Vivo has been on a launching spree of late. Besides launching the much anticipated V40 5G (Review) and V40 Lite 5G (Review), the company has also unveiled its third-generation Watch 3 smartwatch that comes along with an improved build quality as well as several new features which aim to elevate the smartwatch experience for it’s users.
With an official launch price of just S$279, the Vivo Watch 3 is currently one of the most affordable premium smartwatch in the market. However, does it really has everything that you’re looking for in your next smartwatch? Let’s find out in our Vivo Watch 3 review!
Where Style Meets Performance
Vivo has a reputation for releasing some of the most stylish tech products, a standard that extends not only to its mobile devices but also to gadgets and wearables, such as the new Vivo Watch 3 which impresses with a minimalistic and yet trendy design.
Its offered in two colour options, namely Asteroid Black and Moonlight White. The Asteroid Black model favours a more sporty look with a soft silicone strap, while the Moonlight White model which features a genuine leather strap exudes a classy and elegant charm. Both models feature a 46mm circular dial which shares matching colour with the watch strap.
As usual, the watch strap itself is interchangeable – meaning you can easily remove the existing strap and swap it with another strap of different colour and material to go with your daily outfit or activity.
Design-aside, the Vivo Watch 3 is also extremely comfortable to wear even for long hours. That’s mostly thanks to its featherlight weight of just 36 grams (excluding the strap) which makes it go unnoticed after wearing it for several minutes.
In terms of durability, you’ll be glad to know that the Vivo Watch 3 carries a 5 ATM rating for water resistance too. This essentially means the watch can handle light drizzles and is suitable for certain water activities, such as swimming in a pool.
Great Display, Awesome Software
On the front side, Vivo Watch 3 boasts a stunning 1.43” AMOLED display that delivers an exceptional viewing experience with its ultra-sharp 466 x 466 pixel resolution and vibrant colours. Additionally, the screen gets bright enough to remain legible, even under direct sunlight.
This is particularly important for individuals who frequently engage in outdoor activities such as hiking. Additionally, the display boasts high-end features such as a reliable auto-brightness function and support for an always-on display, with a variety of AOD styles to choose from.
As far as software is concerned, the Vivo Watch 3 ships with the company’s proprietary BlueOS which offers a well-organized and intuitive UI to navigate through the extensive list of apps and settings.
Speaking of navigation, the new Watch 3 also has a rotatable digital crown affixed to the upper-right edge of the watch that can be used to zoom in and out of the grid-style menu, or to traverse through a list.
Smart Features That Simplify Your Life
Just like any other premium smartwatches, the Vivo Watch 3 comes with a variety of smart features designed to make daily life more convenient and efficient. This include the ability to check incoming text messages and answer call directly from your wrist without having to reach for your smartphone which can be a real hassle especially during a workout.
Apart from that, the Vivo Watch 3 also supports standalone music playback thanks to its generous 4GB storage capacity which allows it to store up to 1,000 songs directly on the watch itself. This is an incredibly useful feature for runners as it eliminates the need to carry along a bulky phone when running.
All The Health Features You Need Under The Hood
To help you achieve optimal well-being, the Vivo Watch 3 comes loaded with a myriad of health tracking features including all the crucial ones such as 24hr heart rate monitoring, around-the-clock SpO2 measurement, stress levels monitoring, sleep tracking, daily calories burnt, as well as steps tracking.
What’s notable here is the new Multi-Channel Star Ring Health Monitoring feature which uses Vivo’s self-developed AI algorithm as well as an advanced 8-channel heart rate and 16-channel blood oxygen detection system to further improve the accuracy of heart rate and SpO2 measurements.
As for workout, Vivo Watch 3 features a wide selection of workout modes which not only include the usual bunch such as outdoor run, indoor run, outdoor walk, indoor walk, outdoor cycling, indoor cycling and pool swim, but also include some interesting modes such as trekking.
Outstanding Battery Life
Like mobile devices, battery life is no doubt an important aspect of a smartwatch especially for heavy users who rely significantly on GPS-based tracking features. Thankfully, this is one aspect which the new Vivo Watch 3 really excels in.
According to Vivo, the Vivo Watch 3 is able to offer up to two-week battery life under typical usage. Those numbers were proven to be accurate during my own testing although under heavier usage, you can expect the battery life to fall by half.
Verdict
Despite a low starting price of just $279, the new Vivo Watch 3 ticks all the boxes for a smartwatch, offering a trendy design, a diverse range of workout modes, precise health and fitness tracking, impressive battery life, and smart features that simplify daily life. It’s a testament that Vivo excels not only in smartphones but also in crafting outstanding smartwatches.
For those who’re interested, the Vivo Watch 3 is available through retail stores such as Challenger, Best Denki, Courts, Harvey Norman, Gain City, and Atrix Mobile, as well as online platforms including Shopee, Lazada, and Tiktok.
