CMF, Nothing’s budget-focused sub-brand, makes sure that your pocket won’t suffer, but still ensures a great user experience, well-built and designed products. The CMF Watch 3 Pro is a testament to this notion.
CMF Watch 3 Pro – Let’s Take a Closer Look
Quick Specs
| Build/Design | Metal body, liquid silicon strap, removable |
| Dimensions / Weight | 25.8 × 4.7 × 1.45 cm, 52 g |
| Colorway/s | Dark Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Orange |
| Display | 1.43″ AMOLED, glass, 466 × 466 (326 PPI), 60 FPS, 650–670 nits, 120+ watch faces |
| Sports | 131 modes, 7 auto-recognition |
| Health | 24h HR, SpO₂, sleep, stress, women’s health, steps, calories, distance |
| Battery | 350 mAh, 99 min charge |
| Battery Life | 13 d (typ) / 10 d (heavy) / 4.5 d (AOD) / 60 d (PS) / 17.9 h (calls) / 17.2 h (GPS) |
| Sensors | Accel, Gyro, Ambient light, HR + SpO₂, linear motor |
| GPS | Dual-band (L1+L5), GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou |
| Features | Calls, transcription, news, watch faces, notifications, music, alarm, timer, weather, find phone, flashlight, camera remote, voice asst., calendar, calculator, world clock, breath training |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Compatibility | Android 6+, iOS 13+ |
| App | Nothing X |
| Resistance | IP68 |
| In the Box | Watch, charging cable, guide, warranty |
Build Quality and Aesthetics
The device has a design that I truly like, especially since it has a balanced, fashionable, sleek look, but still manages to feel rugged and durable. And I believe its aesthetic appeal will be widely accepted. Every design decision resulted in a device that is wearable enough for everyday usage while also standing out enough to draw notice.
The CMF Watch 3 Pro looks big even on someone like me, who has a thick wrist/arm. It has a circular display and is surrounded by a premium-feeling metal frame. The underside of the watch is made of plastic, but it does not feel cheap to the touch.
It makes a strong impression, particularly in this Light Green colorway. This assertiveness, however, may not appeal to everyone. The review unit given to us was the light green colorway. It is not really my color, but it’s good to know that it also comes in other colorways like Orange, Light Grey, and Dark Grey.
The detachable straps are also a welcome design choice. It uses standard 22mm quick-release pins, making it compatible with most 22mm watch bands. Also, the provided straps made out of liquid silicone add an overall smooth feel to the watch.
From a usability standpoint, the inclusion of a scroll wheel on the side of the frame is a welcome feature. I myself like old school/retro stuff, so I really appreciate the growing trend of smartwatches incorporating this element, as the additional tactile feel provides an efficient alternative for navigating interfaces, particularly long menus.
Additionally, having an IP68 resistance means you can use it during your workouts without the worry of ruining the watch. It also comes with a Dual-band Multi-system GPS (L1+L5) for faster, more accurate location tracking and a next-gen Optical Heart Rate Sensor.
Display and Battery Life
The CMF Watch 3 Pro’s display measures 1.43 inches. It’s AMOLED with a 326ppi density and a refresh rate of 60fps. I’ve had no major problems with the display while using it indoors and outdoors. However, it wasn’t until I looked at the specifications that I realized the maximum brightness is only 670 nits. This is quite low for my liking, not really a big issue for me, but there were times when I wished it were brighter.
One of the aspects where the CMF Watch 3 Pro shines, though, is battery life. According to CMF, you can expect up to 13 days of battery life under typical use, 10 days with heavy use, and 4.5 days with the always-on display activated during heavy use. All from a modest 350mAh battery. Based on my usage, after a few days, I still had 70% battery left. The device comes with a USB-A charger that features a fairly strong magnet that attaches to the watch easily, with no worry of falling off.
Watch UI and Health Tracking
My own experience with Nothing’s software is fairly limited, but according to what I read about the smartphone version of the software, it is liked by the majority of its consumers. It’s simple, minimalist, and attractive, with a unique perspective on Android. At first glance, their Wear OS appears to be very similar.
It looks good on the CMF Watch 3 Pro. The watch features a dot-based black and white design with limited color, providing easy usability for glances. It avoids distractions for the user with a cluttered interface. Additionally, the Watch Face Studio app allows for personalized watch faces using AI, producing attractive designs, especially video watch faces from personal five-second videos, albeit in low resolution.
The widgets can be customized and made full-screen according to your preferences, allowing for minimal information display. Also, with the addition of having access to ChatGPT, it can assist you throughout the day.
Lastly, the software is well-designed and aesthetically pleasing, offering comprehensive fitness tracking features including heart rate and sleep monitoring, activity scores, and continuous tracking of blood oxygen, stress level, and heart rate zones.
It also has 131 sports modes alongside auto-recognition and 3D warm-up and stretching guides. Personally, I am not a very active person, but having all these fitness-focused features is a very welcome plus.
Nothing X App
The Nothing App is very easy to use. It guides you on how to set up and pair your devices very well. The app allows you to further customize your watch by providing a variety of watch faces, adding more flair to its aesthetics.
It features a Voice Assistant compatible with Siri, though audio quality is low. The watch includes an Essential News widget for news snippets and a transcription recording feature that allows users to keep notes on-device before transferring them to their phone. Also comes with gesture shortcuts & quick replies to control and respond without touching the screen.
Moreover, I find the alarm feature of the CMF Watch 3 Pro to be lacking, as it offers only one jarring beep sound. Additionally, the AI watch face design needs improvement; it should allow further customization options and allow for widget rearrangement. Overall, the watch is fairly standard for its price.
Conclusion
For someone like me, who has limited experience with different smartwatches, I can say that the CMF Watch 3 Pro is a great value for its PHP 5,699(SRP) price. It doesn’t look like it’s cheap, but it’s packed with features you wouldn’t regularly see on other smartwatches at this price point.
Moreover, if you are coming or thinking of upgrading from its predecessor, the Watch 2 Pro, do not expect a huge upgrade. The earlier version allows for swapping bezels, the current one does not. The bump in price of the Watch 3 Pro comes with improved battery life, display quality, and software features, and this is where it differs greatly from its predecessor.
If you want a timepiece that perfectly combines simplicity without sacrificing quality, then this smartwatch is definitely what you are looking for.
The CMF Watch 3 Pro is available in the following colors: Orange, Light Green, Light Grey, and Dark Grey for PHP 5,699. You can get yours via Digital Walker’s physical stores and their Shopee and Lazada stores.
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Started his freelancing adventure in 2018 and began doing freelance Audio Engineering work and then started freelance writing a few years later.
Currently he writes for Gadget Pilipinas and Grit.PH.
He is also a musician, foody, gamer, and PC enthusiast.
