For the past two years I’ve been using the Google Pixel Watch 2 as my daily driver and I’ve loved every moment. Prior to this smart watch I’ve only used various versions of the FitBit HR. My last encounter with anything OnePlus related was when the original OnePlus One released and I redeemed my invitation code to get the smart phone, since then I’ve really only stuck within the Pixel ecosystem. The new OnePlus Watch 3, 43mm version, has been an absolute delight of a wearable and I’ve been really enjoying my time with it. With its beautiful AMOLED screen, the lightweight body and very comfortable strap. This smartwatch might be one of the better wearables I’ve ever used.
I love a good wearable, the ability to get an extension of your phone is the type of accessible tech I can get behind. From paying for meals via the Google wallet app, checking a message without having to pull your phone out of your wallet or purse, or even starting your car. We have come such a long way with how we use our wearable technology. The OnePlus Watch 3 is, in my opinion, at the top of its class if you’re looking for a wearable to suit your day to day needs and don’t need any additional bells and whistles.
Out of the box you receive your traditional unboxing experience, you get a USB-C cable as well as the charging dock, without the power block as usual. The smart watch weighs roughly 37.8g or 1.3 oz, which compared to the Google Pixel Watch 2 is slightly heavier, but truly I couldn’t tell which was really nice. It features a 1.3 inch AMOLED display that peaks at 1000 nits with a resolution of 466 x 466 which almost rivals that of the Google Pixel Watch 3 and is slightly behind the Apple Watch Series 10. Additionally, the display is rated IP68 and is dust right and water resistant up to 1.5 meters for roughly 30 minutes.
With the price point of $399 CAD I’m more than happy with what the OnePlus Watch 3 is offering. Under the hood, this device is utilizing the latest Google Wear OS 5 accompanied by the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chipset. Scrolling through pages and navigating apps on this smart watch is smooth and seamless. Like most smart watches of the last generation the internal memory is 32GB with 2GB of RAM. The battery life is also really great on this smart watch. On a full charge you will get up to 60 hours. I typically power down the watch every night. On average this is better than the Pixel Watch 3 as well the Apple watch series 10, without having to use the power saver mode.
“The OnePlus Watch 3 stands out as one of the best smart watches of 2025…”
The overall look of the watch is very classy and borderline timeless. I really enjoyed the additional markings on the outermost side of the display that coincide with the hours of the 12 hour clock. This was a really great design choice and adds a classy flare to the device. The OnePlus Watch 3 supports all standard 18mm watchbands, which is great as you will be able to swap in a very large assortment of bands unlike its competitors.
One drawback for this device is that the body only comes in two colours, Silver Steel and Black Steel. For customization, this device features a very eclectic mix of watch faces, which now also include video watch faces. I tried to swap to a new watch face a day during my review period and I really enjoyed most of what OnePlus had to offer. A quick note for the video watch faces: though they are really cool and highly customizable, they will quickly decrease your battery life significantly while in use.
The OnePlus Watch 3 might be my current favourite smartwatch on the market. I do not think there is a negative thing I can say about it, apart from the colour options. The price point isn’t too outrageous and comes in much lower than most of its competitors. From a cosmetic side, you can customize the watch to fit your mood, outfit or whatever it is you need with ease with the wide array of watch faces and standard 18mm watch bands. The OnePlus Watch 3 stands out as one of the best smart watches of 2025, if you’re looking for something simple and elegant without too much flare, this would most definitely be the device for you.
