This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Samsung figuratively lit the summer of 2025 on fire with its latest device releases. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 foldables are actually decent now, while the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic deliver a pretty major paradigm shift, especially in the design department. Samsung has decided to go with a universal design language moving forward, and… that's pretty much it when it comes to notable new features.
The new health features? Gimmicks. Gemini on a smartwatch? Eh, Google Assistant is good enough already, and I'm not going to start generating poems and spreadsheets on my smartwatch using the Gemini AI anyway.
The most essential feature of any smartwatch hasn't been improved at all: battery life still leaves a lot to be desired.
Lackluster battery life is an essential Samsung feature these days
And that's the main reason why Samsung's smartwatches are cool devices, but they can't never substitute the smartwatch I have on my wrist.
Indeed, with a battery life around 40 hours with compromises like always-on display turned off, neither the Galaxy Watch 8 nor the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic can stack up to the OnePlus Watch 3 which I've been using ever since it was released and is easily my favorite smartwatch of all time.
The OnePlus Watch 3 combines the functionality of Google's WearOS with truly awesome battery life. It normally lasts me around five days between charges with the always-on display turned off (which should honestly be turned off on all smartwatches), and you can't really match that with any Galaxy smartwatch out there.
But that's only if you use the smartwatch in its "Smart Mode". See, the OnePlus Watch 3 actually has two processors inside, each running a different operating system. WearOS runs on a Snapdragon W5 chip, while the RTOS operating system is offloaded to a significantly more power-efficient chipset that doubles the battery life up to two weeks.
I will repeat for the people in the back, two weeks.
A total game-changer. Yes, some features are missing in the power-saving mode, but the general ones like notifications, basic health monitoring, and workouts work as intended.
That's what most people will be using the smartwatch for after the honeymoon period wanes, and I can tell you for a fact that I've actually misplaced the charging puck for the watch a couple of times as I simply don't need to use it that often.
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And you're also correct that you can't really use any of OnePlus' latest smartwatches with the iPhone. But guess what, you can't really use the Galaxy Watch lineup as well. Even worse is the fact that some of Samsung's best health features are only available on Galaxy devices. Taking an ECG reading or your blood pressure requires the Samsung Health Monitor app, which is only available on the Samsung Store, so you're out of luck if you're using any other Android phone.
Meanwhile, all the OnePlus Watch 3 features are available on any Android device, which is another win for me.
Design gimmicks instead of actual improvements and features
Instead of focusing on what most smartwatch users have been clamoring for, well, forever, one of the largest Android manufacturers out there once again chose to chase appearances instead of delivering sensible upgrades when it comes to battery life and longevity.
While it expects people to "ooh" and "aah" about its new squircle design language and rotating hardware bezel (which is now too stiff and not pleasant to use), Samsung should have taken a page out of OnePlus' book and "copied" one of the core features of the company's smartwatch lineup. OnePlus Watches have had dual-engine architecture since early 2024 with the OnePlus Watch 2, and the benefits to the battery life have been obvious from day one.
OnePlus Watch 3 nails all the fronts (Image by PhoneArena)
To me, it's crystal clear that the current blueprint for a modern smartwatch, be it a Galaxy or an Apple Watch, is lagging behind what OnePlus has been cooking for the past year and a half. We keep getting questionable new health features that don't really seem to be resonating with regular Joe smartwatch users, while the essential and eternal question about smartwatch battery life remains unanswered by neither Samsung, Apple, nor Google.
At the same time, OnePlus has clearly provided a working solution that delivers tangible real-life results.
No need to ponder getting the Galaxy Watch 8 generation or wait for Apple to release the Apple Watch Series 11. For me, it's clear that if you're looking for a smartwatch to get in 2025, you can save yourself the hassle. Instead of shortlisting devices and choosing which one to pick between the majority of available smartwatches out there, and just go ahead and get the OnePlus Watch 3 or the smaller OnePlus Watch 43mm, which offers slightly worse battery life but a slimmer build.
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Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.
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