The Oppo Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro are the first smartwatches with Qualcomm's Snapdragon W5 chipset. Here's how the two wearables compare.
The Oppo Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro are the first smartwatches in the world powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon W5 chipset, but what makes them different? Oppo has been making smartwatches for only a few years now. Its first smartwatch, the Oppo Watch, was released in 2020. Oppo then followed with the Watch 2 in 2021. However, unlike the first generation model, the Watch 2 wasn't released globally.
Oppo's smartwatches have arrived close on the heels of Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 series, making them rivals. Both brands offer very different software experiences but will be direct competitors, at least in China, the only place the Oppo Watch 3 is currently available. Samsung on the other hand is selling its new smartwatches globally.
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The differences between the Oppo Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro start with their design. Although both smartwatches have a rectangular display, they come in different sizes. The Watch 3 Pro has a 1.91-inch flexible AMOLED LTPO curved screen, while the standard model has a 1.75-inch AMOLED flat display. The always-on LTPO panel, similar to the one found on flagship phones, allows for low power consumption. Furthermore, the Pro variant has a stainless steel digital crown while the standard model has a pill-shaped button. Oppo has used the same materials for both smartwatches – aluminum alloy for the case, reinforced fiberglass for the bottom shell, and Viton fluoroelastomer or ECCO leather straps. In addition, both smartwatches have a 5 ATM water-resistance rating. The Oppo Watch 3 is available in Platinum Black and Feather Gold while the Watch 3 Pro is sold in Platinum Black and Desert Brown. Compared to the Galaxy Watch 5 series, the color options are fewer.
Oppo has paired the Snapdragon W5 chipset with a co-processor, the Apollo 4 Plus from Ambiq. This allows Oppo to share the workload between the two chipsets, allowing for longer battery life. The chip is paired with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of storage on both smartwatches. Oppo's new flagship smartwatches have heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen level monitoring, and sleep tracking with snore detection, but only the Oppo Watch 3 Pro has an ECG sensor. They are also capable of tracking more than 100 different sports and activities, including a tennis mode that records swing speed. Despite Oppo showing a temperature reading on the display in promotional images, neither of the smartwatches has a temperature sensor. However, they have an accelerometer, compass, barometer, and ambient light sensor. They also have a five-satellite GNSS chip, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, and eSIM support.
Oppo's smartwatches forego Wear OS for a custom operating system with support for more than 80 popular Chinese apps and the ability to unlock and control select cars. The Oppo Watch 3 has a 400mAh battery that will last up to four days on a single charge in full smart mode (three days with LTE on), up to 10 days in light smart mode, and 1.5 days in heavy usage mode. In contrast, the Oppo Watch 3 Pro packs a bigger 500mAh battery that should last up to five days (four days with LTE on) in full smart mode, up to 15 days in light smart mode, and 2.5 days in heavy usage mode. Both smartwatches have fast charge support — a 10-minute charge will provide up to a full day's use while a full charge will take 60 minutes for the standard model and 65 minutes on the Pro model.
The Oppo Watch 3 starts at 1,599 Yuan (~$237) for the Platinum Black variant while the Feather Gold variant with leather straps costs 1,699 Yuan (~$252). The price goes up to 1,999 Yuan (~$296) for the Platinum Black Oppo Watch 3 Pro while the Desert Brown colorway costs 2,099 Yuan (~$311). Oppo hasn't revealed any details about a global launch for its new smartwatches. However, if the Oppo Watch 3 series does make it out of China, Oppo may drop the proprietary OS for a custom version of Wear OS, just like it did for its first smartwatch.
Habeeb has years of experience covering consumer technology and has written for multiple publications. As a Senior Writer at Screen Rant, he enjoys writing about wearables, smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks. Several of his articles include guides and comparisons that help users get the best out of their devices or choose the one that bests suits them. When he's not writing, he's catching up on the latest TV shows. He considers The Crown as peak drama and Castlevania as one of the best game-to-screen adaptations. And on days when there is nothing to watch (is that even possible?), he sneaks in a few hours of games on his PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.