The Umidigi Uwatch 3S is the direct successor to the Uwatch 2S which was released a bit earlier this year and, in a sense, it’s a corrected version of the previous smartwatch since it now has a proper Sp02 sensor (for measuring the Oxygen level in blood), while the Uwatch 2S got this functionality removed from the software – I assume because the hardware couldn’t really support it.
Everything else seems to be identical, so you get the same circular design, the same color display, the software and the functions are also identical, minus the Sp02 measurement, of course.
I know that the smartwatch had a rough start due to the limited features and especially due to the bad battery life (unless you went with Pebble), but after Apple made it trendy, everyone wanted one, so it’s interesting to see that Umidigi promises such a compelling package at a very affordable price tag.
Indeed, the Uwatch 3S seems to offer up to 15 days of battery life while its smart functions are active, there’s also the 24/7 heart rate monitoring, the aforementioned Blood Oxygen monitoring, multiple sport modes, but it does not rely on Android Wear. Some would see it as an advantage, but we’ll just have to see if Umidigi has managed to build a balanced device and whether the high price of some other smartwatches is completely unjustified.
Design and Build Quality
Umidigi is mainly known for its budget-friendly smartphones and smartwatches, and, while the plan to undercut every competitor has worked really well in its favor for a while now, surely it had to make some compromises at least in the design department, right? It will obviously not feel the same as an Apple Watch or a Galaxy Watch, but it can definitely hold its ground against devices that cost at least double the price. Indeed, the circular frame of the Uwatch 3S is made of aluminum alloy (aircraft-grade!) which ensures that the smartwatch weighs very little – pair that with the plastic rear side and you get a device that weighs only 0.88 ounces, without the straps. Not that the silicone straps add that much weight even though they’re fairly large (very similar to the straps that I got with the TicWatch Pro 2020 – well, minus the leather top). The front is made of glass and I am not entirely sure whether they used Gorilla Glass (the manufacturer hasn’t disclosed it), but the screen didn’t get scratched even though I bumped it into various objects (unintentionally).
Since it’s still glass (2.5D tempered glass with anti-fingerprint coating) and considering that there is no protective lip, which is the standard with the rugged smartwatches, I would be a bit more careful and avoid hitting the screen especially on sharper surfaces (or dropping it). It may not be that shock-proof (well, most smartwatches aren’t), but it does seem to fare quite well with water activities. That’s right, Umidigi says that the smartwatch is waterproof, so it can be submerged down to 164 feet (or 50 meters) due to its 5ATM rating. It still won’t work for scuba diving, water dives, dynamic watersports or hot water showers (apparently), but it should work just fine while swimming or snorkeling (raining or snowing on the smartwatch will also do no damage). One oddity that I immediately noticed after taking the smartwatch out of its package is that there were no buttons anywhere on the case. So how do you exactly operate the Uwatch 3S?
You need to tap the screen to wake it if the smartwatch is not strapped to your wrist or simply rotate to wake if it’s on your wrist. I have noticed that the tap to wake would not always work and I had to insist with two or three taps to activate the display, but while on the wrist, the rotate to wake function worked flawlessly. Another quirk that I saw was when I left the smartwatch on the desk near my keyboard was that my ‘violent writing’ would sometimes activate the screen – so yes, vibrations seems to sometimes turn on the display.
Everything else seems to be identical, so you get the same circular design, the same color display, the software and the functions are also identical, minus the Sp02 measurement, of course.
I know that the smartwatch had a rough start due to the limited features and especially due to the bad battery life (unless you went with Pebble), but after Apple made it trendy, everyone wanted one, so it’s interesting to see that Umidigi promises such a compelling package at a very affordable price tag.
Indeed, the Uwatch 3S seems to offer up to 15 days of battery life while its smart functions are active, there’s also the 24/7 heart rate monitoring, the aforementioned Blood Oxygen monitoring, multiple sport modes, but it does not rely on Android Wear. Some would see it as an advantage, but we’ll just have to see if Umidigi has managed to build a balanced device and whether the high price of some other smartwatches is completely unjustified.
Design and Build Quality
Umidigi is mainly known for its budget-friendly smartphones and smartwatches, and, while the plan to undercut every competitor has worked really well in its favor for a while now, surely it had to make some compromises at least in the design department, right? It will obviously not feel the same as an Apple Watch or a Galaxy Watch, but it can definitely hold its ground against devices that cost at least double the price. Indeed, the circular frame of the Uwatch 3S is made of aluminum alloy (aircraft-grade!) which ensures that the smartwatch weighs very little – pair that with the plastic rear side and you get a device that weighs only 0.88 ounces, without the straps. Not that the silicone straps add that much weight even though they’re fairly large (very similar to the straps that I got with the TicWatch Pro 2020 – well, minus the leather top). The front is made of glass and I am not entirely sure whether they used Gorilla Glass (the manufacturer hasn’t disclosed it), but the screen didn’t get scratched even though I bumped it into various objects (unintentionally).
Since it’s still glass (2.5D tempered glass with anti-fingerprint coating) and considering that there is no protective lip, which is the standard with the rugged smartwatches, I would be a bit more careful and avoid hitting the screen especially on sharper surfaces (or dropping it). It may not be that shock-proof (well, most smartwatches aren’t), but it does seem to fare quite well with water activities. That’s right, Umidigi says that the smartwatch is waterproof, so it can be submerged down to 164 feet (or 50 meters) due to its 5ATM rating. It still won’t work for scuba diving, water dives, dynamic watersports or hot water showers (apparently), but it should work just fine while swimming or snorkeling (raining or snowing on the smartwatch will also do no damage). One oddity that I immediately noticed after taking the smartwatch out of its package is that there were no buttons anywhere on the case. So how do you exactly operate the Uwatch 3S?
You need to tap the screen to wake it if the smartwatch is not strapped to your wrist or simply rotate to wake if it’s on your wrist. I have noticed that the tap to wake would not always work and I had to insist with two or three taps to activate the display, but while on the wrist, the rotate to wake function worked flawlessly. Another quirk that I saw was when I left the smartwatch on the desk near my keyboard was that my ‘violent writing’ would sometimes activate the screen – so yes, vibrations seems to sometimes turn on the display.
Open up
