CMF Watch 3 Pro first impressions

The CMF Watch 3 Pro has been launched in India at an introductory price of Rs 6,999. Positioning itself in the affordable smartwatch segment, the Watch 3 Pro has a mix of fitness tracking, AI-led features, and a refreshed design. Announced by Nothing under its CMF sub-brand, the device brings updates in GPS accuracy, health tracking, and software integration. Here are our early impressions based on the specifications and first-look details.

Design and display

The Watch 3 Pro has a metal body with a soft-touch silicone strap, and its construction feels more substantial than you might expect at this price point. It is available in four colours: Light Green, Dark Grey, Light Grey, and Orange.

The watch weighs around 50 grams depending on the colour variant, and wearing it for extended periods does not feel uncomfortable.

The IP68 rating covers water and dust resistance for everyday use. The company says that the 6-axis accelerometer is a hardware upgrade over the previous generation, and the linear vibration motor provides feedback that feels clear without being intrusive.

We found that the 1.43-inch AMOLED display with a 466 x 466 resolution at 326 PPI looks sharp, and colours come across as reasonably accurate during our limited use. CMF claims a peak brightness of up to 670 nits, and outdoor visibility held up adequately in our initial tests.

The watch supports an always-on display, and the screen-to-body ratio has been improved over the previous generation. The 60fps refresh rate keeps the interface reasonably smooth for a watch at this price. We will assess display accuracy and legibility in direct sunlight more thoroughly in the full review.

Performance

The Watch 3 Pro supports 131 sports modes, and seven activities can be detected automatically without manually starting a session. The dual-band GPS supports L1, L5, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou, and location lock during our outdoor testing was noticeably faster than we have seen on comparable budget watches. Route tracking felt accurate over short distances, though we will put it through longer routes in the full review.

The four-channel heart rate sensor is an improvement over the previous generation, and readings during light activity appeared consistent. Blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, sleep tracking, women's health support, hydration reminders, and guided breathing exercises round out the health feature set. An Active Score metric gives a weekly summary of effort using MET data, which may be useful for users looking for a simple measure of their activity levels.

The AI-powered running coach builds and adjusts training plans based on your fitness level, and post-workout summaries include guidance on recovery time and training load. Whether these insights remain useful over weeks of consistent use is something we will evaluate in the full review.

ChatGPT integration through the Nothing X app allows voice prompts for questions and reminders. A built-in voice recorder with auto-transcription, Bluetooth calling, quick replies of up to 140 characters, and gesture shortcuts are also on board.

In our brief testing, Bluetooth call quality was decent, aided by a second microphone added for improved pickup. The Nothing X app, which now consolidates all CMF smartwatches and audio devices in one place, also supports Strava, Apple Health, and Google Health Connect.

Battery and connectivity

The 350mAh battery is rated for up to 13 days under typical use, 10 days under heavy use, and around 4.5 days with always-on display enabled. In our short testing window, the battery reduced by only 15% well over a day of mixed use, but a sustained assessment over several days will feature in the full review. A full charge of almost one and a half hours via the included magnetic charging cable. Bluetooth 5.3 handles connectivity, and the watch is compatible with Android 6.0 and above, as well as iOS 13 and above.

What we think

At Rs 6,999, the CMF Watch 3 Pro brings together a set of features that would be difficult to find together at this price. The metal build, AMOLED display, dual-band GPS, and ChatGPT integration stand out for the segment.

Our initial impressions are positive, particularly around the GPS performance and display quality. The key questions that remain are how well the AI coaching and health tracking hold up with consistent daily use, and whether the battery life approaches CMF's claimed figures under real-world conditions. We will address both in the full review.