The realme Watch 3 is worth buying because it offers smooth connectivity, Bluetooth calling, a rectangular curved design, a plastic-made yet metallic finish frame, and it looks great on the wrist. Definitely, an upgrade to its predecessor realme Watch 2 due to its price and specifications, yet I still consider the realme Watch 3 an almost perfect smartwatch there is.
The realme Watch 3: First Impression, Brief Review, and Features
Prior to its official release in the Philippines, I already have a glimpse and a first-hand experience of the realme Watch 3. From previously owning a realme Watch 2, what I like about this new one is the added features that I think are very useful for my lifestyle, aside from having this new watch as a typical fitness companion.
Here are the three capabilities that the realme Watch 3 has that I really like:
Bluetooth Calling Capability
As the kind of person who is not holding a smartphone all the time, most especially while working, this feature is a plus factor for me. Being able to answer calls whenever my smartphone is beyond my reach, I would say it’s something I would need for a smartwatch. This is the feature that I immediately tested on the realme Watch 3. I’m quite satisfied with the volume of the loudspeaker when I took a mock call from my sister who’s in General Santos City right now. Like me, she also is the kind of person who does not have a smartphone on hand. That is why she was curious about the audio quality of the smartwatch.
On the specs sheet, the realme Watch 3 has an AI noise cancelation filter that helps with the quality of the audio when you answer or make calls via the smartwatch. The built-in Smart Power Amplifier also contributed to the overall performance of the audio that’s coming out from the loudspeakers located on the left side corner of the metallic-finish frame1.
To add to that, the realme Watch 3 is powered by a Dual-Mode Bluetooth Chip to make sure that calls coming in or out are stable, and clear while the smartwatch is currently connected to your smartphone via the realme Link app to perform other tasks like monitoring health, counting steps, calculating your other movements, and more. The realme Watch 3 won’t synchronize the entire phonebook of your smartphone. What you can do is assign up to 10 featured contacts to your smartwatch via the realme Link app. But, you can still make a call to a contact not included in your featured contacts. Just go to the Menu section and open the Dialpad.
Super Large And Bright Display
Since it has a touchscreen, having a bigger screen on the realme Watch 3 (compared to the realme Watch 2 that does only have a 1.4″ display) is a much more convenient way to interact with the buttons on the screen without cramping your fingertips while doing so. The 1.8″ display, even though a small 0.4″ difference from its predecessor is already a deal breaker for its capabilities and functions. Not to forget that you can enjoy the 100+ colorful and eye-catching watch faces much more because of a larger and brighter display.
The texts are also readable and that benefits the notifications2 you are receiving from your emails, social media accounts, messaging apps, and calendar or notes. Its curved surface also contributed ergonomically while you are swiping to view the content of your realme Watch 3. With its 500 nits peak brightness, you can still see visibly what is on the display even outdoors. Since it has a larger display, you can appreciate more a watch face using a personal photo from your own photo gallery. Using your own picture as a watch face is easy to set up as well. You just need to assign in on the realme Link app and reconnect or re-synchronize the device for the photo to be an option for your watch face. You can assign up to 4 watch faces, by the way.
Long Battery Life And Easy Charging
I won’t trouble myself from being anxious about its battery because the realme Watch 3 has a 7-Day Battery3 Life. To make it work longer, there’s an option to turn on or off its Power Saving Mode. You can also adjust the intensity of the vibration, lower the brightness, and turn off the workout recognition4.
The Magsafe-life magnetic charger is also convenient to carry as it will consume a little space in your bag pockets. Just buy velcro cable tape to keep tidy the charging cord to avoid being tangled or worst strangled by other things inside your bag. Charging the realme Watch 3 is as easy as a snap. With the magnetic charger, you can make sure it’s charged to regain the power to its full potential without disabling other functions just to save battery.
I don’t know if I like the charging dock of the realme Watch 2 more than this of the realme Watch 3. Because when I charged the realme Watch 3 facing up, the pill-like charging dock was accidentally disconnected from the magnetic strip of the smartwatch. So, I need to charge it face down. Compared to the realme Watch 2, the coin-like charging dock stays secured while the watch is facing up (or probably I just need myself to get used to it along the way).
What I’m Hoping For
For me, it should have been better if there is an upward-firing loudspeaker for a much clearer reception for calls. Another thing that I wish this smartwatch has is a 3.5 headphone jack for calls, only if you want to consume the sound by yourself and not disturb others or anyone around. I am also hoping you can also synchronize your music player to the realme Watch 3. It would be nice if you can play Spotify or YouTube Music on your smartwatch.
Lastly, I hope the brand will soon advertise more options on the straps. The Black and Gray color variants are alright, but having more options to choose from in terms of design, color, and length (I need a strap longer than 22mm) is an amazing deal. Plus, I hope a dedicated GPS, and an integration of Google Maps as well can be helpful and useful.
Conclusion
Overall, I like my experience with the realme Watch 3. Even though the smartwatch has a plastic build, it still can give you that premium feels because of its metallic finish frame (available in Black or Gray/Silver). The speaker quality is already decent but the microphone is superb during my test. My sister was able to hear my voice clearly on her end without being cut off or choppy. The connectivity is fluid, too, as I never encountered re-connecting my smartwatch to the realme Link app.
What I also love about the realme Watch 3 is the All-Day Activity Monitoring. The smartwatch congratulates you when you achieve your goals, which is nice. Also, it has a Water Drinking Reminder, and Stand-Up Alerts, two of the things that I need especially when I’m working from home. It gives me time to take a break and stay away from my laptop for a while.
ALSO READ: Capture Beyond Limits: The realme 9 Unboxing, Initial Use, First Impressions
Overall, for the suggested retail price of ₱3,499, the realme Watch 3 is worth buying. It does have some flaws but still, it does offer value. You can get yours online via the realme flagship stores on Lazada and Shopee.
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realme Watch 3
₱3,499
Pros
- Clear Bluetooth calling is very useful
- 500 nits peak brightness
- Large 1.8" LCD display make texts readable and color vibrant
- Colorful and eye-catching Watch face
- All-Day Activity Monitoring
Cons
- No dedicated GPS or Google Maps integration
- No silicone straps advertised
- Charging dock accidentally gets disconnected
- Upward-firing loudspeaker for a much clearer calls
- More color options to make it fun to wear
Footnotes
- The microphone is located on the lower right side corner below the home/back button.
- You can activate which apps you wanted to receive notifications from via the realme Link app.
- The realme Watch 3 battery is a Li-Ion 340 mAh, non-removable
- The watch will detect your workout status continuously. When it senses that you are walking or running, it will enter the workout mode automatically and start recording the workout data. When it senses that you stop walking or running, the workout will be paused on the watch. Turning the Workout Recognition on will greatly shorten battery life.