I wasn’t even planning to give this watch a proper review. Honestly, when I first saw the teasers for the Nothing Watch CMF 3 Pro, I thought: “Cool, another smartwatch that counts my steps and guilts me into standing up every hour.” Yawn.
But then I tried it. And (like most Nothing products) it’s just weird enough to make me sit up and pay attention. Between the design choices, the glyph-inspired quirks, and the fact that it doesn’t look like every other boring smartwatch on the market, it actually feels like a Nothing product. Which is kinda cool.
So, is this the Apple Watch rival you’ve been waiting for? Or just another toy that will end up in your bedside drawer after a month? Let’s find out.
Design & Hardware: Transparent Meets Wearable
First impressions: this thing looks different. Where most smartwatches try to copy either the rounded Galaxy Watch or the squared-off Apple Watch, the CMF 3 Pro has its own distinct look.
You get that signature Nothing transparency aesthetic, which somehow makes a smartwatch look more like a gadget than jewellery.
On the wrist, it feels comfortable, not too heavy, not too plasticky. The build is solid enough, with IP68 water resistance, so you don’t have to baby it in the rain or during a workout.
The controls are refreshingly straightforward. A tactile side crown for navigation, a button for shortcuts, and a magnetic charging puck around the back. No fiddly bezels, no over-complication. Just a clean, simple design that actually feels thought-through.
Display & Software UI: Pretty, Minimal, and a Bit Too Clever
The screen on the Nothing Watch CMF 3 Pro is gorgeous. We’re talking AMOLED with vibrant colours, sharp resolution, and plenty of brightness for outdoor use. It even has an always-on option, so you can glance at the time without flicking your wrist like a magician.
But the really cool thing about this watch is its software. Nothing has taken its minimalist design language and shrunk it down for the wrist. Think dot-matrix fonts, clean icons, and just enough glyph-inspired animation to make you smile. It feels consistent with their phones, which is rare in the world of Android-compatible watches.
That said, minimalism has its downsides. Menus are simple, yes, but sometimes too simple. A couple of times, I found myself swiping through, wondering where a certain feature had gone, only to realise it was buried behind an extra-long press or a non-obvious shortcut.
Health & Fitness Features: Tracking the Basics (and Then Some)
If you’ve seen one smartwatch launch, you’ve probably seen them all: heart-rate sensors, sleep tracking, step counting, GPS, the usual suspects. The Nothing Watch CMF 3 Pro ticks all of those boxes… but the big question is: does it actually work well?
From my testing, the heart-rate sensor is reasonably accurate. Not quite Garmin-level reliable during intense workouts, but good enough for casual runs and gym sessions. SpO₂ tracking (blood oxygen) is present too. However, like with most wearables, I’d treat it as “ballpark” rather than medical-grade.
Sleep tracking is where it gets more interesting. The watch does a decent job at splitting light, deep, and REM stages, and the companion app lays it out in a clean, digestible way. It’s not shouting at you with “You slept badly, shame on you” like some other apps do. Instead, it quietly nudges you with insights that are… dare I say… actually useful.
The GPS tracking is solid. Lock-on times are fast, and distance accuracy is close to what I got on my Garmin. If you’re a hardcore athlete, you’ll still want something more specialised, but for casual runners and cyclists, this does the job nicely.
Where Nothing still lags is in the advanced health features. No ECG, no skin temperature tracking, and none of the more medical-style measurements Apple and Samsung are playing with. But to be fair, this watch is priced well below those devices, so expecting a full hospital on your wrist might be pushing it.
Battery Life & Charging: Finally, a Watch That Doesn’t Panic at 10 PM
One of my biggest gripes with the Apple Watch is that it barely makes it through a full day if you’re hammering workouts, GPS, and always-on display. The Nothing Watch CMF 3 Pro, thankfully, plays a different game.
On paper, Nothing claims multi-day battery life. And in my real-world use, that’s actually true. With notifications, workouts, sleep tracking, and the always-on display running, I consistently got 3-4 days on a single charge. Dial things back a bit (no AOD, lighter GPS usage), and you can stretch it even further.
Charging is quick and painless. The watch uses a magnetic charging puck, snapping on securely without fiddling. No Qi2 or MagSafe wizardry here, but the speeds are good enough that a half-hour top-up in the morning gets you through another full day easily.
Connectivity & Compatibility: Works Everywhere (Mostly)
Pairing the Nothing Watch CMF 3 Pro is refreshingly painless. You don’t need to be locked into one ecosystem (like you do with the Apple Watch). So if you’re on a Nothing Phone, another Android, or even iOS, it’ll connect without a fuss.
The watch syncs through the Nothing X / Nothing Health app, which handles all your fitness stats, notifications, and settings. The app itself is clean and fits Nothing’s minimalist vibe, though I did run into the occasional sync delay where a workout summary appeared a couple of minutes after I finished. Not a deal-breaker, but worth noting.
Notifications are reliable, and you can reply to messages directly if you’re paired with Android. iOS users? Sorry, you’re stuck with read-only notifications (thanks, Apple). Still, calls, texts, emails, and app alerts all buzz through quickly, and the vibration motor is strong enough that you won’t miss them.
There’s no LTE or eSIM option, so don’t expect to leave your phone at home completely. But for Bluetooth + GPS use, it’s perfectly stable. Music control works smoothly, and Bluetooth headphones pair easily.
Pricing & Value: Who’s This Watch Really For?
The Nothing Watch CMF 3 Pro lands at a price that’s far kinder than most big-name smartwatches. It undercuts the Apple Watch Series 10, Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, and even the Pixel Watch 2, while offering multi-day battery life that those three still can’t match.
At this price point, the closest rivals are Amazfit’s GTR line or the OnePlus Watch 2, and that’s where the CMF 3 Pro gets interesting. Amazfit gives you insane battery life, but with clunky software. OnePlus feels a bit more polished but also a bit more… boring. The Nothing Watch? It feels like an accessory with personality, and that’s rare at this price.
So, who should actually buy it?
- If you want a stylish, conversation-starting smartwatch that handles the basics well, this is a great pick.
- If you care more about fitness data accuracy or app ecosystems, you’ll be happier with Garmin or Apple.
And if you’re already a Nothing Phone owner? Honestly, this is the natural companion.
Verdict on the Nothing Watch: A Watch With Personality
The Nothing Watch CMF 3 Pro isn’t here to dethrone Apple or Samsung. And it doesn’t have to. Instead, it’s a stylish, playful smartwatch that nails the essentials: good battery life, a slick display, solid fitness tracking, and that unmistakable Nothing design.
If you’re an athlete chasing metrics, you’ll still want Garmin. If you’re an iPhone user deep in the Apple ecosystem, stick with an Apple Watch. But if you’re bored with the same old smartwatch shapes and want something that lasts more than a day per charge… this is the watch for you.
