I’ve been testing Nothing’s CMF Watch 3 Pro for about a month now, and my first thought is that it’s a budget-friendly smartwatch that actually feels complete.
It doesn’t try to overwhelm you with apps; it just focuses on the essentials and does them quite well. The battery lasts for about two weeks, the display is sharp and smooth, and the health tracking feels accurate enough for me to trust.
It’s simple, reliable, and for ~$155, it doesn’t feel like you’re missing out on hundreds of dollars of features compared to other pricier smartwatches.
NOTE: Prices are accurate at the time of publishing.
CMF Watch 3 Pro at a glance…
Pros: Fantastic battery life, clean software, premium design, good display, extensive array of smart features and tracking, and it’s easy to sync new phones with the data
Cons: No NFC reader for transactions using the watch, the strap is a bit uncomfortable, and the watch face may be too large for smaller wrists.
Who it’s for: Anyone looking for a smartwatch with the essentials, and who doesn’t want the clutter or flagship price. Perfect as a gift
What I likedA comfortable and stylish first wear
The watch felt comfortable out of the box, and all its features are enough to satisfy me. (9Product Reviews / Joshua Buchwald)
The CMF Watch 3 Pro looks and honestly feels nothing like a budget watch, at least with the essentials. It has a metal frame that gives weight and style, and the 1.43-inch AMOLED screen is smooth, punches up to 670 nits brightness, and houses the signature Nothing dot-matrix style.
It is on the larger side, boasting a similar size to the typical 45mm watches, which makes it bulky on my small wrists. But this adds extra space for fitness data, notifications and makes it an easy-to-read wearable.
Although I wish there was a smaller size, it only took me a few days to stop thinking about it, and the watch became part of my routine. A standout has to be the battery life, as I was only charging it about every two weeks. That’s a major plus compared to flagship smartwatches, which really only have up to two days of charge.
Fitness and health tracking buffet
Using the Nothing X app, you can access your health data. (9Product Reviews / Joshua Buchwald)
If you’re after a smartwatch for its tracking, the CMF Watch 3 Pro offers a buffet of sports and automated sensors. It features a sleep tracker, heart rate tracker, a blood oxygen tracker and a stress tracker, which are all great basics.
The watch also comes pre-set with four-leaf clover-styled goals: burn 400 calories, stand once each hour (across 12 hours), exercise for 30 minutes and hit 5000 steps. These goals actually felt very doable on a working schedule (although I try to aim for 10,000 steps and 60 minutes of exercise).
Although another basic feature, a standout to me was the wide array of tracking I could do with the watch. It was able to recognise my walking, cycling and rowing automatically, but for anyone who does a niche sport, you can manually select up to 131 different sport modes.
Software and its smart features
I actually really like all of the customisable watch faces. (9Product Reviews / Joshua Buchwald)
I would argue the watch’s biggest strength is its restraint. There’s no bloatware, unnecessary apps or icons you’ll never open on your watch. Everything runs through simple widgets, keeping navigation fluid and fast.
I’ve been testing the Google Pixel Watch 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 this year too, and while they offer more depth, I would argue you’re not missing the $400 worth of difference. A noteworthy comparison is the custom running coach the CMF Watch 3 Pro has, which is only a recent feature added to Samsung’s flagship watch released earlier this year.
Despite the watch’s minimalism, you do need to install the Nothing X app to access the full range of customisation capabilities. But don’t fret, it’s simple navigation once you install it, and it works on both Apple and Android devices. Using the app, you can easily rearrange widgets, switch watch faces, or view fitness data in its entirety.
What I wish could be improved
Charging the watch is a bit… awkward. (9Product Reviews / Joshua Buchwald)
There are a few tidbits that irritated me that I’ll quickly list off:
No smaller size option: For people with smaller wrists like me, it does look a bit too large. Not a problem if you don’t care for a bigger watchWatch band/strap: During workouts, my wrist got particularly sweaty underneath the watch and strap, leading to discomfort. I prefer the flagship wrist bands where you tuck the band under itselfNo near-field communication: Unfortunately, you cannot connect your card to your watch for any form of payment. I didn’t find it a problem as I still carry my physical wallet, but it would be a nice improvementOdd charger: It’s a bit of a weird charger, and you can’t really set the watch upright or dock it nicelyFinal verdict
Inside the CMF Watch 3 box is the watch face and the band you have to attach. (9product Reviews / Joshua Buchwald)
At around $155, the CMF Watch 3 Pro delivers flagship essentials at a fraction of the cost. Between its long-life battery, AMOLED display, array of sensors, and clean software, it’s hard to argue with its value.
If you want something that just works, no clutter, no constant charging, no nonsense, this is the smartwatch to get or gift. But if you’re after a watch designed for your ecosystem, are willing to pay a premium, or are a complete fitness guru, then there are better options out there.
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