I tested Samsung's $60 Galaxy Fit 3: It's basic, but it's good

Galaxy Fit 3 teeters are the edge and fitness tracker for smartwatches. Everything from the middle size to the sparse intelligence features makes it difficult to classify it as another. But when I tested this simple and charming wrist device, its main appeal became clear.
What I chose to call this hybrid smartwatch the most appealing thing is its price tag. That's $60, and it's the most affordable way to access Samsung's powerful health ecosystem through the Samsung Health app. If you are already a Samsung user and can alleviate your expectations, this alone may be worth considering. It's easy on the eyes and won't go beyond my 6.5-inch wrist like other traditional smartwatches (especially budget smartwatches, some can be dazzling) nor will it surpass my 6.5-inch wrist.
7.8
Samsung Galaxy Fit3
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The $60 price is the cheapest entry point for Samsung's ecosystem
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Powerful health tracking and sleep coaching tools
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3 days battery life is always displayed (up to 13 days, lighter use)
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The slim, lightweight design looks more typical than most budget trackers
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No built-in GPS for outdoor workouts without phone
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No voice assistant or dictation function
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No mobile payment or third-party app support
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Limited notification processing (Call or text cannot be initiated)
With dazzling features when there are dozens of smartwatches fighting for your attention, the Fit 3 stands out for its direct appeal and is priced at a few hundred dollars less than the flagship Galaxy Watch 7 and other competitors, and I'm like the OnePlus 3 weeks, I'll be more expensive even if my worth 3. I would be more expensive, even if I had a higher value.
Galaxy Fit 3 design
At first glance, its 1.6-inch (40mm) AMOLED screen can easily pass through a full-size smartwatch, which is not what you would normally expect from a tracker. It has a round rectangular display with an aluminum frame with subtle rose gold (like mine), silver or dark grey. There are only a few aspects of the design that suggest its true hybrid form. The rectangular screen is much narrower than the ones you find on other smartwatches, such as the Amazfit Bip 6 or even the Apple Watch. By default, this limits the information you can view on the screen, but I think it also makes the design feel more elegant. Also, Fit 3 has only one physical button (no crown or rotating bezel).
Galaxy Fit 3 battery life
What it really shines is battery life. The watch lasted for a full three days, running on the full throttle, which included an active always-on display, mirroring of all notifications in my phone, sleep tracking, and at least one workout per day. Without the always-on presentation, you might be able to extend it to the 13-day promised by Samsung. Part of this lifespan is due to the smaller screen, and since the Fit 3 doesn't run a feature-rich operating system like Wear OS, you can find it in the new Galaxy Watch lineup. In any case, it's easier to keep fit 3 than its full-day use and sleep tracking than its Galaxy Watch watch. It can also charge quickly and can increase from zero to 100% in more than an hour.
Galaxy Fit 3 “Smart” Feature (or Lack)
The huge sacrifice here, and the reason I don't think the Fit 3 is a mature smartwatch, is its limited smart features. Even if paired with a Galaxy phone (I paired it with the Galaxy S25 Plus), it's limited in its features and doesn't support voice sayings or mobile payments. It is also compatible with non-galaxy Android phones, but you will lose more features like the camera remote or alarm sync.
The narrow screen on FIT 3 means you don't get notifications on screen space.
I don't think I'd miss the voice assistant like I did, but wearing Fit 3 made me realize that commands and voice commands have become an important part of how I use my smartwatch, whether it's text responses, setting a timer when I cook or make a call and make a call. All you can do is refuse to call and send a canned response to the caller.
The same is true for text messages. You can't start text or decide to reply, but you can respond with pre-written messages, and what you can customize is more conversational than pre-loaded messages. I added a “Give me a second when you arrive at the phone.” This is not ideal, but at least it gives me some time to dig out my bottomless Mary Poppins wallet. I'm considering adding a “peech” custom response to Robophishing Scam text.
Another big miss for me is mobile payments. Without NFC, you won't be able to pay for Fit 3 with your wrist.
Otherwise, Fit 3 is known for its lack of application choice. I have to survive without some regular third-party apps like Roku TV Remote and Spotify, but I can use them on the phone. The FIT 3 still has the basics: alerts, calculator, weather app, camera remote (for Galaxy phones), and Samsung's health app. The last one is a remarkable performance here and one of the main reasons you consider getting it first.
The Fit 3 has an advanced health sensor and a button for navigation.
Galaxy Fit 3 Health and Fitness
Let's avoid one thing: Fit 3 doesn't have a built-in GPS. This means if you want to track it really accurately, tie it to your phone during runtime. As far as fitness features are concerned, this is my biggest complaint, as the S25 Plus isn't the most refined running partner, and sometimes I just want to leave it behind and disconnect for 30 minutes. I'm trying to do 5K without a phone, and as a result, the Fit 3's running tracking and mapping are about half a kilometre or a tenth of a mile away.
Fit 3 can track over 100 different exercises and will automatically record running, walking, rowing and elliptical workouts. However, automatic tracking is not enabled by default, so you have to toggle it in the settings. You can also swim (just not fetch water) as it is rated at 5ATM (50 meters) and has an IP68 rating.
Heart rate data for polar chest straps (left) compared to the Galaxy Fit 3 in the same 5K operation.
I tested heart rate tracking on the polar chest strap (the standard for the gold standard for consumer heart rate monitoring) and found that it is usually accurate, although slower, lowers the heart rate spike. Most wrist-based devices I've tested are very common. Once close to the peak heart rate (go to the fullest), the Fit 3 showed a 2-to-5 minute difference compared to the chest strap and took a few seconds to catch up. However, in the exercise summary, the final numbers of the mean and peak heart rate are similar, and the final numbers are similar to each other.
FIT 3 also offers high and low heart rate alerts, but lacks the ECG app. It monitors stress levels and oxygen saturation, and even has fall detection, and can call emergency services if you feel a hard drop and you won't get up. You can also manually activate SOS by pressing the side button five times.
Galaxy is suitable for 3 sleep
The Fit 3 has powerful sleep tracking features similar to what is on the Samsung flagship Galaxy watch. Fit 3 can detect sleep phases and even use the Galaxy Phone's microphone to monitor and hit Nor. It also provides a personalized sleep coach after seven nights, although I didn’t accumulate enough data in the test to activate this feature. It also offers a sleep score that is relevant to your energy levels each morning, but I find it a bit doubtful because it scored 91 (aka “Excellent”) on one night I slept for six and a half hours.
The Galaxy Fit 3 is comfortable to wear and wear all day.
Who Should Buy Galaxy Fit 3?
The Galaxy Fit 3 won't let anyone have its features or design, but it may be at its price. That's $60 admission cost for Galaxy Phone users who want to start tracking health and fitness in the same ecosystem. Even if you don't have a Samsung phone, its sleek design, robust health metrics and long-lasting battery are worth considering. There are some budget smartwatches worth your money, and while this isn't the best or only option, it's a reliable option with a simple and easy to play UI. The biggest problem may actually be that you can use it. As of publication, it dropped inventory in Samsung stores and was purchased only through third-party retailers such as Walmart.