vivo Watch 3 Review: A Solid Smartwatch, But With A Worrisome Catch

When smartphones first hit the market and landed in our pockets, we underestimated how the small portable device would transform our everyday lives. And as though we never learnt, we once again underestimate the power of smartwatches and their ability to offload a lot of work, while also looking absolutely stylish.

Since the device’s rise to popularity, many companies have aspired to be the absolute best smartwatch provider, both in form and function, but none of them were able to find the perfect balance between the two – until vivo introduced the vivo Watch 3. Still, many are quite hesitant to commit to a premium wearable device, wondering if this gadget is truly for them. Luckily for us, we were given the opportunity to try out this stellar tech piece, and here’s what we think of the vivo Watch 3.

Design & Durability

Let’s start off with one of the pivotal aspects of this watch – its design. Right off the bat, the Watch 3 features a robust 1.43-inch 466 x 466 screen with an always-on-display function. Though it’s quite small, this AMOLED display is downright gorgeous, able to deliver all the necessary info you need without any stray pixels or messed-up asset fragmentation.

Believe it or not, the device is also quite durable. Some smartwatch manufacturers typically have the screen slightly embedded within the case to avoid any nasty cracks or scratches, but vivo Watch 3 has the screen protrude outside of the case just a little bit in service to the overall design of the device. Not only that, but vivo was quite confident in its design, as the main case is made of a sleek aluminium alloy, while the display is reinforced with Schott Up. And in case it takes a dip, you don’t have to worry, as it’s rated to resist 50 metres (5 ATMs) of water.

On the upper right-hand side of the display is an aluminium alloy crown that doubles as a button, and right beneath it is an actual button. Starting with the crown, this button serves multiple functions and allows you access to the watch’s more intricate functionalities. Furthermore, twisting said crown allows you to smoothly navigate any menu and forgoes the need of relentlessly swiping at your wrist to reach the next tab. If you’re the type who loves working out, the button below is a short cut to the fitness tracking feature of the watch; more on that later.

The vivo Watch 3 comes in with two different strap choices; you can choose the surprisingly comfortable Moonlight White leather strap or the rubber Asteroid Black rubber sports strap. There’s a quick release button at the bottom half of the case that lets you swap out the straps in case they need replacing, or you’d like to opt for the other design later down the line.

Battery That Was Meant To Last

One of the more surprising features of this watch is its battery life. After giving it a few hours to charge and reach maximum capacity, it was able to survive 14 days in a single charge on regular use. Though it’s just shy of the advertised 16 days, we feel like we could have easily achieved, maybe even exceeded, those 16 days if we took battery management seriously.

However, if you were to turn on the eSIM, it would drop the battery life to seven days, which is a substantial amount, but still bearable, especially if you’re maximising the use of all the functions it offers you. 

For The Fitness Freak

Of course, one of the premier features of the vivo Watch 3 is its incredible sports function and accurate monitoring system. The device includes what the brand calls “advanced multi-channel star ring health monitoring.” With 8 channels for heart rate and 16 channels for blood oxygen monitoring, the multi-channel star ring layout provides accurate and thorough health tracking. It can also keep track of your stress, saturation levels, breathing, sleep, and more.

PPG signals are processed by the Innovative Heart Rate Algorithm, which has outstanding monitoring capabilities. The device accurately tracks your data, be it in everyday use or during exercises, providing you with exceptional insights into your health and even highlighting areas that need improving. The function is quite sensitive to boot, able to detect the difference between a regular walk and a brisk one and starts taking that into account.

Additionally, if you’re training for a specific sport or multiple ones, the watch can keep track of all your workouts with 100 different sports modes to choose from. These options include but are not limited to, walking, running, cycling, swimming, badminton, and more.

Functionality Mishaps

Of course, being a smartwatch, the vivo Watch 3 is designed to expedite all your daily workflow, such as displaying messages, controlling your music, etc. However, this is where a major problem arises, at least in our testing. 

One thing we noticed is how uncooperative both the watch and the associated companion app can be. For one, the watch didn’t display any notifications received in the two weeks it was in our possession, something we found absolutely baffling. Other functions, such as music control, were also unresponsive for reasons we don’t really know. It was constantly asking us to “turn on notifications” when it already was, but there was nothing we could do at that point despite numerous reboots and factory resets.

Similarly, the companion app also wasn’t really helpful. Sure, it displayed all the exercise data in a concise manner, as well as other vivo devices that are connected to the device, but it was hardly functioning properly. Additionally, it was incredibly intrusive, as it demands you give system permission within your device in order for you to maximise all your watch’s capabilities, and that’s besides the personal information it tries to extract from you.

This is something we don’t deem a necessary trade off just to view our notifications or control our music from our wrist. And even if we wanted to give it permission, the app wouldn’t let us key in our data at times, completely gatekeeping us from maximising our watch’s potential. This might be due to the fact that we weren’t using a vivo phone – but it’s not something we are willing to explore further for safety reasons.

Overall, the “vivo Watch 3” is an amazing accessory that’s perfect for those looking for a sleek, hi-tech wearable. Its long-lasting battery as well as myriad sporting and tracking capabilities are great for those looking to look good and are health conscious. But unless you’re already using a vivo phone or are willing to put your privacy on the line just to maximise the device’s functions, it’s very hard to recommend this smart watch to the everyday user.