Oppo Watch X3 review

1 month ago 10

The Oppo Watch X3 continues the brand's strategy of offering a large Wear OS acquisition with a absorption connected artillery longevity.

With a terms constituent astir €300, it positions itself against established competitors by promising up to 5 days of artillery beingness successful its afloat astute mode.

Oppo Watch X3 specs astatine a glance:

Body: 47.4x47.4x11.0mm, 43g; sapphire crystal front, titanium alloy frame, glass-fiber-reinforced integrative back; IP68/IP69 dust-tight and water-resistant (high-pressure h2o jets; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min), Waterproof (5ATM), MIL-STD-810H compliant, Compatible with modular 22mm straps, ECG certified.
Display: 1.50" LTPO AMOLED, 1500nits (peak), 3000 nits (peak sports mode), 466x466px resolution, 310ppi.
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 (4 nm).
Memory: 32GB 2GB RAM.
OS/Software: ColorOS Watch 7.0 + Wear OS 6.0.
Battery: 646mAh; 10W wired charging.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 4; BT 5.2; NFC.
Misc: Accelerometer, gyro, barometer, compass, bosom rate, SpO2, thermometer (skin temperature).

The Watch X3 enters the marketplace arsenic a near-identical duplicate to the OnePlus Watch 4, sharing the aforesaid halfway hardware and interior specifications. The superior differentiators for the Oppo exemplary are the higher-grade materials utilized and a fewer plan tweaks present and there.

Design

The Oppo Watch X3 features a chassis constructed from a titanium alloy, a worldly which is not lone precise scratch-resistant but besides comparatively lightweight. The instrumentality weighs 43g (without the strap) and maintains a thickness of 11mm, making it thinner and lighter than erstwhile iterations.

The ticker is disposable successful 2 colorways: Misty Titanium and Obsidian Black. Interestingly, the colour is not the lone happening that sets these 2 variants apart.

The Misty Titanium variant is distinguished by 12 facets chopped into the bezel, representing the hours of the day. I americium already a instrumentality of the gunmetal grey colour of Titanium, but the added bevels besides adhd a sculpted look, which I similar implicit the simpler and straightforward plan of the Obsidian Black mentation (and the OnePlus Watch 4).

For protection, Oppo uses sapphire crystal solid connected the front, which provides precocious scratch resistance, though the shaper advises against drops onto hard surfaces similar factual oregon granite - it's not unbreakable, is each we're saying.

After much than a period of use, these materials person much than proven their durability - determination is not adjacent a azygous scratch connected the solid oregon assemblage of the Watch X3.

Unfortunately, portion the apical and sides are premium metallic and glass, the underside of the ticker is made of glass-fiber-reinforced plastic. It's not a large deal, but it detracts from the different premium build.

The instrumentality is rated for IP68/IP69 and 5ATM h2o resistance, allowing it to withstand high-pressure h2o jets and submersion up to 50 meters. It has besides passed 16 MIL-STD-810H durability tests, including thermal daze and brackish spray.

Besides the touchscreen itself, UI interactions are handled via a Crown Navigator and a secondary button. The crown supports rotation for scrolling, a azygous pat for the app menu, a treble pat for caller apps, and a agelong property to trigger Google Gemini. These are conscionable the pre-defined actions and tin beryllium customized.

The ticker strap connected some colour versions is made of Fluoroelastomer (FKM) rubber, but the Misty Titanium exemplary includes a much precocious Dynamic-Link strap model. The Dynamic-Link portion allows the strap to acceptable nicely on the wrist, but I can't beryllium definite if it's a amended acceptable than a regular silicone strap. What it does provide, however, is simply a much upscale and high-tech look compared to a regular silicone strap.

While the strap is precocious quality, determination are presently nary authoritative alternatives disposable from Oppo. True, the ticker uses a modular strap attachment, truthful technically immoderate 22mm strap should fit, but it's astir arsenic if Oppo deliberately chose not to merchantability the different straps it already offers with antithetic versions of the watch. I deliberation it's an oversight not to connection replacement straps successful grey and black, and wherefore not adjacent orange, similar the 1 disposable with the Chinese mentation of the Watch X3?

Hardware

The ticker uses a 1.5" LTPO OLED show with a solution of 466x466 pixels, resulting successful a pixel density of 310 PPI. The LTPO exertion allows for a adaptable refresh complaint to negociate powerfulness consumption, peculiarly for the Always-On Display (AOD).

In presumption of brightness, the show is rather competitive. According to Oppo, it should connection a emblematic maximum brightness of 600 nits, which tin summation to 1500 nits successful agleam outdoor light. In dedicated sports modes nether nonstop sunlight, the surface should beryllium capable to scope a highest brightness of 3000 nits. Additionally, a "Splash Touch" diagnostic is included to guarantee the touchscreen remains functional erstwhile wet.

Display legibility is large indoors and outdoors

Compared to different Wear OS ticker makers, Oppo's Watch X3 is unsocial successful the information that it utilizes a dual-chip architecture to equilibrium show and efficiency.

The main spot connected manus - the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 - is presently the go-to Wear OS silicon, and it handles the main Wear OS situation and the regular applications.

For low-power tasks and inheritance monitoring, Oppo uses the BES2800BP, an ultra-low-power SoC featuring a dual-core Cortex-M55 processor.

The operation of these 2 chipsets allows you a prime betwixt a full-fledged Smart mode and a Power saver mode, successful which you springiness up immoderate features successful speech for a overmuch longer artillery life. More specifically, successful Power saver mode determination is nary Always-On display, nary wellness monitoring and nary app support, but you inactive get slumber and sports tracking.

Interestingly, the Watch X3 tin usage the 2 chips interchangeably to prevention power, and I noticed the Watch X3 enters a hibernation mode astatine night, which, I reckon, is 1 of the secrets to the large artillery beingness it provides. But I'll get to the artillery stats successful a bit.

It's worthy noting that portion the Chinese variant of the Watch X3 supports eSIM, the planetary model, which we person for review, relies lone connected Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Software

The ticker runs Wear OS 6. This provides entree to the Google ecosystem, including Google Maps for navigation, Google Wallet for NFC payments, and Google Gemini for voice-assisted tasks.

Users with Oppo smartphones moving ColorOS 15 oregon higher summation further features similar distant camera power and playback controls for short-form video platforms similar TikTok and YouTube Shorts.

Compared to thing similar a Huawei smartwatch, Wear OS gives you the perks of varied contactless outgo options and Google Maps pedestrian navigation. You besides get media controls connected the ticker erstwhile playing euphony from your phone, arsenic good arsenic dependable entree to Google Gemini connected the go. It's convenient, adjacent if the ticker mentation isn't arsenic susceptible arsenic Gemini connected your telephone and requires perpetually pressing the surface to proceed the conversation.

I did find the enactment to make customized Gemini actions arsenic a ticker homescreen amazingly useful, arsenic I could execute it whenever I needed with conscionable a azygous touch.

You tin speech to Gemini oregon person preset Gemini tasks arsenic tiles

On the downside, Wear OS smartwatches, dissimilar Huawei's, aren't compatible with iPhones, truthful you're constricted to Android devices.

I besides privation determination were much astute location apps disposable for Wear OS. At the clip of writing, I couldn't find dedicated apps for immoderate of the 3-4 astute location brands I usage astatine home, though thankfully Google Home brings astir of them unneurotic successful 1 dashboard. Watch apps from airlines and carmakers are likewise scarce. Public transit and ride-hailing apps are not wide disposable either. Still, the versatility of Wear OS means there's usually immoderate mode to get the functionality oregon accusation you request onto your wrist, adjacent if it requires a workaround.

The Watch X3 relies connected Oppo's OHealth app for transportation to the phone.

The OHealth app is simply a spot bare-bones but does the occupation alright. I privation it were much proactive successful providing insights and wellness feedback. Right now, you person to unfastened it deliberately and look for the stats you are funny in.

The OHealth app shows the basal stats but not overmuch else

Sleep tracking isn't 1 of the Watch X3's beardown suits. Its slumber overview doesn't amusement metrics specified arsenic clip to autumn asleep, HRV oregon SpO2 during sleep, each of which are conveniently disposable successful 1 spot connected a Samsung smartwatch, for instance. There is besides nary motion of much precocious features specified arsenic snoring oregon breathing disturbance detection.

Health and enactment tracking

Oppo’s wellness sensor, branded arsenic Tri-Sense, relies connected an 8-channel optical bosom complaint sensor and a 16-channel humor oxygen (SpO2) sensor.

Carried implicit from the Watch X2 is the 60s Wellness Overview, which measures ECG and bosom complaint for 60 seconds and combines these with the remainder of the metrics the ticker measures to springiness you a wide representation of your health.

Oppo Watch X3 review

General wellness tracking features include:

60s Wellness Overview: A single-minute trial that measures bosom rate, humor oxygen, and accent levels.
ECG Tracking: Capable of identifying sinus bushed oregon atrial fibrillation, though determination availability varies.
Sleep Tracking: Monitors slumber cycles, bosom rate, and wrist temperature.
Fall Detection: Can trigger an exigency SOS telephone if a autumn is detected and the idiosyncratic remains unresponsive for 1 minute.

Other wellness absorption functions see Mind and Body Evaluation, which monitors HRV, bosom rate, and enactment strength to summation deeper insights into your existent accent and affectional state. For instance, Mind and Body was bully astatine picking up the much stressful moments successful my beingness and made maine much mindful of however I felt by prompting maine to wage attraction to my emotions, respire and relax.

In general, the ticker supports implicit 100 sports modes, with automatic designation for six communal activities, including running, walking, cycling, swimming, rowing instrumentality and elliptical machine.

11 sports types get much precocious "professional" metric tracking - those see Skiing, Running, Tennis, Badminton, Swimming, Rope skipping, Mountain climbing, Walking, Cycling, Elliptical machine, Rowing machine.

These much precocious modes way sports-specific variables. For instance, racquet sports specified arsenic Tennis and Badminton way the plaything velocity and full strokes, among different things.

The Running Mode besides analyzes biomechanical information specified arsenic crushed interaction time, vertical oscillation, and left/right equilibrium with the extremity of covering cardinal posture-related indicators during the run. A built-in Pacer diagnostic is besides disposable to assistance support circumstantial velocity targets.

Oppo Watch X3 review

In the OHealth app, you tin customize which of these metrics is shown connected surface during your sports session.

OHealth besides supports HealthConnect truthful it tin stock information with different wellness tracking apps similar Google Fit oregon Strava.

Battery beingness and charging

The Watch X3 is equipped with a 646mAh Si/C battery.

Oppo claims up to 5 days of artillery beingness successful Smart Mode (with emblematic use) oregon 3 days with dense use. In real-world investigating with the Always-On Display progressive for 15 hours a time and precocious regular measurement counts, the Watch X3 consistently lasted 4 days successful our experience.

With AOD off, the Watch X3 was capable to present 5.5 days of artillery beingness with comparatively dense use.

For maximum endurance, Power Saver Mode switches exclusively to the low-power BES2800BP chipset and disables the AOD portion maintaining basal wellness and enactment tracking. In my testing, this extended the artillery beingness to 15 days of use.

Charging is performed via a 10W magnetic puck with 4 pogo pins; it does not enactment wireless charging.

In charging tests, the ticker reached:

48% successful 15 minutes.
79% successful 30 minutes.
94% successful 45 minutes.
100% successful astir 55-56 minutes.

Even though the puck is rated to walk done lone up to 10W of power, you ideally request to brace it with an Oppo SuperVOOC charger due to the fact that you won't get the maximum charging velocity with a regular USB-PD charger.

Verdict

The Oppo Watch X3 is simply a large smartwatch that addresses the astir communal ailment astir Wear OS devices: abbreviated artillery life. The operation of the Snapdragon W5 and the BES2800 spot allows for respective days of usage successful a "full" smartwatch mode, which is simply a important vantage implicit galore competitors.

However, the ticker faces stiff competition, peculiarly from its ain relative, the OnePlus Watch 4. Since the interior hardware and halfway features are identical, the prime betwixt them mostly comes down to aesthetics - specifically whether the Oppo's titanium bevels and Dynamic-Link strap are worthy the terms premium. With the OnePlus exemplary often disposable for little than €240, it surely seems similar the amended deal. That said, I've been a instrumentality of this Titanium Gray look ever since the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro came out, truthful if I had to choose, I'd inactive spell for the Watch X3.

Among Wear OS watches, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is 1 of the fewer models that tin present 4-5 days of artillery life, and it comes with a overmuch much polished and broad companion telephone app. But it's besides astir doubly arsenic expensive, which makes the Watch X3 - and, by extension, the OnePlus Watch 4 - precise compelling alternatives.

The Xiaomi Watch 5 is different precise competitory option. It tin lucifer the Watch X3's artillery beingness successful Smart Mode and offers a comparable Power Saver mode acknowledgment to a akin dual-chip architecture. It's besides astir arsenic inexpensive arsenic the OnePlus Watch 4, putting the 2 beauteous overmuch cervix and neck. The Xiaomi has sapphire solid not lone implicit the show but connected the underside arsenic well, though its stainless alloy assemblage is heavier than the Oppo's titanium alloy one. It besides offers immoderate absorbing digit and wrist-flick gestures for controlling the UI. Overall, it's a precise beardown alternate to some the Oppo and OnePlus.

Choosing a watch, however, is overmuch much babelike connected benignant and plan than choosing a smartphone, truthful idiosyncratic penchant volition play a large portion successful the decision. One happening is for definite - if you spell for either the Oppo oregon the OnePlus, you won't beryllium disappointed.