimes on 325 mAh (41mm) or 340 mAh (45mm) batteries. Using low power modes further extends single charge lifespans to 2.5-3 days if needed. Charging 0 to 100% conveniently requires under 2 hours as well via wireless charging.
So from a technical capability viewpoint, the Galaxy Watch 3 has everything needed for an excellent 2023 smartwatch experience.
Deep, Nuanced Fitness & Health Tracking
With 6 gyroscopes, 6 accelerometers and a heart rate monitor empowering over 120 trackable activities like walking, running, swimming and cycling, the Galaxy Watch 3 captures highly detailed workout analytics. Automatic workout detection further simplifies logging by initiating monitoring when repetitive motions occur.
| Workouts Tracked | Details Captured |
|---|---|
| Running | Duration, Pace, Steps, Heart Rate, Route (GPS) |
| Cycling | Duration, Speed, Distance, Heart Rate, Route (GPS) |
| Swimming | Laps, Stroke Type Detection, Heart Rate |
| Strength Training | Sets, Reps, Heart Rate |
And the Activity app neatly compiles your movements 24/7 – not just dedicated workout sessions. So metrics like steps, calories, floors climbed and heart points get captured holistically each day.
Sleep tracking also provides detailed breakdowns spanning durations, stages (light, deep, REM), heart rate and blood oxygen levels (SpO2). Over time, you build an understanding of how factors like exercise, diet and stress quantitatively impact sleep quality.
Still Standing Out from Alternatives
Given the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3’s enduring strengths spanning its premium style and build quality matched to leading fitness/health tracking capabilities, how does it stack up amongst 2023’s competitive smartwatch landscape? Pretty well in my analysis, especially considering street pricing now sits around $199 – hundreds below original launch MSRP.
Versus Galaxy Watch 5, Watch 5 Pro
As its successors, the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro upgrades mostly center on minor hardware improvements like:
- Slightly larger displays (40mm/44mm and 45mm)
- Increased durability from Sapphire Crystal screens
- Faster charging
- Higher capacity batteries (284 mAh to 410 mAh)
- New temperature sensor on Watch 5 Pro
- Integrated trackback routing
These do represent incremental enhancements. But with 40-50% higher costs for marginal gains, the Galaxy Watch 3 provides elevated value as core experience differences remain minimal.
| Specs/Features | Galaxy Watch 3 | Galaxy Watch 5 | Watch 5 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $399+ (Now ~$199) | $279+ | $449+ |
| Display | 1.2” or 1.4” Super AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass DX | 1.2” or 1.4” Super AMOLED, Sapphire Crystal | 1.4" Super AMOLED, Sapphire Crystal |
| Battery | 247 mAh or 340 mAh | 284 mAh or 410 mAh | 590 mAh |
| Sensors | HRM, Accelerometer, Gyro, Barometer, Compass, SpO2 | +Temperature | +Temperature |
| Durability Rating | 5ATM + IP68, MIL-STD-810G | 5ATM + IP68, MIL-STD-810H | 5ATM + IP68, MIL-STD-810H |
| Health Tracking | Steps, Calories, Heart Rate, ECG (Some regions), Blood Oxygen, Sleep | Identical + Body Temperature | Identical + Body Temperature |
Versus Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8
Apple’s latest launches like the rugged Apple Watch Ultra and incremental Apple Watch Series 8 upgrades trail behind in several areas by comparison:
Fitness Tracking: Apple’s segmented data fails providing holistic 24/7 activity insights. Samsung Health offers unified access to comprehensive wellness metrics spanning sleep, steps, workouts, heart rate and more.
Durability: The Apple Watch Series 8 lineup possesses just crack resistance versus Samsung’s military grade and swim-proofing ratings.
Display: Apple sticks to low brightness, bare bones 368 x 448 OLEDs versus the Galaxy Watch 3’s markedly sharper 1.2” or 1.2-inch 451 x 416 AMOLED display. Always-On functionality also falls short of Tizen’s seamlessly persistent watch faces and app screens.
At the same time, Apple Watches do outperform through deeper iOS ecosystem integration, expanded app catalogs and more frequent software update support. But if cross-platform compatibility isn’t necessary, the Galaxy Watch 3 competitiveness argument remains compelling.
Wrapping Up: Who Should Buy It?
If the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3’s durable premium styling, leading workout tracking capabilities and value price point resonate with your wearable needs, several user profiles stand benefiting most:
- Fitness Enthusiasts: Serious gym goers, runners, swimmers will gain tremendous utility from the Galaxy Watch 3’s exhaustive activity tracking in a high-end package. Compared to many dedicated sports watches, quick access to notifications and music also improve multi-tasking convenience.
- Android Users Seeking a Premium Smartwatch: Thanks to deep OneUI integration spanning messaging, email, apps like Samsung Pay, Samsung smartphone owners receive the most comprehensive experience at a now budget-friendly price point.
- Value-Focused Shoppers: $800 Apple Watches delivering iterative upgrades reflect terrible value next to the feature-rich Galaxy Watch 3 now 40% cheaper than original MSRP.
In conclusion, if appreciating a smartwatch equally capable of boardroom elegance as 24/7 athletic ally resonates with your priorities, purchasing the Galaxy Watch 3 can make good sense 3 years later – delivering an unmatched feature blend wrapped within a sophisticated design.