Finally, hardware that I can comfortably wear, with only a few caveats.
Good news, people with small wrists! OnePlus finally has a wearable product for you. The last OnePlus Watch 3 was too big for me, and its whole vibe was way too masculine. But the OnePlus Watch 3 in the new 43mm size is exactly the kind of thing I'd want to wear. And I did! I have for the last week and a half. That's longer than I wore the 46mm size that came out earlier this year.
I'm still finalizing the score for the new size of the OnePlus Watch 3. When it's ready, I'll publish my review on Android Faithful. But I wanted to share a few points with you in case you're interested.
The OnePlus Watch 3 in 43mm is priced at $300, approximately $50 less than the original size and $50 less than the Pixel Watch 3 in 41mm. It features a 1.32-inch AMOLED display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of onboard storage for media files, and a 354 mAh battery. The battery is larger than the Pixel Watch 3's 41mm model and about half the size of the OnePlus Watch 3's 46mm battery—that one boasts a whopping 631mAh, which should give you a good indication as to why I wasn't wearing that watch for review. It was too much!
The OnePlus Watch 3 is available in two colors: black and white. It has a satisfying, rotatable crown you can flick up and down to scroll through Wear OS. It's also a button that takes you back to the home screen.
The OnePlus Watch 3 in 43mm utilizes the same dual-processor architecture as its predecessors, featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 Wearable Platform processor to handle more complex tasks, such as fitness tracking and navigation, and a secondary processor to manage basic functions, including timekeeping and step counting. This is designed to help the smartwatch maintain its impressive battery life, offering 2.5 days in "full power" mode and up to seven days in power-saving mode. I will have more on this in the full review. One thing is for sure: I ended up charging the OnePlus Watch 3 in 43mm almost as often as my Pixel Watch 3 in 45mm.
The OnePlus Watch 3 in 43 mm features new fitness and health tracking capabilities. Menstrual cycle tracking and fall detection have also been added to the watch. There's a "pro running" mode that helps evaluate your training style, but I don't run because I dislike it. I hate it. Not even an app or a wearable review could make me do it. The only time I want to run is through an airport to catch a plane. And that's just because it's out of necessity.
The OnePlus Watch 3 in 43mm is missing a few key features that I currently enjoy in the Pixel Watch 3. There's no wrist temperature sensor or cardio health analysis. There's also no ECG available. The hardware is there, but it remains dormant for U.S. customers.
One thing I would like to spend more time with is the OnePlus Watch 3's mental health care offerings, specifically its stress tracking features. The Pixel Watch 3 and Oura Ring that I wear daily are constantly checking in with me to remind me to take a breath. OnePlus's coping mechanisms are more subtle. There is a watch face that helps you breathe and indicates the color of your mood aura. Ironically, this watch face also drains the battery, which undermines the whole point of why OnePlus has two processors handling duties behind the scenes.
I'll have more to say in the full review of the OnePlus Watch 3 in 43mm. For now, if you're looking for something that's cheaper than Google and Samsung's offerings, and is a little more basic in terms of health tracking, the price of this smartwatch is quite nice. Its health and fitness features are also free, compared to Fitbit on the Pixel Watches, which offers free tracking of most things but requires a paid Premium subscription for more robust measurements. Samsung Health for the Galaxy Watch remains free, too, but there has been considerable chatter that the company is exploring something more in the future.