Samsung’s Galaxy Watch3 is what the Galaxy Watch2 should have been, if there was a Galaxy Watch2
Samsung's Galaxy Watch3 marks the return of the physical rotating bezel, though not much else seems to have changed from the Galaxy Watch Active 2. Read on for local pre-order and pricing details.
Note: This article was first published on 6 August 2020.
During last night’s virtual Unpacked 2020 event where the Galaxy Note20 series headlined, Samsung also announced their latest smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch3.
Among the many health and fitness features that were highlighted, such as blood pressure (BP) monitor, electrocardiogram (EKG), blood oxygen (Sp02) sensor and V02 max calculations (finally), Samsung also showed off some really cool ecosystem functionality, such as the ability to stream over 120 fitness programs from the Samsung Health app from your phone to your TV, while using the watch to track and control your workout.
Samsung’s also boasting a library of over 80,000 watch faces that’s currently available on the Galaxy Store and about 40 complications that can be personalised. You can even snap a picture with your phone and use it as a thematic guide to create custom watch face patterns that are colour coordinated with your outfit. Lastly, there’s the triumphant return of the physical rotating bezel. This was, and still is, the best smartwatch control function I’ve used to date.
However, I noticed a distinct lack of mention during the presentation of any technical specifications. Samsung casually throws out some numbers: 4% thinner, 8% smaller and 15% lighter, but nothing was said about processor, battery life, charging speeds, or connectivity. And here’s why.
In August 2018, Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch. This was followed up with the sport-oriented Galaxy Watch Active in February 2019. Then in September 2019, Samsung updated the Watch Active with the Watch Active 2. There was never an update to the original Galaxy Watch, till now.
So, while the Galaxy Watch3 is the real successor to the original Galaxy Watch, you can also see it as the non-active version of the Watch Active 2. Technically, it should really be called the Galaxy Watch2. If you look at the specs table below, it’ll all make sense. Besides some updates to storage and connectivity, all the major subsystems remain the same, so you can basically make an educated guess on performance and battery life from here.
Galaxy Watch3 | Galaxy Watch Active 2 | |
Display | 45mm: 1.4” (34mm) / 41mm:1.2” (30mm) 360 x 360 Super AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass DX | 44mm: 1.4” (34mm) / 40mm:1.2” (30mm) 360 x 360 Super AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass DX+ |
CPU | Exynos 9110 dual-core 1.15GHz | Exynos 9110 dual-core 1.15GHz |
Memory / Storage | 1GB RAM /8GB ROM | LTE: 1.5GB RAM /4GB ROM BT: 768MB RAM /4GB ROM |
Battery | 45mm: 340mAh 41mm: 247mAh | 44mm: 340mAh 40mm: 247mAh |
OS | Tizen Wearable 5.5 | Tizen Wearable 4.0 |
Connectivity | LTE (on LTE models only), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, NFC, GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo | LTE (on LTE models only), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, NFC, A-GPS/Glonass/Beidou |
Durability | 5ATM + IP68 / MIL-STD-810G | 5ATM + IP68 / MIL-STD-810G |
Sensor | Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Light Sensor, Optical Heart Rate Sensor, Electrical Heart Sensor | Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Light Sensor, Optical Heart Rate Sensor, Electrical Heart Sensor |
Dimensions / Weight | 45mm: 45 x 46.2 x 11.1 mm, 53.8g (Stainless Steel) / 43g (Titanium) 41mm: 41 x 42.5 x 11.3 mm, 48.2g (Stainless Steel) | 44mm: 44 x 44 x 10.9 mm, 42g (Stainless Steel) / 30g (Aluminium) 40mm: 40 x 40 x 10.9 mm, 37g (Stainless Steel) / 26g (Aluminium) |
Colours | 41mm: Mystic Bronze,Mystic Silver 45mm: Mystic Black, Mystic Silver 45mm (Titanium): Mystic Black |
Pre-Order
Pre-orders for the Galaxy Watch3 starts from 6 August 2020, Thursday, 10am at the Samsung Online Store or the Samsung Official Store in Lazada. Galaxy Watch3 pre-orders will be entitled to a 10,000mAh Wireless Power Bank (worth $98), upon successful full payment for and collection or delivery of the pre-order.
Pre-orders from the Samsung Online Store can collect their devices from 17 August 2020, Monday via in-person collection at Samsung Experience Store or delivery.
Local Pricing and Availability
The Galaxy Watch3 will be available in Singapore from 21 August 2020, from M1, Singtel and StarHub, major consumer electronics & IT stores, Samsung Online Store, Samsung Experience Stores, and Samsung Official Stores in Lazada and Shopee.
Galaxy Watch3 Bluetooth
41mm: S$648
45mm: S$698
Galaxy Watch3 LTE
41mm: S$798
45mm: S$848
Galaxy Watch3 BT Titanium (Coming soon)
45mm: S$948
There is a specialTitanium variant of the Watch3, and we can't wait for it to be available.
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