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The best Android smartwatch is coming in a smaller size, with minimal compromise

OnePlus Watch 3 43mm promises "a fully-featured smartwatch experience" in a compact package

The OnePlus Watch 3 43mm on a man's wrist
OnePlus

The OnePlus Watch 3 is getting a new, smaller size which will be music to the ears of those wanting to experience the best Android smartwatch, but who are wary of the original’s size and heft – and we now have more information on it.

OnePlus previously confirmed it would be launching a smaller, 43mm Watch 3 as part of its bumper July 8 event – but it was light on details about the wearable then.

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Now though, we’ve been given more insight into what the smaller watch will offer, and the good news is there appears to be minimal compromise over the larger, 47mm watch.

Less weight, smaller screen, same power

Our major gripe with the original OnePlus Watch 3 was the fact it was only available in a single size, when the likes of Apple, Google and Samsung all offer two size variants of their smartwatches. It left those with smaller wrists having to look elsewhere for a smartwatch, but OnePlus has now righted that wrong.

Unsurprisingly, with a reduced size comes a reduced weight, and the OnePlus Watch 3 43mm tips the scales at a dainty 37.8g (without strap).

That’s not quite as light as the Google Pixel Watch 3 41mm (at 31g), 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (28.8g), or the 42mm Apple Watch 10 (29.3g-34.4g, depending on configuration), but it’s comfortably lighter than the 47mm OnePlus Watch 3 variant at 49.7g.

To enable the smaller frame, OnePlus has reduced screen size from 1.5 inches on the 47mm model to 1.32 inches on the Watch 3 43mm.

Yet OnePlus claims the reduced size doesn’t mean a reduction in functionality, with the 43mm watch still delivering “a fully-featured smartwatch experience”.

That includes the health tracking features such as OnePlus’ ‘Mind & Body Evaluation’ for a physical and psychological wellbeing overview, and a barometer for real-time mental state readings.

We’ll find out more come July 8, including the OnePlus Watch 3 43mm price and release date.

What we know already is that it will be available in the US, as it’s being advertised on the OnePlus website alongside the OnePlus Buds 4 which will also launch during the event.

John McCann
John is Managing Editor at Digital Trends. He's been a consumer technology & automotive journalist for over a decade.
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