CMF Watch 3 Pro Review: Bigger Display, Better GPS But Some Annoying Problems Too

CMF by Nothing is kinda slowly becoming one of the more solid brands in the budget smartwatch space, and the fresh CMF Watch 3 Pro really seems to push more “premium-ish” stuff, without raising the price too much. On paper the watch ships with a bigger AMOLED screen, dual band GPS, AI driven features, Bluetooth calling, plus a reworked Nothing X app vibe.

In India it’s priced at ₹7,999, so yeah it looks like a straightforward upgrade. But after a bit of real daily use—workout sessions, office hours routine, calls, and the usual notification barrage—the whole experience becomes a blend of wow improvements and some annoying letdowns too.

Design and Display

The CMF Watch 3 Pro keeps that same circular, premium type of design as the last generation, and honestly it kinda helps. The aluminium body feels solid in hand , while the Dark Grey version comes off clean, a bit minimal maybe.

Some of the design stuff that stands out include all the usual:

• Premium aluminium body
• Comfortable silicone straps
• A rotating crown for navigation
• IP68 water and dust resistance
• Lightweight 51.9g body

Now the watch also swaps in a bigger 1.43-inch AMOLED display, compared to the older 1.32-inch panel. In day to day use the screen feels sharper and theres a little more room when you check notifications or fitness data.

For the display specs, you get:

• 1.43-inch AMOLED display
• 460×460 resolution
• Up to 670 nits brightness
• Always-On Display support
• 60Hz refresh rate

That said, the always-on mode is still a bit too dim in real life, and the fast scrolling sometimes feels just slightly laggy, like it catches up late.

Software and Features

Nothing has introduced this new Nothing X companion app, and honestly it feels a bit more polished than the watch UI itself. The app layout is clean, smooth, and easy to use, so fitness tracking and small customization things feel pretty straightforward.

Main software features basically include

• Bluetooth calling support
• ChatGPT integration
• Voice recording transcription
• Music controls
• Camera shutter controls
• Weather and AQI information
• 131 sports modes

As for the smartwatch, it still does not come with Wear OS support, so there is

No Play Store
No NFC payments
No LTE connectivity

Still, for regular people, the core smartwatch experience is reliable enough, and thats probably what most users care about.

GPS and Health Tracking

One of the more noticeable upgrades on the CMF Watch 3 Pro is dual-band GPS support, and honestly it helps a lot . The GPS lock feeling like it happens faster, plus the outdoor route tracking accuracy seems much steadier during runs . Also it’s kind of easier to trust the path you’re taking, even when the weather is a bit moody.

For health and fitness tracking, you get a mix of everyday metrics like

• Heart rate monitoring
• SpO2 tracking
• Sleep tracking
• VO2 Max tracking
• Training load analysis
• AI running coach
• Step tracking

Sleep tracking, weirdly, works quite well. It also catches the wake-up times during the night pretty reliably, even if you toss and turn a bit.

Battery and Calling

Battery life is still one of the big strong points of the CMF Watch 3 Pro . With normal usage , including workouts, notifications, and Bluetooth calling , it lasts around 7 days without much stress. That feels solid for a budget smartwatch.

• Up to 7 days in real usage
• About a 90 minute full charge
• Quick top up support
• Magnetic charger included

Bluetooth calling quality works fine indoors, but outdoors it stays merely decent, though AI noise reduction support does help in the background.

Pros:

• Premium, really light design
• Bright AMOLED screen
• Solid GPS, like actually reliable
• Strong battery back up
• Smooth, companion app that works nice

Cons:

• Always-On Display feels a bit too dim
• UI is still a little rough round the edges, needs polishing
• No NFC, and no Wear OS support either
• The 60Hz refresh rate can feel kinda slow at times

Final Verdict

Overall, the CMF Watch 3 Pro is a great deal at ₹7,999. The bigger AMOLED panel, dependable battery, dual-band GPS, and the polished Nothing X app make it one of the better budget smartwatches you can buy right now.

Still, the dim always-on display, a slightly rough watch interface, and the lack of Wear OS features mean it won’t be a “perfect for everyone” kind of pick .