LATEST GALAXY WATCH 3 NEWS
Introduction
Samsung didn't launch a true successor to the Galaxy Watch in 2019. It launched the Galaxy Watch Active instead. While it was a robust smartwatch in its own right, it took away a design feature that many Samsung fans loved – the physical rotating bezel.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2, released merely six months after its predecessor, brought back the rotating bezel but in a completely different implementation. Samsung opted for a touch-sensitive bezel that could mimic the behavior of a rotating bezel without actually having a physical one.
This allowed for smaller and lighter watches but many Samsung fans felt that the Galaxy Watch needed a true successor. The Galaxy Watch 3 is what they wanted the 2019 smartwatches to be as it has an actual rotating bezel.
Design
The Galaxy Watch 3 has a familiar circular form factor that we have come to expect from Samsung's smartwatches. It's available in 41mm and 45mm sizes with a variety of different band options. Samsung has refined the design to make it look appealing. The Galaxy Watch 3 is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance.
The only two physical buttons are placed on the right side of the watch. The back has a whole host of sensors for measuring heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure and more. In addition to stainless steel, this is the first time that Samsung is offering a Titanium version of its smartwatch.
Specifications
Display size is the biggest difference between the 41mm and 45mm models as they feature a 1.2-inch and 1.4-inch 360×360 pixel resolution display respectively. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass DX. Both use the same Exynos 9110 processor under the hood with 1GB of RAM.
Internal storage has been doubled to 8GB. The difference in sizes does mean that the batteries are not the same. The 41mm and 45mm models have a 247mAh and 340mAh battery respectively. There's support for Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, NFC and Samsung Pay. LTE variants are also available.
Software and Features
Tizen Wearable OS 5.5 is pre-installed and it brings a variety of new features in addition to user interface enhancements. Features like blood pressure monitoring and ECG are present but their availability varies by market. The Galaxy Watch 3 also makes it possible to measure blood oxygen saturation. The Fall Detection feature will automatically notify a trusted contact when a potential fall is detected.
The smartwatch is also able to provide standalone running analysis with detailed metrics for regularity, asymmetry, stiffness and more. VO2 max, a metric of the maximum oxygen consumption during intense exercise, can also be measured.
Price and availability
The Galaxy Watch 3 was unveiled on August 5, 2020. Samsung released it the very next day. The LTE 41mm and 45mm sizes cost $449 and $479 while the Bluetooth models cost $399 and $429 respectively. The stainless steel models are available in Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black and Mystic White colors. The Titanium will only be available in Mystic Black.
