Samsung Galaxy Watch3: Major improvement

[TopherMan12]

So my biggest complaint about Galaxy Watch Active2 was the lack of customization on the watch face. Most of the watch faces are completely static except for some that allow for a single complication to be shown. For example, below I have my Active2 face with the workout app designated in that center space. Other than that, I can change the colors a little and that is it. Very limiting.

Now I have Galaxy Watch3 and finally have many more customizations. Each quadrant of the outlying circle can be set to a complication now. I have calories burned in the top left, battery top right, heart rate bottom right, and timer bottom left. The center portion showing temperature and rain chances is also customizable. And each section is a button that will take you to that related app, although the quadrants are little difficult to toggle.

Of course, not all watch faces have this amount of customization, but this is the closest I have come to getting what I liked about Apple Watch. Just finding this one watch face was a relief. What is strange, however, is that I still do not see this as an option for the Active2 even though they both have the same internal hardware. I would have thought this would just be a matter of updating the software, but so far I'm not seeing it. Perhaps an update is coming later. Not sure.

The other aspect of this watch that makes it really great is the physical rotating bezel. I had opted for Active Watch2 instead of the original Galaxy Watch because of the updated hardware and health sensors. Now it seems the two had a baby and voila: Galaxy Watch3. The rotating bezel is just as great as everyone said it was. I never used the digital bezel on Active2 as it was not very reliable (for me at least) so I simply used the screen. This is much better.

Overall, very happy with this watch. Hopefully some alternate bands will be available soon. I tried to put my Active2 silicone band on as I don't want to get the leather band sweaty with my workout, but it is too small.

 

[The Game 161]

So my biggest complaint about Galaxy Watch Active2 was the lack of customization on the watch face. Most of the watch faces are completely static except for some that allow for a single complication to be show. For example, below I have my Active2 face with the workout app designated in that center space. Other than that, I can change the colors a little and that is it. Very limiting.


View attachment 941578

Now I have Galaxy Watch3 and finally have many more customizations. Each quadrant of the outlying circle can be set to a complication now. I have calories burned in the top left, battery top right, heart rate bottom right, and timer bottom left. The center portion showing temperature and rain chances is also customizable. And each section is a button that will take you to that related app, although the quadrants are little difficult to toggle.

View attachment 941575

Of course, not all watch faces have this amount of customization, but this is the closest I have come to getting what I liked about Apple Watch. Just finding this one watch face was a relief. What is strange, however, is that I still do not see this as an option for the Active2 even though they both have the same internal hardware. I would have thought this would just be a matter of updating the software, but so far I'm not seeing it. Perhaps an update is coming later. Not sure.

The other aspect of this watch that makes it really great is the physical rotating bezel. I had opted for Active Watch2 instead of the original Galaxy Watch because of the updated hardware and health sensors. Now it seems the two had a baby and voila: Galaxy Watch3. The rotating bezel is just as great as everyone said it was. I never used the digital bezel on Active2 as it was not very reliable (for me at least) so I simply used the screen. This is much better.

Overall, very happy with this watch. Hopefully some alternate bands will be available soon. I tried to put my Active2 silicone band on as I don't want to get the leather band sweaty with my workout, but it is too small.

Are you able to add apps like Spotify on that watch face?

 

[TopherMan12]

Are you able to add apps like Spotify on that watch face?

Good question. Apparently not. I can add the "music" app, but not any specific third party app. That's too bad. That was another advantage I had with Apple Watch.

 

[The Game 161]

Good question. Apparently not. I can add the "music" app, but not any specific third party app. That's too bad. That was another advantage I had with Apple Watch.

Yeah that’s a shame, still got widgets to swipe for that I guess

 

[TopherMan12]

Yeah that’s a shame, still got widgets to swipe for that I guess

Right. And you can put Spotify in the first position so you can just swipe or rotate once to get to it, but it would have been nice to have at one dedicated section on the face for a third party app. Of course, this may be a limitation of this one face. I'm still exploring.

 

[macher]

So my biggest complaint about Galaxy Watch Active2 was the lack of customization on the watch face. Most of the watch faces are completely static except for some that allow for a single complication to be shown. For example, below I have my Active2 face with the workout app designated in that center space. Other than that, I can change the colors a little and that is it. Very limiting.


View attachment 941578

Now I have Galaxy Watch3 and finally have many more customizations. Each quadrant of the outlying circle can be set to a complication now. I have calories burned in the top left, battery top right, heart rate bottom right, and timer bottom left. The center portion showing temperature and rain chances is also customizable. And each section is a button that will take you to that related app, although the quadrants are little difficult to toggle.

View attachment 941575

Of course, not all watch faces have this amount of customization, but this is the closest I have come to getting what I liked about Apple Watch. Just finding this one watch face was a relief. What is strange, however, is that I still do not see this as an option for the Active2 even though they both have the same internal hardware. I would have thought this would just be a matter of updating the software, but so far I'm not seeing it. Perhaps an update is coming later. Not sure.

The other aspect of this watch that makes it really great is the physical rotating bezel. I had opted for Active Watch2 instead of the original Galaxy Watch because of the updated hardware and health sensors. Now it seems the two had a baby and voila: Galaxy Watch3. The rotating bezel is just as great as everyone said it was. I never used the digital bezel on Active2 as it was not very reliable (for me at least) so I simply used the screen. This is much better.

Overall, very happy with this watch. Hopefully some alternate bands will be available soon. I tried to put my Active2 silicone band on as I don't want to get the leather band sweaty with my workout, but it is too small.

Thanks for this. Shame though that no one can touch the iPhone Apple Watch integration. But seems to be getting better.

 

[nickdalzell1]

What I find sad about later Galaxy Watches (Active 2 and 3 included) are how plasticy they're becoming. The Active 2 is like the Fit 2. Kinda cheap looking vs. the first Active being shiny metal on the sides and glass on the front. Felt premium. First Gear Fit also was a nice device, Gear Fit 2 easily scratched to oblivion and looked awful.

Also, Samsung has yet to fill one important niche for me yet, despite me still using a Galaxy Watch from 2018--radio app. Spotify is not at all the same as Apple Radio. No '80s music only' channel at all. Closest they had was Milk Music but some crappy reason they killed that. Spotify requires a premium subscription and tries to be more like Youtube Music with 'auto playlists' or Pandora with 'songs from one artist and similar artists.' but no such solution to my issue where I want a decade only style station. Closest I come is using my phone to pull up SiriusXM app and play 80s on 8 and I can play/pause on my watch, but on Apple Watch you could just say 'Hey Siri play me some 80s music' and there it was. Galaxy Watch Bixby says 'that's not supported on Galaxy Watch' or tries (and fails) to load Spotify.

Just want a solution that doesn't involve me having to pull my phone out. Apple has done it since 2015. Samsung had it with Milk Music as a watch app and it worked much the same, although you asked the watch to 'open Milk Music' and if you had an 80s hits station selected it'd play. Spotify is no replacement for it. Milk Music used the rotating bezel as a dial and was both skeuomorphic and fun and easy to use. Spotify no such thing.