We loved the OnePlus Watch 3, it’s our best Android smartwatch, but for all its excellent attributes there was one disappointment. The size.
More specifically, the lack of size options. The Watch 3 arrived in a single, 47mm body size. Great for those with large wrists looking for a sizable timepiece, but it alienated buyers looking for a compact offering.
The major smartwatch makers all offer two sizes of their wrist worn wearables, giving consumers the choice they’re looking for.
OnePlus has heard the feedback and addressed the issue with the introduction of the smaller 37.8g, 43mm OnePlus Watch 3.
It’s comfortably smaller and lighter than its sibling, but it’s not as small or light as the the 41mm Google Pixel Watch 3 (at 31g), 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (28.8g), or the 42mm Apple Watch 10 (29.3g-34.4g, depending on configuration).
OnePlus says it could have gone smaller, but opted not to. We spoke to EU PR Product Lead at OnePlus, Aske Kjaer, to find out why.
43mm is “the sweet spot”
“We’ve got the dual engine architecture when you’re running two chipsets, and that takes up some space,” Kjaer told Digital Trends when talking about the reasoning for the 43mm size. He also noted the firm “wanted to make sure we get a proper sensor suite in there.”
The OnePlus Watch 3 43mm does miss out on the ECG monitor of it’s larger sibling – there just wasn’t enough space – but all the other sensors are present and correct.
Another issue when reducing the size of a smartwatch is dealing with a smaller screen. OnePlus didn’t want to go any smaller than the 1.32-inch screen it’s settled with here, for fear it would become too “finicky.”
“And so when you combine all those things together, what you get is 43mm being the sweet spot” Kjaer added.
“You can still get that 60 hour battery life in smart mode [which is less than the larger variant, but still good] and up to seven days in power save mode.”
So the main compromises of the 43mm Watch 3 over the 47mm variant are screen size, battery life and lack of ECG monitoring.
The screen is still well proportioned though and easy to navigate – as I experienced it briefly during a preview event – and 60 hours battery life is impressive if accurate. Plus, the compact size will likely outweigh these minor shortcomings for folk after a smaller wearable.
If a smaller version of the best Android smartwatch sounds like your perfect wearable, the OnePlus Watch 3 43mm is available now in Europe and the UK, priced at £269.
We’ll update this report with the watch’s US release date and price once we receive it.
