Apple Watch Series 3 Review – Best Smartwatch with LTE

After years of being an exclusive Fitbit user, I was looking for a new watch and curious about the world of smartwatches and specifically the Apple Watches. 

I decided to start with the Apple Series 3 as it was readily available and more affordable than the newer Series 4 or Series 5. I was looking for a watch that would allow me to continue to track my workouts but also give me smartwatch features.

After using and reviewing Apple Watch Series 3, I can say that it delivers. 

It has all the functionality of a fitness tracker, but you can access the features on your smartphone such as text messages, emails, podcasts, Apple Music, and you can even get Twitter notifications.

The Apple Series 3 remains one of the best smartwatches on the market.

Apple Watch Series 3 Specifications

• Display: Always on retina display with 272 by 340 pixels (38mm) and 312 by 390 pixels (42mm)
• Sensors: Optical heart rate sensor, ambient light sensor, barometric altimeter, accelerometer
• Color: Silver or space grey
• Material: Aluminum case and  black or white fluoroelastomer sport band. 
• Weight: 36.7 g
• Width: 38 mm (GPS) 42 mm (Cellular )
• Water resistance: 50 meters
• Notifications: Text, phone calls
• Battery life: 18 hours
• Compatibility: iPhone 6 and iOS 11 or later 
• Warranty: One year limited

Who is it for?

You will love Apple Watch Series 3 if you…

• Want a smartwatch made for fitness – The Series 3 caters to the fitness conscious.
• Want a smartwatch that is more affordable than newer models – While the Series 4 and 5 have some newer features, they cost more while the Series 3 gives you most of the same bells and whistles.
• Are a swimmer – Not only is it water-resistant, but comes with several ways to track your pool workout.

You might not like Apple Watch Series 3 if you…

• Want to wear it 24 hours a day – with an 18-hour battery life, you can’t wear this watch for a full day.
• Need to have the newest device – With the release of Apple Watch Series 5 the Series 3 is not the most current version.
• If you’re an Android user — you need an iPhone 6 or later to be compatible with Apple Watches.

Price and Availability

Apple released Series 3 in 2017 and it retailed at $329. With the release of the Series 4 in 2018, the price for the 3 dropped and it’s still readily available via the Apple web page for $199 (GPS) and $299 (GPS plus Cellular) and on Amazon. You have the choice of the GPS version or the GPS plus Cellular, which allows you to access all of your apps and the internet, separate from your phone.

Design & Build

Apple has put an S3 chip and a dual-core processor in Series 3. It has an optical heart sensor and a digital crown. The crown on the Cellular version comes with a red dot in the center but otherwise functions the same.

The GPS and GPS plus Cellular Series 3 comes with an aluminum build in Silver and Space Gray. Only the Cellular version comes with the option of a stainless steel case.

Screen & Display

The rectangular display screen is more abundant on the GPS plus Cellular version, but both types of watches include an OLED Retina display with 1000 nits brightness. 

It has a touch screen to navigate through the various menus, but the digital crown also scrolls through the watch for you.

You get a wide variety of watch faces to choose from through the watch app on your phone. These can be changed as often as you wish. The faces are easy to read, and the display illuminates with a simple flick of your wrist.

Comfort to Wear

I found the watch to be incredibly comfortable, and you can choose a small or large band that should fit every wrist. The bands are easy to put on and snap in place firmly. You won’t have to worry about it sliding off.

Bands & Accessories

There are many accessories available for the Apple Series 3.

The options include stainless steel bands, screen protectors, and charging docks. These options are all reasonably affordable and abundant, so you can customize your watch to match your style.

Features & Performance

4G LTE Connectivity

Apple Watch with cellular hooks you up through an LTE and UMTS, no matter where you are. You’ll incur a monthly charge from your phone provider. The going rate for this is $10 a month, and iPhone users can have it added to their monthly bill easily. 

The Cellular option, of course, frees you from having to carry your phone with you and turns the Series 3 into a standalone watch. 

The 4G connectivity is smooth and allows you to stream Apple Music, make phone calls, and receive text messages. The Bluetooth connects to headphones such as Apple Air Pods.

Music Streaming

You can access and stream songs through your Apple Music account if you have the GPS plus Cellular version of the Series 3. 

If you get the GPS only watch, you have to load songs directly on to the device or sync with your phone to navigate through your music. Downloading them directly on to the phone takes up valuable storage, however, so I would recommend playing music through your phone and using the watch to fast forward to the next song and replay the ones you like.

You’ll also be able to stream podcasts through the watch via your Apple account.

watchOS 5

Both the GPS only and Cellular initially used watchOS4 but have upgraded to Apple watchOS 5, which contains features like automatic workout detection.

Apple is said to release its WatchOS 6 this fall which offers updated watch faces to choose from, enhanced Siri options, the ability to access the App Store, and upgraded fitness and health functions.

Battery

The battery on your Series 3 lasts up to 18 hours, which I found to be one negative of this device as it feels like I’m continually charging the watch and you can’t wear it for a full day and night as you can with Samsung and Fitbit smartwatches.

Charging is simple as you place the watch on a magnetic table. There is no need to disconnect the band or take any other extra steps. Once on the charger, the display shows you that its charging and what percentage of battery life you have left.

Fitness Tracking

Series 3 is a great fitness tracker. Apple’s workout application provides a glance at your performance with the use of three colored rings that tracks how often you stood up on your feet, minutes of activity, and calories burned during your day.

There are also watch faces that show the activity rings as well, for easy updates.

Track your workouts, and the application details the length of your workout, the calories burned, number of steps taken, and heart rate during the routine. It even uses its built-in GPS to tell you where the workout took place and what the weather conditions were at the time.

Running

Are you a runner? If so, then you’ll want to track your runs to log how far you went, what the route was, what your heart rate was during and after you’ve finished. 

Series 3 has you covered. The workout app tracks all this for you as you run and if you get the cellular version of the watch, you won’t need your phone with you. 

Series 3 uses both the workout app and Apple Health, but it syncs with other popular apps, such as Strava, which is a popular one among runners.

Swim Tracking

Not only is the Series 3 water-resistant up to 50 meters but it has specific features for swimmers. You can set goals for distance or calories burned, and the watch provides excellent detail as to how your swim went.

You’re able to enter the length of the pool before starting, and the watch tracks your interval times, calories burned, the number of laps, and strokes per lap. Series 3 is a smartwatch that caters to swimmers so grab your trunks and jump in the pool.

HIIT Workouts

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is a fast and sometimes brutal way to burn fat quickly and get in shape. The workouts include hard, intense repetitions with a brief rest period in between. 

There are many benefits to HIIT workouts, and the Apple Watch Series 3 is set up to help you through these sessions.

Apple Watch’s workout app has HIIT monitoring built right into it. It monitors the spikes in your heart rate and calories burned during your workout. The watch’s heart rate monitor not only allows you to see how high you got your heart pumping but tells you how fast you’re recovering from the intervals. 

The faster you’re recovering, the better shape you’re getting in.

Apple Health

The Apple Health application is an easy to use app to keeps a record of your daily activity, calories burned, and nutrition information. It syncs with your Apple Watch and other Fitness apps. I used it in conjunction with My Fitness Pal, and when you enter your meals, Apple Health tells you how much sodium, fat, protein, and other details about your diet for the day.

At first glance, it may seem like it isn’t tracking your total calories burned, but it does. Apple Health tracks your resting energy and active energy. Combine the two calorie totals, and there is your total for the day.

It also tracks your steps taken, and minutes spent active, flights climbed and breaks down your heart rate into three categories. The categories include your walking heart rate, resting heart rate, and the variability in your heart rate.