There’s something about smart bands that resonate with me. Beyond being a fitness tracker, its small form factor makes it a joy to wear for everyday use. There’s also the connectivity between your phone and the band to allow you to monitor your notifications and messages. But what really gets me is the number of health monitors fitted on such a small device. Samsung has done that and more in their latest smart band, the Samsung Galaxy Fit3.
Design: 4/5
The Samsung Galaxy Fit3 has a pretty straightforward design. The main unit has a 1.6-inch display, which is covered by a 2.5D glass design (slightly curved). The body is aluminum, making it lighter than most similar devices. The dimensions are 42.9 x 28.8 x 9.9mm, weighing around 18.5g (just the device) to 36.8g (with straps).
The 1.6-inch display is AMOLED with a 256 x 402 resolution. There’s no brightness indicated on the spec sheet, but during testing, the display was visible even under direct sunlight. The bigger display was a joy to use, especially when reading messages. There are big bezels around the display, but it’s surprisingly hard to spot immediately, thanks to the 2.5D glass design of the display
The Samsung Galaxy Fit3’s display is a touch screen. Navigation was fairly easy and returning to the watch face was no problem with the home button on the side. If you’re a lefty who wears their watch on their right hand, Samsung has got your back. You can set the device display to cater to right-hand wear with the home button still pointing outward.
Underneath the main device, you’ll find the main bulk of sensors and the strap release button. Samsung is selling different color variants of straps, but no metallic strap or any other strap variation is available.
The whole device is also waterproof, with an IP rating of IP68 and an ATM rating of 5 ATM. This means water exercises are no problem with the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3.
I would say the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is alright in the looks department. The main unit is only available in the color grey. Our unit came with a silver strap, which surprisingly was easy to fit into whatever outfit I needed to wear.
Hardware: 4.5/5
Samsung has updated the Galaxy Fit3 with some neat new features that are otherwise found in much more expensive devices.
Starting with the sensor, the Galaxy Fit3 is equipped with an Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Optical Heart Rate Sensor, and Light Sensor. I would have hoped for an ECG with it, but I guess Samsung has reserved that for the more premium Galaxy Watch line.
What it does have, which most budget bands do not, is the fall sensor. The Samsung Galaxy Fit3 has a fall detection feature that can call and send a location to your emergency contact. The device will also display your registered medical information for first responders — pretty handy for users of all ages.
Regarding connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 only connects via Bluetooth 5.3. It does not have GPS, WiFi, or NFC capabilities. Despite the lack of built-in GPS, it can use your phone’s GPS to track your daily runs/jogs.
As for the battery, the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 has a 208mAh battery. Samsung has rated the battery to last 13 days, depending on your use case. In testing, I found that with the Always-on-Display turned on and around 80 % brightness, the watch lasted around a week. If you do run out of juice it’s fairly quick to charge, going from 0-65% in just 30 minutes and fully charged in around an hour. For those looking to get a Galaxy Fit3, just make sure you have a type-C charger with you as the propriety magnetic charger is only available as Type-C instead of regular USB-A.
User Experience: 4.5/5
When I first saw the Samsung Galaxy Fit3, I was a bit skeptical. I was particularly concerned with the display. Before receiving our demo unit, I thought the display was too big for a smart band and would be too heavy or oversized so that wrist movement would be impaired.
Fortunately, when I was offered to review the Galaxy Fit3, all my skepticism was quashed. The display is actually a good size. It’s not too big that it impaired wrist movement, nor was it heavy. The rectangular shape was actually great for reading notifications and short messages. You didn’t have to scroll as much nor fiddle around just to get to the reply options.
Setting up the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 was easy, even if you don’t have a Samsung smartphone. Simply get the Galaxy Wear App and Samsung Health App, and you’re good to go. The device pairs via Bluetooth and utilizes Samsung Health to fully display the details of your activities on your phone.
One of the highlights of the Samsung Health App is sleep tracking. When you track your sleep with the Galaxy Fit3, the app provides insights on improving your sleep. But what I think sets it apart is how they do it. After completing a week’s sleep, the Samsung Health App assigns you a sleep animal that tells you about your sleep routine. I think it’s a cute way to be motivated to track your sleep schedule as you try to collect the animals.
The Galaxy Fit3 has over 101 recognized workouts. You can immediately access workouts when you double-tap the home button. The Samsung Galaxy Fit3 also has an automatic workout detection, meaning the watch recognizes when you start working out and immediately starts its tracking.
As for customizability, the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is powered by Samsung’s own UI. While it doesn’t have WearOS’ versatility, Samsung still made an effort to make the device as customizable as possible. You can choose from over 100 watch faces and even create your own with your pictures. The tiles can be removed or replaced by tiles you’d usually use. Finally, you can customize the quick panel to easily access your most used features or apps.
Value: 3.5/5
Coming in at just PHP3,490, the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 offers a lot for its value. The larger display has been a favorite upgrade for me. While it does not have the bells and whistles of more expensive smartwatches, it does more than the average smart band. Plus, fall detection and emergency calls are huge lifesavers and, I think, necessary features for the future.
The Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is available on Samsung’s website as well as Samsung official stores and retailers.
Specifications:
- Display: 1.6 AMOLED (256 x 402) Display
- OS: FreeRTOS
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Optical Heart Rate Sensor, Light Sensor
- Connection: Bluetooth 5.3, Magnetic charger
- Protection: IP68, ATM 5
- Battery: 208 mAh
- Dimensions: 42.9 x 28.8 x 9.9 mm
- Weight: 36.8g
What’s Hot:
- Large 1.6-inch display
- Emergency Fall detect and SOS
- Price
What’s Not:
- No GPS, NFC
Bottomline:
The Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is a great budget Smart Watch that’s made for those who do not need all the fancy stuff.
Reviewed by Gabriel Pe
Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE May 2024 Issue