| Still, I absolutely love how small of a footprint Samsung was able to give this watch, as it takes up even less space on my wrist than the analog watch I typically wear | Available in a number of configurations, consumers can choose between 41mm and 45mm sizes, which feature largely the same specs, including the Exynos 9110 and 8GB of internal storage |
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| It's a bit on the thicker side, though; Samsung markets the Watch 3 as being 14% thinner than the original Galaxy Watch, but the 41mm review unit I was sent is still over 11mm thick | Along with SpO2 blood oxygen monitoring , the Watch 3's pulse oximeter allows it to read out VO2 max, which tells you the maximum amount of oxygen you can intake and utilize while exercising |
I've picked up the Watch 3 hours after putting it on the charger, only to find that it wasn't seated just right and didn't charge at all.
| The 44mm Galaxy Watch 4 may gain a 350mAh cell — 10mAh larger than its predecessor | That kind of pricing is nothing new for the Galaxy Watch line, but if you've looked at any Wear OS-powered watches lately, you're bound to feel some sticker shock here |
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| The company developed a system last year that uses lasers to detect the chemical composition of the blood | Samsung added so many fitness features here that there's no more need for an Active line |
I've also found that Spotify app to be hugely unreliable, often failing to control my music playback properly.
23| After all, it's hard to cram all of the various specs and sensors that make these tiny wrist computers so functional into something you'd actually want to wear out | That's not to say that the Galaxy Watch 3 isn't worth the money, if for the gorgeous hardware alone, but you need to really want a premium smartwatch to justify buying it, even at its newly discounted rates |
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| Great hardware and looks are hugely important on a smartwatch — after all, watches are just as much an accessory as they are a utility — but they don't add up to much if the software isn't equally good | The included magnetic puck is more or less the same as on every previous Galaxy Watch, with a weak connection that's easy to dislodge |
You get a VO2 estimate automatically after each workout routine, though you'll need to initiate blood oxygen readings through the Samsung Health app manually.
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