CMF Watch 3 Pro review: Designed to impress, built to perform

Rating: 4/5Affordable smartwatches have gradually moved beyond basic step tracking and notifications. Features such as AMOLED displays, Bluetooth calling, GPS tracking, and health monitoring are now common, but how well these features work in daily use still varies significantly. CMF Watch 3 Pro enters the segment with a metal build, dual-band GPS, AI-powered fitness coaching, ChatGPT integration, and claimed battery life of up to 13 days. All this at just Rs 6,999. On paper, it checks several boxes. But specifications rarely tell the full story. After spending a few weeks with the CMF Watch 3 Pro, here is what the experience feels like in everyday use.The first thing we noticed after wearing the Watch 3 Pro was the balance between weight and build quality. Despite using a metal frame, the watch does not feel heavy on the wrist. Depending on the variant, it weighs close to 50 grams, and over long periods, including workdays and workouts, we rarely felt the need to remove it. The silicone straps that come with the watch feel soft. It was comfortable to wear during walks and extended outdoor use. However, we did experience some irritation due to excessive sweating beneath the strap after prolonged use.Visually, the watch follows a relatively simple circular design. It does not try to stand out with aggressive styling, which may work in its favour because it goes equally well with casual and formal wear. The IP68 rating adds reassurance for daily usage involving sweat, dust, or light rain, though it is still not intended for activities involving high water pressure or swimming.The 1.43-inch AMOLED display is among the stronger aspects of the experience. With a 466 x 466 resolution and 326 PPI density, icons and text appear sharp. Colours look reasonably accurate, and the 60fps refresh rate helps menus feel smoother than many budget smartwatches. Outdoor visibility held up adequately during daytime testing. Auto-brightness reacted fast enough when moving indoors and outdoors, while the always-on display remained readable without significantly affecting usability.The smartwatch also offers more than 120 watch faces, including animated versions and customisable layouts. Some feel playful while others are minimal. We found ourselves switching between productivity-focused layouts during work hours and fitness-centric layouts during workouts.An interesting addition is AI-generated watch faces and support for photo or short video backgrounds. While these are novelty features, they make personalisation easier.CMF Watch 3 Pro attempts to do more than count steps as it offers comprehensive health tracking features. Heart rate monitoring, SpO₂ measurement, stress tracking, sleep analysis, menstrual tracking, hydration reminders and breathing exercises are some of the health tracking features that come included with the watch. The company also claims that the updated optical sensor improves heart-rate accuracy by up to 7% during workouts compared to previous models. Sleep tracking on this watch looks more detailed than basic models. The watch recognised short naps and offered high-precision sleep analysis. For users trying to build healthier routines, these insights feel more useful than simply displaying total hours slept.The Active Score system is another feature we found interesting. Rather than focusing purely on steps, it combines activity intensity and movement using MET values to provide a weekly score. This offers a broader picture of activity levels beyond daily targets. The AI running coach deserves attention too. It creates personalised plans lasting between 8 and 16 weeks and adjusts based on recovery and activity. The concept is useful, although evaluating whether recommendations remain relevant over months requires longer testing.Post-workout summaries include recovery suggestions, endurance predictions, VO₂ max trends and training load analysis. These insights are presented in simple language rather than overwhelming users with numbers. The watch also supports 131 sports modes, while seven activities can be recognised automatically. Forgetting to start a workout does not necessarily mean losing your data, which makes tracking feel less rigid.GPS performance stood out during our testing. Dual-band GPS support covering L1 and L5 signals enabled noticeably faster satellite locking than what we typically see in affordable watches. Short outdoor routes appeared accurate and maintained stable tracking.This becomes useful for users who walk or run regularly because delayed GPS locking can distort pace and distance measurements.Bluetooth calling worked reliably during our testing. The addition of dual microphones improved voice pickup, and conversations remained clear outdoors.Quick replies, gesture controls, music controls, camera controls, reminders, weather, calculator and voice recording with transcription expand daily usability. The built-in recorder is practical for quickly storing ideas without reaching for a phone.ChatGPT integration is present, though availability remains restricted to Nothing OS devices. That limitation reduces its usefulness for users outside the Nothing ecosystem.The Nothing X app deserves mention as well. It consolidates settings, health data, fitness plans and integrations with Strava, Apple Health and Google Health Connect into one interface. Navigation feels straightforward without unnecessary clutter.Battery life often determines whether smartwatch features remain enabled over time. The 350mAh battery is rated for up to 13 days under typical use, around 10 days with heavier usage, and 4.5 days with always-on display enabled.During our testing, we enabled notifications, used fitness tracking and Bluetooth calling battery drain remained controlled. After more than a day of mixed use, battery consumption stayed below what we expected considering the number of active features.However, continuous use of GPS and always-on display reduced battery life, which is not surprising. Charging takes roughly 100 minutes using the included magnetic charger, making overnight charging unnecessary in most scenarios.CMF Watch 3 Pro offers a combination of features rarely seen together in this price range. The metal build feels comfortable, the AMOLED display performs well, and dual-band GPS improves outdoor tracking reliability.What impressed us most was not any single feature, but how the watch integrates multiple tools like health tracking, AI coaching, notifications, GPS, and calling into an experience that feels cohesive. We also didn’t notice any hiccup during long-term accuracy of AI recommendations, consistency of health insights over weeks, and real-world battery endurance under heavier usage.For users looking for a smartwatch focused equally on fitness tracking and everyday convenience, the CMF Watch 3 Pro makes a strong case for itself. While it may not replace dedicated fitness wearables, but for Rs 6,999, the smartwatch delivers an experience that feels more complete compared to many affordable alternatives.