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How to Watch Live as NASA's Artemis I Launches to the Moon
How to Watch Live as NASA's Artemis I Launches to the Moon
Very soon, NASA's ambitious, expensive and exhilarating Artemis program is poised to commence. At last, Artemis I could be heading to lunar orbit, 50 years after the agency wrapped up the Apollo missions.
Initially, Artemis I's launch was planned for Monday, Aug. 29, but due to an engine issue, NASA had to scrub this attempt. The next liftoff try is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 3. No matter what happens you'll want to follow along live to see how the story unfolds -- and we have all the details (and will host a livestream!) right here.
To be clear, this liftoff won't have astronauts onboard -- but there's a lot riding on its success, including the prospect of landing people on the moon sometime in the near future. (That's planned for 2025). Come launch day, Artemis I's 32-story, tangerine-colored rocket will blast off from Earth and propel a pointy, relatively small, white spacecraft named Orion into lunar orbit.
Orion is filled to the brim with things like Amazon Alexa, TV character Shaun the Sheep, mannequins, miniature satellites and most importantly, tons of navigation and data collection equipment. These special instruments within Orion will track vital information about the spacecraft's trajectory, safety, radiation absorption (and much more) that'll essentially map out the routes of future missions -- missions with a human crew like Artemis II and 2025's Artemis III. Think of Artemis I as a crucial flight test and proof-of-principle mission.
A flawless launch could mark the beginning of NASA's modern moon exploration years. It's going to be a tense day with a nail-biting countdown, especially considering the first failed launch attempt, but one also shrouded in an air of wonder and excitement. In other words, it's going to be huge.
The "We Are Going" banner, seen near the Artemis I rocket on the launchpad, is signed by NASA workers involved in the moon mission.
NASA/Joel Kowsky
How to watch the Artemis I launch
On Saturday, NASA plans to host a live broadcast of the Artemis I event and you'll be able to watch on the NASA app, NASA website or NASA TV directly.
The launch window itself opens at 11:17 a.m. PT / 2:17 p.m. ET, and it'll stay open for two hours. Somewhere within that range, the mega moon rocket, which NASA calls the "most powerful rocket in the world," will head toward the stars.
Here's that window start time around the world. Get your snacks ready.
USA: 11:17 a.m. PT / 2:17 p.m. ET
Brazil: 3:17 p.m. (Federal District)
UK: 7:17 p.m.
South Africa: 8:17 p.m.
Russia: 9:17 p.m. (Moscow)
UAE: 10:17 p.m.
India: 11:47 p.m.
China: Sunday, 2:17 a.m.
Japan: Sunday, 3:17 a.m.
Australia: Sunday, 4:17 a.m. (AEST)
You'll also find all the action live on CNET Highlights, our YouTube channel, by simply clicking play just below. It's that easy.
The road to launching Artemis I
Already, NASA has started to heighten anticipation for Artemis I's journey to space -- evident by the incredible turnout for Monday morning's attempt. Briefings were held daily until Monday's liftoff attempt, for instance, about things like the role of industry in advancing human exploration, lunar mission management, the way Artemis is poised to lead to Mars excursions and just general road-to-the-stars commentary.
A full schedule of those meetings, streamed on NASA TV, can be found here.
A full Moon is in view from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 14, 2022.
NASA/Cory Huston
You might also want to prepare yourself for celebrity appearances by Jack Black, Chris Evans and Keke Palmer as well as performances of The Star-Spangled Banner by Josh Groban and Herbie Hancock and America the Beautiful by The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma, the latter conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. What. A. Party.
Artemis I's launch sequence
If you're into the technical details, here's the game plan for Artemis I.
In a way, liftoff is the easiest part. And I'm not exaggerating.
Team SLS is up first.
After countdown, the SLS will ascend through Earth's atmosphere. In two minutes, all its solid propellant, located in the rocket's boosters, will be consumed and those boosters will be jettisoned. After 8 minutes, all its liquid fuel, located in the core stage, will be used and that stage will be jettisoned. Then, for about the next 18 minutes, Orion and the rocket's upper stage will take a lap around our planet all alone. Once that's complete, Orion will take about 12 minutes to deploy its solar arrays and get off battery power.
At that point, as Sarafin puts it, the rocket has done its job. Orion is en route.
A diagram showing what Artemis I's ascent will look like.
Screenshot by Monisha Ravisetti/NASA
Team Orion steps up to the plate.
"There's really no time to catch our breath," Rick LaBrode, lead Artemis I flight director, said during an Aug. 5 press conference. Orion's trajectory pretty much relies of a multitude of precise maneuvering that'll take it along the complex path outlined below.
Orion's trajectory around the moon and back is outlined here. Along the way, 10 cubesats will be deployed.
Screenshot by Monisha Ravisetti/NASA
Eventually, the craft will approach the lunar surface, getting as close as just 60 miles above ground, and conduct a bunch of science experiments to test things like lunar gravity, radiation danger, and maybe even snap a few pics like a re-creation of 1968's Earthrise. The satellites inside Orion will deploy along the way, capture some physics data, and once all is said and done, the brave little spacecraft will return to our planet and splashdown off the coast of San Diego.
Pick up Orion, extract the data and Artemis I is complete. The whole thing is expected to take six weeks.
If NASA manages to avoid any blips along the way, it won't be long before we find ourselves scouring the internet for info on how to watch the launch of Artemis II. And far into the future, perhaps we'll reflect on Monday as we sit back and watch a rocket barrel toward not just the moon, but Mars.
OK, I'm getting ahead of myself.
For now, you can admire the Artemis I SLS rocket topped with Orion chilling on the launchpad. Here's a constant livestream of it during its final moments on Earth.
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How to Watch Rays vs. White Sox, Reds vs. Dodgers Friday on Apple TV Plus
How to Watch Rays vs. White Sox, Reds vs. Dodgers Friday on Apple TV Plus
Apple TV Plus now streams baseball games , though it suffered a rocky debut on MLB's opening weekend. This Friday's twofer takes place on Jackie Robinson Day and brings another pair of games. First up is a matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox at 7:10 p.m. ET (4:10 p.m. PT). The second game of the night will see the Cincinnati Reds battle the Los Angeles Dodgers in California at 10:10 p.m. ET (7:10 p.m. PT).
Because these games are on Apple's streaming service, the only way to watch either contest will be on Apple TV Plus. They will not air on television at all, even if you live in a local market like Chicago or Los Angeles.
Here's everything you need to know about these games and how to watch the rest of Apple TV Plus' baseball slate.
Read more: How to Watch Baseball Without Cable
FAQs
How much will this cost?
Apple normally charges $5 per month for Apple TV Plus, but for at least the first 12 weeks of this partnership it will be making these games available for free to "anyone with internet access."
After that, it is unclear if Apple will continue offering games for free or if it will require people to pay for an Apple TV Plus subscription.
What devices can I watch on?
You can watch the games on any devices that have the Apple TV app. This includes iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs and Macs as well as streaming platforms like Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Google's Android TV and Google TV.
If you have a game console, there is an Apple TV app for Microsoft's Xbox One and Xbox Series S and X, and Sony's PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Recent TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio also may have Apple TV apps. More details on supported devices can be found on Apple's site.
What about Android and Windows devices?
Apple does not have Apple TV Plus apps for Android devices or Windows computers, but it does let you stream its shows, and these games, using a web browser by going to tv.apple.com.
You will, however, need to sign in to or make an Apple account to watch the games.
Are the games available on TV, too?
No. These broadcasts are exclusive to Apple TV Plus, so you will not be able to watch them on your local regional sports network.
What games are available on Apple TV Plus?
Apple will air doubleheaders on Friday nights during the 2022 MLB season. So far, it has released the first 12 weeks of games it will show (all times ET).
Friday, April 15
Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox: 7 p.m. ET
Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers: 10 p.m. ET
Friday, April 22
St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds: 6:30 p.m. ET
Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics: 9:30 p.m. ET
Friday, April 29
New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals: 8 p.m. ET
Washington Nationals at San Francisco Giants: 10 p.m. ET
Friday, May 6
Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox: 7 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay Rays at Seattle Mariners: 9:30 p.m. ET
Friday, May 13
San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves: 7 p.m. ET
Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks: 9:30 p.m. ET
Friday, May 20
St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates: 6:30 p.m. ET
Texas Rangers at Houston Astros: 8 p.m. ET
Friday, May 27
Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox: 7 p.m. ET
Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Angels: 9:30 p.m. ET
Friday, June 3
Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees: 7 p.m. ET
Atlanta Braves at Colorado Rockies: 8:30 p.m. ET
Friday, June 10
Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins: 8 p.m. ET
New York Mets at Los Angeles Angels: 9:30 p.m. ET
Friday, June 17
Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros: 8 p.m. ET
Cleveland Guardians at Los Angeles Dodgers: 10 p.m. ET
Friday, June 24
Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals: 8 p.m. ET
Detroit Tigers at Arizona Diamondbacks: 9:30 p.m. ET
Will the games stream in 4K?
It is unclear if Apple will stream any of its games in 4K but it currently broadcasts games in 1080p.
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NFL Preseason Week 3: How to Watch Jaguars vs. Falcons, Rams vs. Bengals, Vikings vs. Broncos
NFL Preseason Week 3: How to Watch Jaguars vs. Falcons, Rams vs. Bengals, Vikings vs. Broncos
Don't look now, but the 2022 NFL season is only two weeks away. Teams have one remaining preseason game before the regular season kicks off on Sept. 8. Players have one last chance to impress their coaching staff and front office before final roster cuts are made and the 53-man roster is set to begin the season.
Week 3 of the preseason continues Saturday with eight games, three of which will be televised nationally. The Jaguars play the Falcons at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT), followed by the Rams against the Bengals at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT) -- a preseason "rematch" of Super Bowl LVI -- and finally the Vikings at the Broncos at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT). All three games are on NFL Network.
Here's what you need to know to watch NFL preseason games without cable.
The Rams and the Bengals aren't expected to play many starters in today's preseason rematch of Super Bowl LVI, but players like rookie receiver Lance McCutcheon could secure roster spots with good performances.
Harry How/Getty Images
The NFL Network broadcasts most of the nationally televised preseason games, with one remaining game on CBS on Sunday.
Looking ahead to the regular season, CBS (and Paramount Plus) and Fox carry the games on Sundays, ESPN shows Monday Night Football, Prime Video shows Thursday Night Football and NBC (and Peacock) shows Sunday Night Football.
Here's the remaining NFL preseason TV schedule, with nationally televised games in bold. All times ET.
Week 3
Saturday, Aug. 27
Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons: 3 p.m. on NFL Network
Los Angeles Rams at Cincinnati Bengals: 6 p.m. on NFL Network
Washington Commanders at Baltimore Ravens: 7 p.m.
Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns: 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins: 7 p.m.
Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans: 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts: 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos: 9 p.m. on NFL Network
Sunday, Aug. 28
New York Giants at New York Jets: 1 p.m. on NFL Network
Detroit Lions at Pittsburgh Steelers: 4:30 p.m. on CBS
Four of the five major live TV streaming services carry NFL Network -- all but DirecTV Stream. All five carry ESPN and Fox, and all but Sling TV carry CBS. For the games on CBS and Fox, keep in mind that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries CBS and Fox in your area.
All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live-TV streaming services guide.
When you think of streaming TV shows and movies, there's a good chance that Netflix is comes to mind first. Though competition from rivals like HBO Max and Disney Plus is fierce, it's still the best choice for streaming entertainment, period.
Netflix includes a wide variety of familiar network shows and more original series, films, documentaries and specials than any of its myriad competitors. Despite challenges with retaining subscribers and a price bump, the world's first major streaming service remains our favorite choice thanks to its huge library of constantly refreshed content and its easy accessibility across different devices. In 2021, Netflix won 44 Emmys, making history and racking up more than the next two media companies combined. If you're looking for something new to watch, Netflix should be your top choice.
Like
Strong recommendation engine
Easy to use across different devices
Offline downloads available
Extensive list of movies and shows
Massive selection of original programs
No commercials
Don't Like
Cost for premium plans is on the higher end
Can't watch shows as they air on other networks
Depending on the plan you choose, Netflix costs between $10 and $20 per month, which is at the higher end for a streaming service, as you can see in the chart below. Its recent price increase shook up the streaming world and moved Netflix closer to HBO Max in terms of cost. However, the pricier package lets you watch up to four screens at once, and create different user profiles, so in theory, you could split it among friends to lower the price. Thanks to its sheer variety and number of new things to watch, Netflix also gives you the most bang for your buck.
Streaming Services Compared
Netflix
Peacock
HBO Max
Disney Plus
Apple TV Plus
Amazon Prime Video
Hulu
Monthly price
Starts at $9.99
Basic free with ads, ad-free for $5
$9.99 for basic with ads, $14.99 for ad-free
$7.99
$4.99
$8.99 (or included with $140/year Prime membership)
Basic $6.99 with ads, ad-free Premium for $12.99, Live TV for $70
The Office, 30 Rock, Bel-Air, early access to Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
Game of Thrones, Dune, Euphoria, DC titles
The Mandalorian, Loki, Encanto, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, CODA, Severance
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, Reacher, The Wheel of Time
Handmaid's Tale, Pen15, The Great, Bob's Burgers
Mobile downloads
Yes
Yes (Premium Plus plan)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
4K HDR available
Yes (on Premium plan)
No
Yes (limited titles)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Number of streams:
1 (2 for Standard, 4 on Premium)
3
3
4
6
2
2 (Unlimited with Live TV $9.99 add-on)
How Netflix started vs. how it's going
Between 2012-2013, Netflix premiered its first original TV shows, including Lilyhammer, House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. Today, it has a catalog of more than 1,500 original TV shows and movies, including global hits like Stranger Things, Emmy winners such as Bridgerton, The Queen's Gambit and The Crown, as well as Oscar-nominated movies such as The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick… Boom! and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Though the company's been known for its commercial-free streaming experience since its inception, there are plans to introduce an ad-supported tier before 2022 ends. Additionally, Netflix aims to crackdown on password sharing by charging a fee for extra users on an account. The program is still in the pilot phase, but the days of crowdfunding your Netflix subscription may soon be over.
As of 2022, Netflix has more than 220 million paid subscribers across 190 countries, after seeing a major spike in users during the pandemic. A dent in its subscriber base caused numbers to drop by 200,000, but there are still reasons to keep the service, with the main draw being its content.
What shows and movies does Netflix have?
Netflix may have had the first-to-market advantage in the world of streaming services, but it's kept its momentum with its increasing number of original shows and movies -- many of which have won critical acclaim and major awards and nominations.
Compared to other streaming platforms, you can't beat Netflix's slate of original TV shows that are now considered among the best of the modern era of television, including those mentioned above plus many more, such as Squid Game, Ozark, Never Have I Ever, Money Heist and Cobra Kai.
Read more: Netflix: The 49 Absolute Best TV Shows to Watch
Outside of TV shows, Netflix's original programs include a wide range of comedies, dramas, foreign films and shows, documentary series, anime, stand-up comedy specials and reality dating and competition shows. Not all of them are runaway hits, but many of them are, and there's enough to explore interesting shows that may not have found a home on traditional network TV. And at a time when going to the movies is more fraught than it once was, Netflix offers a place to find new films: In 2022 alone, Netflix is set to release over 100 new movies, at least one per week. The selection spans across genres and geography, and includes K-dramas, animated features, and fantasy book adaptations.
Stranger Things is one of Netflix's powerhouse originals.
Netflix
Netflix typically adds shows a full season at a time, though not while a show is airing on network TV -- so if you don't have cable or another platform like Hulu, you'll have to wait to watch for a few months to watch seasons in full.
One complaint: Netflix content sometimes can come and go without warning. The only way to tell if something is leaving the service in the next 30 days is if you happen to tap on the details page for the given show or movie -- or search online for everything coming and going in a given month.
Another potential content issue to flag: In recent years Netflix has lost some of its most popular content (such as The Office, which moved to NBC's Peacock, Daredevil, which moved to Disney Plus and Friends, which moved to HBO Max) as other networks created their own streaming services. While it started as an online video store that was trying to offer every movie and TV series online, it may be slowly becoming more akin to the old HBO -- mostly featuring its own original programming, complemented with some things it licenses from other companies.
What's it like to use Netflix?
I first subscribed to Netflix back in the first streaming days of 2007, so using the platform feels like second nature at this point. Even if you're new to it, it's pretty user-friendly: Open the app and tap on your profile (if you have one set up), and you'll see a homepage. You'll see Popular on Netflix, Continue Watching, Trending Now, Top Picks for you and a number of (sometimes oddly specific) other categories based on shows you've watched before. Mine include Critically-acclaimed Witty TV Comedies and Suburban-dysfunction TV Comedies, for example.
Netflix's design encourages scrolling -- there are so many different categories to look through, and then shows and movies within those categories to continue scrolling into. You can create a watch list to help you cut down on this, but the vast, colorful library makes it easy to spend more time looking through options than actually watching a show, so be careful.
The Netflix app operates similarly across various devices. My home page on the web browser is nearly identical to that on my Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV Stick, both in content and layout. It's more condensed on the smaller iPhone and Android phone screens, but still follows the same format, and has a clear "Downloads" tab to find content to save to watch offline on your device.
Rows and rows of content on Netflix can keep you busy.
James Martin/CNET
One difference between devices is voice commands: You might find it more or less difficult to fire up a Netflix show from your device's home screen depending on which voice-capable device you're using.
For example, when you say, "Watch Stranger Things" on the Apple TV and the iOS app on iPhone, it will first have you click which specific show (Stranger Things or Beyond Stranger Things), and then will take you to an Apple TV page for the show, and there it will give you the option to open Netflix and start episode 1. On Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can say, "Watch Stranger Things," and it will open Netflix automatically if you're logged into the app. On the Roku 4K stick, if you say, "Watch Stranger Things," it will take you right to the first episode in the app. Those are more hardware-side concerns, but interesting to note.
Once you're in the Netflix app, though, voice commands work the same across devices: Go to the Search tab, hold the microphone button to dictate, and say the name of the show you're looking for.
When you select a show or movie to watch, you have the option to fast-forward, rewind, add subtitles and change your audio settings. If you have a Premium account and a big enough 4K TV, watching in Ultra HD makes for a very cinematic experience. The show or movie you choose will also show up in your "Continue watching" section at the top of your homepage for easier access.
How much does Netflix cost?
Netflix offers three pricing plans: Basic, Standard and Premium. Here is how the costs and features break down:
Netflix plans
Basic
Standard
Premium
Monthly price
$10
$15.50
$20
Number of screens you can watch on at the same time
1
2
4
Number of phones or tablets you can have downloads on
1
2
4
HD available
No
Yes
Yes
Ultra HD available
No
No
Yes
All plans include the ability to watch on any device, and the full, unlimited collection of movies and TV shows. All allow cancellation at any time. Netflix also offers a one-month free trial.
Netflix's Basic plan costs more than Prime Video ($9 per month), more than Hulu's ad-based plan ($7 per month) but less than its more comparable no-ads plan ($13 per month). If you're on a shared Netflix account with family, chances are it's a Premium one ($20 per month) -- if you're actually splitting it between four people, that's only $5 per month each, and a strong value for all of the original content available, including some in 4K Ultra HD. Plus: No commercials on any plan.
What features do you get on Netflix?
Outside of general streaming, if you have the Standard or Premium plan, you can create different profiles for different users, and find your own list of personalized recommendations.
Netflix's recommendation game is strong, from "Because you watched" carousels that have been improved by the new "two thumbs up" feature, to the option to remove content from your home page, to its "Play Something" shuffle feature for when you're unsure what to stream.
The platform also has a particularly appealing kid's section, with a solid catalog of content including CoComelon, Pokemon: Master Journeys and Trolls: The Beat Goes On! and a much more kid-friendly user interface – including the mystery box feature added earlier this year.
If you subscribe to the Premium plan, you can watch certain shows and movies in 4K Ultra HD on 4K TVs. You'll need a steady internet connection speed of at least 25 megabits per second, and streaming quality set to Auto or High.
Netflix has more 4K content than just about any other streaming service, and a lot of its 4K shows and movies are also available in HDR. High dynamic range provides an even bigger improvement in image quality than 4K according to CNET's tests, with better contrast and color, and the difference is especially apparent on large, higher-end televisions. Netflix supports the two major HDR formats, generic HDR (aka HDR-10) as well as Dolby Vision. If you have a device that handles Dolby Vision, Netflix will play content (if available) in that format by default.
You can search for a selection of 4K TV shows and movies on the service with the Premium plan.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Data usage varies by format, ranging from about 1GB per hour for the standard-definition video to up to 7GB per hour for the highest-quality 4K streams. Downloading and streaming take up a similar amount of data, according to Netflix. If you want to avoid having Netflix eat up all of your data, you can take certain steps laid out on Netflix's website to adjust your data usage settings.
All subscribers can download TV shows and movies on the Netflix app on mobile devices for offline viewing, though certain titles aren't available to download.
Read more: 9 Handy Netflix Tricks That Can Help Make Streaming Better
Should you get it?
Netflix remains my favorite streaming platform of the increasingly large bunch. It has a huge selection of movies and TV shows old and new, tons of high-quality original programs, and an easy-to-navigate interface.
Even though it no longer offers a free trial, it's worth trying Netflix for a month if you want something new to watch.
Galaxy Watch 3 review: A stunning smartwatch with SpO2 tracking and ECG
Galaxy Watch 3 review: A stunning smartwatch with SpO2 tracking and ECG
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 3 has a lot working in its favor. It's one of the best-looking smartwatches out there, with a physical rotating bezel and bright, circular AMOLED display. It also brings new health and fitness tools such as a running coach, better sleep tracking than earlier models, blood oxygen monitoring and an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG). But at $399 (or higher) it's on the pricier end of the smartwatch spectrum, and battery life on the smaller version is disappointing.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Samsung aims for the ultimate Android watch
Looks go a long way with this watch
I was already a fan of the original Galaxy Watch with its round face and physical rotating bezel, and the Watch 3 looks even nicer. It has a bright, beautiful AMOLED screen that's easy to read even in broad daylight. It's also useful if you're on a run and need to quickly check your stats during a workout. The screen can always be on if you need it, although it'll cost you in the battery department (more on that later). I like navigating the interface with the rotating bezel instead of smudging the screen with my fingers.
Gazing at the Watch 3 on my wrist, I think it could almost pass for a traditional analog watch thanks to its classic design. The smaller bezels mean the screen is bigger than the original's even though the body of the watch has gotten smaller. It still bulges out from under the stainless-steel frame, however, making it thicker than I'd like and not as comfortable to wear at night as the Galaxy Watch Active.
I tried out the bronze 41mm version (the watch also comes in a 45mm size), with the tan-pink leather straps -- a welcome step up from the silicone straps on the original Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Active series. The bronze is a lot less flashy than the gold of the original Galaxy Watch, and it looks softer and more flattering on my wrist. If you're planning on using it for working out or swimming (or, in my case, bathing small children), you may want to invest in a sports strap as well. I can see the leather getting worn after a while due to frequent contact with water.
A staggered rollout of its health features
Aside from its looks, what really made the Galaxy Watch 3 stand out for me was its impressive list of new health features. It has ECG, an SpO2 app that measures oxygen saturation in the blood, a blood-pressure monitor, fall detection, advanced sleep tracking, period tracking and a detailed post-run analysis. But I have to admit I was a little skeptical as to whether Samsung could deliver on all of these promises. The Galaxy Watch Active 2, for example, also launched with an "ECG feature" which is still pending over a year later. The blood-pressure feature from the original Active was unreliable at best when we tested it and calibrated it against a blood-pressure cuff.
Samsung has since received FDA clearance for its ECG feature which can also screen for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), and rolled out the feature to both the Watch 3 and the Active 2. But blood pressure that's still pending FDA clearance in the US. (Blood pressure is only available in South Korea at the time of writing.)
Tracking blood oxygen levels on the Galaxy Watch 3
Samsung has had SpO2 tracking on past Galaxy devices like the S10, but I was excited to test it out on the watch to see how it had improved. Apple's new Apple Watch Series 6 also tracks blood oxygen levels on demand, while other smartwatches from Fitbit and Garmin use blood oxygen levels for sleep analysis or to determine VO2 max during exercise.
Tracking blood oxygen has become especially important during the coronavirus pandemic. People with COVID-19 can experience shortness of breath and serious dips in blood oxygen.
Doctors and hospitals use pulse oximeters placed on the tip of the index finger to measure blood oxygen levels, but these have become a hot commodity during the pandemic as many patients experiencing shortness of breath have turned to these small sensors to determine whether or not to head to the emergency room.
To test accuracy of the SpO2 app on the Galaxy Watch 3, I took a side-by-side reading using a medical-grade pulse oximeter and both gave results within a few points of each other (98 and 99). It also took a few minutes more to get a read on the Watch 3 and you have to position it correctly on your wrist for it to work.
Because my oxygen levels were within the healthy range, it's hard to know whether the Watch would be as accurate as the pulse oximeter in the lower ranges as well. It's also important to note that any watch or consumer tech device should only be used as a starting point, never in place of a physician and medical care.
Like its predecessor, the Watch 3 can monitor stress levels using your heart-rate data. The test takes a few seconds and requires you to keep your arm still. Once it has the information it needs, it'll grade levels on the stress spectrum and give you the option to go through a minute of breathing exercises to help get your rating down.
I took my stress test while on deadline writing this review and it detected very low levels, so I'm a bit skeptical about its accuracy.
It's also added menstrual cycle or period tracking: You enter the data in your watch and it syncs with the Samsung Health app, which can give you information about your next period and predicted fertility window. The feature isn't native to Samsung and is powered by the Glow app, which was already a relatively established name in the menstrual health tracking category and one I'd used before.
The other big health feature exclusive to the Galaxy Watch 3 is the trip-detection feature, which I hope I'll never need. If the watch detects that you're not moving after a hard fall, it immediately calls your emergency contact and shares your location. It's not on by default, so you'll have to set it up from the advanced settings option on the Watch 3 and designate an emergency contact. I tried activating it by falling on my bed a few times but I was unsuccessful. The Apple Watch (Series 4 and later) has a similar feature called fall detection that's actually saved lives.
CNET screenshot/Samsung
New ways to work out with the Galaxy Watch 3
Despite its dressed-up exterior, the Galaxy Watch 3 doubles as a fitness tracker. It tracks 40 different workouts, including swimming (both indoors and outdoors) and will automatically detect and track seven of those workouts. Within about 10 minutes of my starting my walk, I received a notification to start a workout and it gave me credit for the 10 minutes prior.
A heart-shaped dashboard shows you a breakdown of your active minutes, calories burned and stand time during the day compared with your target.
I took it on my usual 3-mile run alongside the San Francisco Bay without my phone, and I found it to be fairly accurate at displaying my distance, pace and heart rate.
You'll have to tweak the settings to display the information you want at a glance during your run, because the default doesn't include heart rate, which I personally like to have on hand. But I liked that it showed me a map of my run and a breakdown of my heart rate zones at the end of the run. It told me I had sustained my maximum heart rate for 2 minutes during the uphill portion of my run. You can also access this data after the fact on the Samsung Health app.
It also has a few bonus features for runners. The first is a running coach, the same one that debuted on the Active 2, which provides real-time feedback about pace and form during a run. Instead of starting a normal run, I selected the running coach on the watch and plugged in my earbuds. A robotic female voice told me to start my warmup. The voice gave me pace alerts throughout the run and generic tips about lengthening my stride and landing on the front of my feet instead of the heel. Be warned that using the running coach will drain the battery a lot faster than if you are tracking a regular run.
What's new to the Galaxy Watch 3 is a post-run analysis, with details including flight and contact time, asymmetry and stiffness to help identify areas of improvement. It's not as comprehensive as the data you'd get on a dedicated running watch such as the Garmin Forerunner, but it could help if you're training for a race or just looking to get more out of your usual route.
Apparently my "stiffness" needed improvement. Good to know, but it'd be nice to get this feedback live from the running coach so I could have adjusted during my run. It can also calculate your VO2 max, or maximum oxygen consumption during exercise, to give a sense of your overall fitness and tells you what your percentage is within your age group. This is the same metric you'd get if you were doing a VO2 max test in a lab on a stationary bike or treadmill, wearing a mask that measures oxygen exchange. I'm yet to compare them to determine whether or not the reading I got on the Galaxy Watch 3 was accurate.
Mitchell Chang/CNET
Another first on the Galaxy Watch 3 is a feature that lets you sync it with home workout videos you can control from your wrist. I wasn't really a home workout videos kind of person before March, but I think the global pandemic has made us all rethink how we exercise and I've since been doing a lot of Pilates and yoga classes on my TV. Having the workout on my wrist was a big step up from my usual routine.
I selected an abs program on the Health app, which consisted of three 15-minute workouts during the week, and was able to cast the first of the series on my Samsung TV and and follow along with my watch. The watch vibrated to let me know when it was time to move on to the next exercise and let me pause with a press of the button when I had to readjust my position. Plus it gave me the appropriate calorie credit at the end of it (or at least what I think is appropriate based on similar previous workouts).
This is not the first watch to offer training prompts from your wrist: Fitbit's Premium account gives workout videos that sync with the Versa, and there are third-party workout apps for the Apple Watch. But it's nice that Samsung offers it natively and for free. My one complaint is that the workout I chose had the same robotic woman's voice as the running coach guiding me through the workouts -- and let's just say she's not exactly motivating when you're trying to hold a plank for 60 seconds.
Sleep tracking finally makes sense on the Galaxy Watch 3
One of my biggest complaints about the sleep tracking feature on the original Galaxy Watch was that it provided little context about your sleep habits, especially for if you don't know much about sleep to begin with.
The Watch 3 has learned a lot from the mistakes of its predecessors, and now gives a more comprehensive look at your night. It gives you a full breakdown of the stages of sleep (light, REM, deep), and compares yours with a normal range. It also gives you a score based on these factors.
I've never found the score to be helpful, but having the context of seeing my data compared with a normal range helped me figure out how to get the most out of my sleep. While my total sleep time was good, I found I wasn't spending much time in "deep" sleep compared with what's typical. I tried going to bed an hour earlier, and though my total sleep time didn't change, I was able to extend my deep sleep time and felt more rested in the morning.
Samsung
The basic smartwatch features, but no MST for Samsung Pay
I tested the Galaxy Watch 3 with an iPhone 11 Pro and a Galaxy S20 Ultra and, while it worked well on both, some of its features, which include text responses and mobile payments, are only available for Android users. The Watch runs on Samsung's own Tizen operating system, which is easy to navigate and offers a lot more customization than some of its competitors. You can set widgets and rearrange apps right from the watch screen.
You can type, scribble, dictate or doodle a response and take calls from your wrist. It doesn't have a huge selection of third-party apps (Spotify and Strava are among the few), but it does receive notifications from most of them including Facebook, WhatsApp and even CNET news alerts.
With Spotify you get full music control, offline listening for Premium subscribers and streaming over LTE (you'll pay about $50 more for the cellular version of the Galaxy Watch 3).
The Galaxy Watch 3 has Samsung Pay, but sadly it's NFC-only and the feature will only work at NFC-enabled terminals. The Galaxy phones and Gear S3 have MST technology so you can use them for contactless payment at nearly all credit card terminals with a magnetic strip.
Battery life is disappointing
Samsung says the battery on the Galaxy Watch 3 will last for up to two days, which it can, but there are a few caveats. For starters, this claim only applies to the larger 45mm version of the watch. I tested the smaller, 41mm version and Samsung says this size will last closer to a day and a half with "normal use." As always, mileage may vary depending on how you intend to use it.
With the always on display set to auto brightness, tracking a full night of sleep and taking it on a 30-minute jog (without my phone) I only just made it to the 24-hour mark.
The watch offers some battery-saving tips including turning off the always-on feature, limiting the screen timeout and turning off location data. I made those changes and the watch lasted a day and a half when I didn't have time for a run and had the always-on screen off, but I feel like those features should be factored into Samsung's claim.
I was also disappointed to find that the watch doesn't come with its own USB wall adapter, just a cable with the magnetic charging puck, but the upside is that you can charge it on any Qi compatible wireless charger, or get a quick boost on the go using the Power Share feature on Samsung's Galaxy phones (S10 or later).
A good-looking smartwatch with great potential
The Galaxy Watch 3 has come a long way in terms of its features and user experience. Starting at $400 for the base 41mm model, you're getting a premium-looking smartwatch that can finally keep up as a fitness tracker. But the Watch 3 won't feel fully finished until it can deliver on all of its health features.
If you're not too attached to the design, or the physical bezel, you might also consider the Galaxy Watch Active 2, which shares a lot of the same features for about $200 less.
