Life with the OnePlus Watch 3: A Week Without Charging
It’s 2 a.m., and I’m just getting back home. I stumble through the door, my OnePlus Watch 3 still glowing faintly on my wrist. By dawn, I’m not just exhausted—I’m curious. Did I at least get any deep sleep tonight? For years, my skepticism about sleep tracking stemmed from one thing: battery life. Most smartwatches couldn’t last through nights, let alone my chaotic schedule. Not so with OnePlus Watch 3. This is the first time I’ve worn a smartwatch continually for five nights straight—each morning, my stats are displayed in full detail, and battery anxiety is gone. This kind of real-world reliability changes everything; it’s no longer just about step counts, it’s about trust in your device to be there every morning, every workout, and even after several nights of missed charges. That tiny leap in battery life makes a difference for busy parents, insomniac creatives, or anyone sick of the “low battery” warning becoming their only bedtime companion.
OnePlus Watch 3 Smartwatch - All Colors 46mm
Quick Specs: At a Glance
Before we dig deeper, here’s everything you need to know about the OnePlus Watch 3’s key specs:
| Category | OnePlus Watch 3 |
|---|---|
| Materials | Titanium bezel, stainless steel case, sapphire crystal glass |
| Protection | MIL-STD-810H, IP68, 5ATM |
| Dimensions | 46.6 x 47.6 x 11.75 mm |
| Weight | 49.7g (no strap) / 81g (with strap) |
| Display | 1.5” LTPO AMOLED, 466×466, 2200 nits |
| Processor | Snapdragon W5 Soc, 6nm BES2800 MCU |
| Memory | 2GB RAM, 32GB storage |
| Battery | 631mAh; 4-6 days smart mode, 16 days saver |
| Charging | 24 hours in 10 min; 100% in 30 min |
| Sensors | HR, SpO2, ECG (not in NA), wrist temp, barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, geomagnetic, light |
| GPS | Dual-frequency (L1+L5), Beidou, Galileo, GLONASS, QZSS |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 2.4/5GHz, NFC |
| Update Policy | 2 OS updates (to Wear OS 7), Security through the end of 2027 |
| Price | CAD 449.99 |
Daily Life Test: One Week, Real Wear
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Some nights, the OnePlus Watch 3 just sort of blends into your routine. I grabbed the water, checked the time with a quick wrist flick, and was back under the covers before I woke up fully. Glancing at the sleep data with my first cup of coffee a few hours later, I laughed—yep, it had logged my “adventure.” Sleep score wasn’t pretty, but at least I knew why.
Rain found me that Wednesday. I used to baby my old watch, but this one? I barely thought about it—wiped the drops off and kept running. Turns out, titanium really can take a beating, and the strap dried before I’d even made it home.
One morning, work stress caught up with me. Quick check—heart rate, blood oxygen, stress levels, all on the spot. The watch buzzed at me to breathe. I stopped, followed the breathing prompt, and felt a bit better heading into another avalanche of emails.
Saturday, running late for a picnic, my battery was down. Threw it on the charger, got dressed, and by the time my friend showed up, we we’re on the move. The watch was nearly full again. That made more of a difference than I expected—no need to hover by an outlet or switch to “dumb watch mode.”
Now? I hardly ever think about whether I’ve charged it or not. It just keeps going. Most of the time, I only notice it because I get a nudge to stand or a weather update. I haven’t worried about this watch once all week, and that says a lot.
Design & Build: Looks Good, Feels Tough
Slip the OnePlus Watch 3 on your wrist, and it’s instantly obvious—this thing isn’t just about tech specs, it feels like a piece of jewelry. The titanium bezel and stainless steel case give it that solid, expensive vibe, and the sapphire crystal glass? No need to stress over bumps or scrapes, it takes a beating and keeps looking sharp. It does carry a bit of weight (about 81 grams with the strap) and sits at 46.6 x 47.6 x 11.75 mm, but somehow, it never feels clunky. Spinning the crown is oddly satisfying, and it makes scrolling through screens much easier than constant swiping. You can pick from Emerald Titanium or Obsidian Titanium finishes—both manage to stand out without trying too hard.
Display: Bright, Sharp, and Seen Outdoors
If you’ve ever squinted at your watch under sunlight, get ready for a pleasant surprise. The 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED display punches out a crisp 466×466 pixel resolution, and it gets bright, like, really bright, topping out at 2200 nits. No shade required. The always-on mode is super handy for glances, and since the screen tech is so smart with energy, you won’t have to worry about it destroying your battery either.
Performance: Plenty Fast, No Fuss
Inside, you’ve got the Snapdragon W5 chip and a co-processor, plus a healthy chunk of RAM (2GB) and a generous 32GB of storage. Apps open fast, menus respond without lag, and workouts track smoothly, no matter how many other things the watch is juggling. One big plus: the dual-chip setup manages battery smartly without slowing you down, so it’s always ready to go when you are.
Battery Life: Days of Freedom
Honestly, the battery life here is a game-changer. Four to six days on a single charge—even with all the smart features on—and if you flip it into power saver, you could go more than two weeks. Topping it up is painless; give it just ten minutes, and you’ve bought yourself another full day. Most smartwatches have you hunting for a charger by lunchtime, and this one barely blinks. But to keep real with everything I do, I get on average 5 days.
Health & Fitness Tracking: All the Numbers, All the Insights
If you like seeing your health data laid out in detail, this watch delivers. Heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, stress—the sensors are there and work well. The 60-second health check pulls together a bunch of your stats at once, which is handy when you just want a quick sense-check before a busy day. Into exercise variety? You’ll find support for over 100 different activities, and the dual-frequency GPS does a solid job keeping tabs on your runs or rides, even when you’re deep in the woods or city canyons.
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Software & User Experience: Simple, Occasionally Deep
Running on Wear OS 5 with a touch of RTOS in the background, the interface feels smooth and familiar for Android users. There are plenty of apps to try out, and the OHealth app gives a nice at-a-glance view of your wellness. You won’t find heavy customization here—what you see is mostly what you get. There are lots of features under the hood, but it might take a little time to figure out where everything lives.
Connectivity: Keeps You Close, Not Quite Cut Loose
Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, NFC—they’re all here and work as expected for pairing with your phone, making payments, and syncing up apps. The only missing piece is LTE, so if you’re hoping to leave your phone at home and still take calls from your wrist, this isn’t the one. For most folks, that’s fine—but it’s something to keep in mind if full independence is a dealbreaker.
Small Details & Big Misses: What You Only Notice After a Week
You’d think after a few days, you’d know everything about a smartwatch. Nope. The OnePlus Watch 3, for all its big wins, still tosses in a few eyebrow-raisers—some good, some pretty questionable.
Chunky Watch, No Apologies
Let’s get the obvious out first: this is a big watch. Not just “looks bold in the ad,” big, but it hangs off my wrist just right for me. Tried it on a friend with slim wrists, and she laughed—looked more like an ankle monitor than a watch. Plus, with only “masculine” bands and no small-case option, it’s clear who they designed this thing for.
And you know what’s missing? Menstrual tracking, sure, I don’t need it, but others do. It’s 2025, everyone else does it, and at this price, it feels silly to leave out. You want to track everybody’s stats, but not that? Please.
The Satisfying Crown (and That Red Cable)
Okay, rant over. Let’s talk hardware. The crown is genuinely great. It’s got this grippy feel and works—scrolling feels almost as nice as on a Pixel Watch. And yeah, the little haptic feedback tickles your thumb just right. Tiny delight, but it matters.
A quick tip: the charging dock shows up with a bright red cable (very on-brand) and charges even quicker if you use a OnePlus phone brick. Good news for folks already in their universe, but it’s not a dealbreaker if you’re not.
No Hidden Fees for Your Data
Something I didn’t expect: all your health stats stay on your device—no sleazy cloud uploads or surprise subscriptions. Fitbit, take notes. You get all your core wellness info, right there and free, no monthly “unlock one more graph” nonsense.
The “Almost” Heart Rate Tracker
For most workouts, the heart rate’s on the money. But the second you push it (hello, hill sprints), you’ll notice a lag. Sometimes 20, 25 seconds behind, which for most people won’t matter—but if you’re training hard or thinking Olympic dreams, it might get annoying. If you’re a data purist, maybe still pack that chest strap for race day.
Software: Pretty, But Don’t Expect Custom Magic
The OHealth dashboard looks good, but if you’re hoping to drag and drop widgets or swap out stats, save your thumb strength: it’s stubbornly fixed. You get what OnePlus decides—end of story.
Odd Little Surprises
- Step counting: Actually, it’s more accurate than you’d think. Fell within a handful of steps versus my manual test, which beats out Google’s Pixel.
- First sync/setup: Not always smooth. Needed a few extra attempts to pair with Google Health. Tedious, but survivable.
- Workout maps: Recording a run? The route map is full of slick, colourful details you rarely see at this price. Even gives you satellite view, which is a weirdly nice flex after a long hike.
Comparison Table: OnePlus Watch 3 vs. Main Competitors
| Feature | OnePlus Watch 3 | Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra | Google Pixel Watch 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Life | 4–6 days (16 saver) | Up to 3 days | 1–2 days |
| Display | 1.5” LTPO AMOLED, 2200 nits | 1.5″ Super AMOLED | 1.2/1.4” OLED, 2,000 nits |
| Materials | Titanium/Steel/Sapphire | Titanium/Steel/Sapphire | Stainless/Glass |
| Protection | MIL-STD-810H, IP68/69, 5ATM | MIL-STD-810H, IP68/5ATM | 5ATM, Gorilla Glass |
| Size Options | 46mm only | Multiple | Multiple (41, 45mm) |
| Weight | 49.7g (no strap) | Varies | 31g (no strap) |
| ECG (NA) | Not Yet | Yes | Yes |
| LTE | No | Yes | Yes |
| Customization | Fixed Dashboard | Highly Customizable | Customizable (Fitbit) |
| Subscription | None | None | Fitbit Premium ($) |
| Updates | 3 years (to 2027) | 5 years | 3 years |
| Price | CAD 449.99 | CAD 879.99 | CAD 479.99 |
In the crowded smartwatch field, the OnePlus Watch 3 aims straight at the heart of Wear OS: outlasting Google and Samsung, undercutting Garmin and Apple’s premium tiers, all while offering a fuller health feature set for less money.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: Costs nearly twice as much, lasts only about three days maximum, but offers five years of updates, multi-size options, LTE, and Samsung’s refined health app. ECG and advanced AI features are strong, but with a subscription, and not as generous on battery.
- Google Pixel Watch 3: More affordable, available in multiple sizes, and offers Fitbit’s deep health stats—but it consistently overcounts steps and hides the richest data behind a pricey Fitbit Premium wall. Pixel Watch also offers ECG in North America, a crucial omission for OnePlus so far.
- Apple Watch Series: Not Wear OS, but the elephant in the room. Far shorter battery life (1–2 days), best-in-class app ecosystem and fitness integrations, but no native sleep apnea or SpO2 for all regions, and it’s iPhone-only.
The OnePlus Watch 3 single-handedly wins on battery and data openness; it’s ideal for Android fans who want a premium design, reliable health data, no subscriptions, and are happy with its “big and bold” visual identity.
The Final Word: Is the OnePlus Watch 3 Right for You?
Not every smartwatch nails the basics while still feeling like a solid, premium piece of tech, but the OnePlus Watch 3 manages it. The thing you notice right away is just how long it runs—days go by before you even think about the charger. That, plus the metal build and crisp display, puts it in a sweet spot for folks who want something reliable (and good-looking) on their wrist.
Sure, it skips LTE, and you won’t find endless watch-face tweaks or a deep app store here. If you need a standalone connection or crave heavy customization, this probably isn’t your match. But if what you’re after is a watch that simply works—tracks your health, handles the daily grind, and won’t have you searching for a charger before bedtime—the Watch 3 is one of the standout options for Android users right now.
At the end of the day, whether it fits your needs comes down to what matters most to you. For a lot of people, this could be the one that just works—no fuss, no battery anxiety, solid looks, and the health essentials covered.
| Buy If… | Don’t Buy If… |
|---|---|
| You prioritize long battery life in a smartwatch. | Standalone LTE connectivity is essential for your needs. |
| Premium materials and build quality are important to you. | You prefer a smaller, more lightweight smartwatch. |
| Comprehensive health and fitness tracking features are a must-have. | Extensive app customization and personalization are priorities. |
| You prefer a bright, high-resolution display for outdoor visibility. | You require immediate access to features like ECG in North America. |
| Fast charging capabilities align with your lifestyle. | A more intuitive, straightforward user interface is important to you. |
OnePlus Watch 3 – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the OnePlus Watch 3 good for iPhone users?
No, you’ll need an Android phone (Android 9 or newer) to use the OnePlus Watch 3. It doesn’t work with iPhones.
Does it have LTE, or can I leave my phone at home?
No, there’s no LTE on the OnePlus Watch 3. You’ll have to keep your phone nearby for calls and notifications.
How much battery life do you get?
Expect up to 5 days on a charge for everyday use. With the Always-On Display, it’s more like 4 days, but you can stretch it to 16 days in power-saving mode.
Can I make calls from my wrist?
Yes! You can make and take calls when your phone’s connected with Bluetooth. But there’s no cellular function, so your phone needs to be close.
What health stuff does the OnePlus Watch 3 track?
It covers the basics and more: heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, stress, snoring, and even gives you a quick health assessment.
Will it survive a swim or shower?
Definitely. With a 5ATM and IP68 rating, it handles swimming and showers with no problem.
Does it have built-in GPS for runs or hikes?
Yep, you get dual-band GPS for better accuracy on walks, runs, and hikes.
Can I reply to texts on the watch?
You can send replies using canned responses or a mini keyboard, but only when paired with an Android phone.
Can I ask Google Assistant or Alexa for help on the watch?
Not yet—there’s no voice assistant support right now.
Can I add my favourite apps?
The OnePlus Watch 3 sticks to built-in apps; you can’t download extras like on a Wear OS watch.
Will ECG be available in the US or Canada?
No, unfortunately, the ECG feature isn’t coming to those regions because it hasn’t been cleared by the FDA.
How long will I get software updates?
You’re covered for three years with regular security updates and software features.
Are there different bands or straps to choose from?
Yes! Pick from leather, silicone, and metal options, all designed to swap out easily.
Can I customize the watch face?
Lots of styles to pick from to suit your look or mood.
What’s with the “Meda in China” typo? Should I do anything?
If your watch has that unique typo, you can keep it as a collector’s oddity or ask for a free replacement. It’s up to you!
