A Garmin Venu 3 against OnePlus Watch 3 comparison surprised me

Garmin has long been my smartwatch for fitness tracking, especially the Garmin Venu 3, which offers outstanding training tracking and an amazing battery life. But this year the OnePlus Watch 3 attracted my attention. With an even better battery performance and an updated tool kit, it is the first Wear OS Smartwatch to keep me away from Garmin. So I started testing these two unlikely competitors to see that was a better fitness watch, and the results surprised me a little.

Starting with their outstanding specifications, both Venu 3 and the OnePlus Watch 3 offer a fantastic battery life. The Garmin Venu 3 offers up to 14 days between the loads and a practical 26-day battery battery mode for longer distances. In my tests, the watch lasted about 4 days with strong use (including daily GPS training sessions) – the type of status that Garmin has separated from the fight for some time.

The OnePlus Watch 3 offers up to 16 days in electricity-saving mode and about 5 days in smart mode, which is remarkable for a Wear OS device. During my review, I was able to use strong use for about 3 days before I had to charge. OnePlus achieves this impressive performance with a dual chip architecture that optimizes power consumption. While Venu 3 still breaks out the Wear OS device, the latter offers me an almost comparable battery experience and at the same time performs powerful smartwatch apps.

Although both watches are a small detail, use proprietary chargers and do not support wireless fees for a more comfortable experience. I am looking forward to the day when all my wearables can switch on on the same charging pillow.

When it comes to fitness tracking, the Garmin clock is admittedly a power pack. Garmins training tools and analyzes are unsurpassed. While the OnePlus Watch 3 is not quite as featured, it offers sufficient fitness tracking for most users. It even supports more than 110 training types. Like Venu 3, it offers EKG support and other holistic health monitoring instruments such as wellness score.

In short, the gap between these two devices shrinks. Thanks to its permanent performance and the updated wellness tools, the latest OnePlus clock offers Venu 3 a very similar core experience for casual users.

The OnePlus Watch 3 really shines with its Wear OS platform and offers a more comprehensive smartwatch experience than the Garmin Venu 3. I like that the Google Play Store offers a much broader selection of apps as Garmins. I personally use the acoustic app every day on my smartwatch. When the doorbell rings in the middle of the book, I use Google Home to check my cameras and check whether I have to stop my walk to answer the door. With more than one opportunity, it follows an SMS that wrote a message to my partner and asks him to bring in the package that has just been delivered.

In other words, I get a lot out of my wrist with my smartwatch. In contrast, Garmin's software is very fitness -oriented. It introduces some intelligent functions, but is not the same with the versatility or variety that carries OS.

While the OnePlus Watch 3 exceeds its broader functionality, Garmin King remains when it comes to advanced fitness tools. Technically speaking, Venu 3 provides a smartwatch and offers everything athletes need, including first-class heart rate sensors and GPS tracking.

Everyone was very reliable during my review time. The above heart rate diagram is one of the few times that the Venu had 3 difficulties in keeping pace with my committed chest strap, and yet the data is within 5 blows. The OnePlus Watch 3, on the other hand, consistently struggles to record an exact heart rate, especially during interval work, as shown in the above graphic. You can see where the watch is significantly switched off compared to my chest strap when I fell my training. For me, the OnePlus is solid enough for the occasional tracking, but not for a detailed training analysis.

The Garmin Connect app also offers an exceptionally detailed experience that I need for all the data that I need to track my performance and restoration. The OnePlus Watch 3 has certainly improved its tracking functions, but it still cannot compete with Garmin's depth or accuracy. The most important thing is that I cannot personalize the fields on the screen as I do on my Garmin watch. This adaptation helps me to keep an eye on the statistics that are important to me for most middle of the training instead of waiting until I later analyzed a limited app experience that I can.

As for the broad image analysis, Garmin's training analysis tools like Body Battery do a lot of work for me. OnePlus makes movements in this direction, but there is still no such detailed type of training analysis as Garmin. In short, for serious athletes, Venu 3 remains the better choice thanks to the extensive fitness functions. The advanced tools of Garmin such as Body Battery, Recovery Time and Garmin Coach count.

Aesthetic, the OnePlus Watch 3 feels like a premium device thanks to its traditional design and now functioning rotating crown. Although I don't like the case shape, its general elegance is undeniable. I also appreciate the oversized 1.5-inch display, which makes it happy to interact with apps and read messages. On the other hand, the Venu 3 leans more sporty, although it is still being raised. It is also available in two fall sizes to better fit a wider range of wrist. Personally, I found Venu 3S inconspicuous and comfortable, especially during training.

In short, the battery life is no longer a decisive factor between these two watches. Both devices offer excellent performance. For those who prioritize detailed fitness tracking and need a robust health companion, the Garmin Venu 3 remains the better choice. However, the OnePlus Watch 3 with its rounded mixture of fitness and intelligent functions as well as excellent battery life is a very attractive alternative for the average user, and surprisingly, I find myself more in my personal use and recommendations to move on regular fitness enthusiasts.