Realme Watch 3 review: Redefining the entry-level smartwatch

realme watch 3 review phone realme

The affordable smartwatch segment is gaining momentum quickly and some of the early players in the space have already made their mark. With a strong presence in various segments including smartphones, audio products and tablets, Realme has tried to create an ecosystem of sorts. The latest addition to the company’s expanding portfolio of smart wearables is the Realme Watch 3, which tries to strike a balance between fitness and health tracking, useful features and affordability.

Price Rs. 3,499 in India, the Realme Watch 3 is Realme’s latest affordable smartwatch and hopes to bring the brand back into the limelight as it competes with similarly priced products from the Noize, Fire-Bolt and Boat. With a large screen, Bluetooth calling and fitness tracking features, is the Realme Watch 3 the best cheap smartwatch you can buy right now? Find out in this review.

realme watch 3 review phone realme

Bluetooth calling on the Realme Watch 3 works with the smartwatch as a hands-free speaker and microphone

Realme Watch 3 Design and Features

It costs Rs. 3,499, the Realme Watch 3 is directly opposite the recently launched Noise ColorFit Pro 4, which has the same set of specs and features. Although the Realme Watch 3 has a 1.8-inch TFT LCD touchscreen that’s slightly larger than the Noize smartwatch, it’s not as sharp with a resolution of 240×286 pixels. However, it is claimed to be bright with a maximum brightness of 500 nits.

The Realme Watch 3 is available in two color options, black and grey, and the company sent me the latter for review. Although the strap is gray, the sides of the smartwatch are a shiny, reflective shade of silver that, in my opinion, looks better. The front and back of the Realme Watch 3 are black and the 22mm straps can be removed and replaced with compatible aftermarket options.

The Realme Watch 3 has thick borders around the screen, which gives it a somewhat dated look. You can reduce the visual effect of the border by using a black background, but the somewhat poor black levels of TFT-LCD screens mean you’ll still be able to see the difference up close.

realme watch 3 review back realme

Realme Watch 3 is IP68 rated for dust and water resistance

The right side of the Realme Watch 3 has a microphone along with a primary button that controls power and some navigation functions in the interface. On the left side is the speaker, which is used when making or receiving calls on the smartwatch. The bottom of the device has contact points for charging and optical sensors for heart rate and blood oxygen readings.

The Realme Watch 3 is IP68 rated for dust and water resistance and weighs 40g with the included strap. The device uses Bluetooth 5.3 for connectivity. The sales package includes a magnetic charging cable for the smartwatch.

Realme Watch 3 Software and App

Like most affordable smartwatches, the Realme Watch 3 has a simple user interface with a set of apps to operate its features and functionality. Apps cannot be installed or uninstalled from this watch. The Bluetooth connection on your smartphone is used to synchronize fitness data and receive notifications without the device’s wrist-worn speakerphone functionality.

Swiping left or right cycles through the main apps on the Realme Watch 3, including activity tracking, sleep tracking, heart rate tracking, weather and music controls. Swiping up from the bottom lets you see notifications with a quick preview of the text, and swiping down from the top reveals quick toggles for brightness, power saving mode, settings and more. Pressing the side button shows the entire app menu in grid or list format.

realme watch 3 review button realme

The Realme Watch 3 has a single button that controls power and some navigation functions

There are apps for most of the major functions you’d expect on a smartwatch, including a stopwatch, timer, alarm, camera shutter control, heart rate and blood oxygen tracking, workouts and workout records, and settings. All this is easy to access and get used to.

The Realme Link app handles the connection between the Realme Watch 3 and your smartphone and is available for both iOS and Android. The app provides a detailed and organized view of the fitness data collected by the smartwatch. It lets you customize settings and other functions on the watch and change watch faces.

You can choose from Realme’s growing list of watch faces, and up to four faces can be saved on the watch simultaneously for quick switching. You can choose which apps you want to receive (or not) notifications from the smartwatch, and create event reminders for the watch to notify you at the right time and date. You have to press a button or lift your wrist to wake the watch; Tapping the screen in standby does nothing.

If you have multiple Realme products like earphones or IoT devices, the Realme Link app acts as a common hub for all of them, which is very convenient. The connection with the smartwatch was stable, and notification delivery was reliable during my review period.

Realme Watch 3 performance and battery life

Affordable smartwatches often boast a lot of features and capabilities, but the actual experience is not what it claims to be. That said, I’ve found that most devices in this price range, including the Realme Watch 3, do a good job as far as showing time and notifications, thanks to the color screen and the ability to change watch faces.

Realme Watch 3 Review Realme

Four watch faces can be stored simultaneously on the Realme Watch 3, while more can be downloaded using the app

Bluetooth calling on the Realme Watch 3 was particularly useful and I was able to use the device for short conversations in relatively quiet places like my home or office. I found the dialer interface a bit clunky on the smartwatch, but you can define recurring contacts to make it easier to call people you need regularly. Receiving calls on the watch is easy and works without any hassle.

For health and fitness tracking, I found the Realme Watch 3 to be pretty decent, but there aren’t many other options in this price segment that are quite as accurate. When I manually counted 1,000, the smartwatch counted 1,072 steps, the same as the similarly priced Noise ColorFit Pro 4. At longer distances compared to the Apple Watch Series 7 wearing both devices together, the difference increased to about 85 additional steps per 1,000.

Distance measurements were oddly under-recorded compared to the Apple Watch, while calorie measurements were over-recorded. Heart rate readings were also fairly inaccurate when moving, but matched what I’d get on an Apple Watch or pulse oximeter while standing still or sitting. Blood oxygen readings are generally more accurate than pulse oximeters. Sleep tracking seemed fine in terms of duration.

The battery life on the Realme Watch 3 lives up to the company’s claims, with the device lasting just under seven days. My usage includes frequent activity and health tracking, the occasional call on the smartwatch, and viewing previews on notifications. This figure also matches what the most affordable smartwatches of this type can deliver.

judgement

Realme Watch 3 Rs. offers a lot in 3,499, includes good looks, reliable connectivity, good battery life and a big feature set apart from its predecessor – Bluetooth calling. Accuracy of fitness and activity tracking was less than ideal, but other than that, it’s a fairly well-equipped device for the price and if you want a smartwatch but are on a budget.

That said, the Noise ColorFit Pro 4 is also worth considering, primarily for its sharper screen and better watch face. It all depends on the brand and personal preference, but you get a lot for what you pay for (and a little more) with the Realme Watch 3, making it a worthwhile choice.


LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here