OnePlus Watch 3 Review: The Ultimate Wear OS Smartwatch?

At a glance

Expert’s Rating

The OnePlus Watch 3 has a tough act to follow after the Watch 2 showed that OnePlus was serious about making a good Wear OS smartwatch to rival the Google Pixel Watch 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7.

We got a smartwatch that has helped to redefine expectations of what battery life should and can be on a Google-based smartwatch, all while delivering that Wear software in a mostly pleasing fashion.

For the OnePlus Watch 3, it’s about bringing the smartwatch more in line with Apple, Samsung and Google, adding serious health monitoring features as it pushes that battery life a bit further. That’s exactly what it’s achieved, making the latest OnePlus Watch 3 an even more accomplished smartwatch.

Update April 2025: OnePlus has put the Watch 3 on sale in the US but at a higher price of $499.99 rather than $329.99, almost certainly due to Trump’s tariffs.

Design & Build

• Silver or a black titanium bezel
• New redesigned watch crown
• Adds ECG electrodes to physical button

The design language and approach in general to the look of the OnePlus Watch 3 is very similar to the Watch 2.

There are two looks to pick from, with both the obsidian titanium and emerald titanium Watch 3 matching up stainless steel cases with trim titanium bezels. You’ve still got that flatter edge on the right side of the case to break up a full circular case design, and it now hosts a rotating crown that sits more prominently on the watch.

The case size is roughly the same as its predecessor, so if you liked the stature of its predecessor, you’ll also like this. Some may still lament that there still isn’t a smaller case option to go for, but I found it a good fit for my skinny wrist. That case is matched up with a pretty standard sporty 22mm strap that’s easy to remove and replace, while additional straps are priced at £34.99 (US pricing TBC).

The Watch 3 is undoubtedly well made, but it still lacks a bit of wow factor for me

While it doesn’t scream rugged, OnePlus assures you can go for adventures with the Watch 2. It’s been tested to military standards for toughness, while the added IP68 and 5ATM (waterproof up to 50 metres depth) ratings mean you can easily take it for a swim as well.

On the caseback, there’s a pretty similar-looking sensor setup that has been reworked to unlock the ability to monitor temperature, heart rate and blood oxygen levels. The electrodes needed to unlock its new ECG powers are built into the bottom physical button.

If you were hoping for something radically different from the Watch 2, that’s not the case here. The Nordic Blue edition of the OnePlus Watch 2 feels like the direction OnePlus needed to take its next watch in, but that hasn’t materialised.

The Watch 3 is undoubtedly well made, but it still lacks a bit of wow factor for me.

Screen & Audio

• Larger AMOLED display
• Offers Bluetooth calling
• No LTE version

OnePlus is going bigger with the screen on the Watch 3.

It’s moving from a 1.43-inch display to a 1.50-inch LTPO AMOLED screen that sticks to the same 466 x 466 resolution and now spreads that across the larger screen estate. The display is covered in Sapphire crystal to give it some of the best scratch protection you’ll find on a smartwatch and keeping a 2.5D display gives the screen a nice sheen to it when you view it from all angles.

While the screen has grown, the general feel of wearing it doesn’t feel drastically different, which is partly down to OnePlus keeping to a similar-sized case. You’re still getting a sharp, colourful and vibrant AMOLED screen that, with a peak brightness of 2,200 nits, is a huge step up from the 600 nits offered on its predecessor.

While the screen has grown, the general feel of wearing it doesn’t feel drastically different

OnePlus includes a speaker and microphone once again, which enables Bluetooth calling, but still no LTE connectivity on offer. It would’ve been nice to have the option to have a more untethered experience, but I do wonder if this is a sacrifice made to make sure that battery life remains strong.

Software & Features

• Runs on Wear OS 5.0
• Adds video watch faces
• NFC for contactless payments

OnePlus continues its approach of using two chipsets on the Watch 3. It also continues to make it a device that only works with Android phones, just like other Wear OS smartwatches.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5 processor remains, but it’s now matched to a new BES2800BP processor, moving on from the BES2700 chip used on the Watch 2 and Watch 2R.

Using a combination of processors means turning to one for more demanding