Smartwatch vs Smart Band Under Rs. 15,000: CMF Watch 3 Pro vs Huawei Band 11 Pro

For years, the smartwatch vs. smart band debate has been going on, and the choice was pretty straightforward. But things have changed. Smart bands are more capable than ever, while affordable smartwatches now offer many of the same health and fitness features. So, at around NPR 15,000, choosing between the two isn’t as simple as it used to be, as the lines between them are increasingly blurred. 

So, which one actually makes more sense at this price? I wanted to answer that by putting two of the strongest options in this segment head-to-head: the Huawei Band 11 Pro and the CMF Watch 3 Pro. I’ve been using both for nearly two weeks, testing their features and comparing their health and fitness data with my Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro. Using them side by side revealed some interesting differences. 

So, let’s get into it….

CMF Watch 3 Pro vs Huawei Band 11 Pro: Specifications

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CMF Watch 3 Pro vs Huawei Band 11 Pro:

Design 

Starting with the design, the CMF Watch 3 Pro is definitely the bigger and more noticeable of the two. I found it a little difficult to match with some of my outfits, especially since I wear formals quite often. The larger case, particularly with the orange strap, doesn't really go with everything. One of my friends even called it a bit “cartoonish.”

The Huawei Band 11 Pro, on the other hand, is much more subtle. It's small, simple, and light enough that I could just put it on and forget about it. Both felt sturdy enough for daily use, but the Band 11 Pro was noticeably more comfortable to wear while sleeping, mainly because of its smaller and lighter design.

So, I wouldn't really pick a winner here. The CMF gives you that bigger, bolder smartwatch look, while the Band 11 Pro is much more subtle and comfortable. Ultimately, it comes down to what you prefer.

Display

Moving on to the display, you'd normally expect the smartwatch to have the larger screen. But despite their completely different designs, both give you plenty of screen space for everyday use. The CMF Watch 3 Pro has a 1.43-inch circular AMOLED display, while the Huawei Band 11 Pro has a 1.62-inch AMOLED display with a longer, rectangular shape.

In actual use, I had no major complaints with either display. Both get bright enough for outdoor use, and even in direct daylight, I could easily read notifications. Both also come with automatic brightness, which was really helpful for adjusting the screen to different lighting conditions. I did notice one small issue with the CMF, though: emojis don't show up properly in notifications, which wasn't an issue on the Band 11 Pro.

But both displays have their own advantages. The CMF's round screen gives it that proper smartwatch look, and the crown also makes scrolling through the UI feel quite natural. The Band 11 Pro's longer screen, on the other hand, feels a bit more practical for reading notifications and other information. So, after using both, I'd call this one a tie as well.

Health & Fitness Tracking

This was probably the section that took me the most time because I wanted to see how these two actually performed in real-world use. The overall results were mostly what I expected, but I did notice a few interesting differences.

Starting with the basics, both come with the usual health features like heart rate, SpO₂, stress, sleep, and multiple sports modes. I tested most of these during my usage and compared the results with my more expensive Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro as a reference point.

Another thing I really like about both of these is the built-in GPS. I'm honestly a big fan of having GPS on the device at this price, especially when you're going out for a run or a walk, since you don't have to carry your phone just to track your route.

So, let's start with the CMF Watch 3 Pro.

Looking at the numbers above, the overall distance recorded by the CMF Watch 3 Pro was pretty close to the GT 6 Pro, which was a good sign. Its location tracking was also pretty solid, and I didn't notice any major issues with the recorded routes.

The heart-rate readings were also fairly close to the GT 6 Pro, so I was happy with those results. Steps were where I noticed the biggest difference, though. The CMF was almost always showing lower numbers than the GT 6 Pro. This wasn't just a one-off either. I compared them multiple times, and the same pattern kept showing up.

Sleep Tracking - CMF Watch 3 Pro

Sleep tracking was also a bit of a hit or miss. Most of the time, the reported sleep duration was reasonably close, but I did come across a few outliers where the CMF showed that I had slept for much longer than I actually did.

So, while the CMF did reasonably well in most areas, sleep tracking wasn't quite as consistent as I would have liked. But before reaching a verdict, let's see how the Huawei Band 11 Pro performed.

Now, the Huawei Band 11 Pro actually impressed me quite a bit. During my testing, its readings were more consistent and often quite close to what I was seeing on the GT 6 Pro. Compared to the CMF, I found the Band 11 Pro to be more reliable overall, especially for everyday health and fitness tracking.

Sleep is also one area where the Band 11 Pro did pretty well. As you can see from the data, the bedtime and wake-up times were quite close to what I got on the GT 6 Pro, while the overall sleep duration was also similar.

However, there were still some differences in the deep sleep, light sleep, and REM sleep breakdown. Overall, the Band 11 Pro did a pretty good job, but at this price, you can't really expect everything to be perfect.

Health & Fitness Verdict…

After looking at all the data, the choice is pretty simple for me. If health and fitness tracking were my main priority, I'd go with the Huawei Band 11 Pro. Its readings felt more consistent, and I simply felt more confident relying on it for day-to-day tracking.

What Do You Miss Out on With the Band 11 Pro Compared to the CMF Watch 3 Pro?

The biggest things you miss out on with the Band 11 Pro are Bluetooth calling, the built-in speaker, and extras like Essential News, which gives you quick updates directly on the watch.

The Band handles calls, notifications, and alarms through vibration, and honestly, I preferred its vibration motor. The CMF's vibration motor felt a little cheap and annoying during calls, while the Band's felt much more solid.

Other than that, I didn't really miss much. I usually just use my watch to see who's calling and then take the call on my phone anyway, so Bluetooth calling was never a big deal for me.

App Experience

The CMF Watch 3 Pro uses the Nothing X app, and pairing the watch was really easy. The app itself is clean and easy to navigate, and I also liked the home screen, which has that familiar Nothing Phone-inspired design.

I did run into one annoying issue, though. Sometimes the data recorded on the watch didn't sync properly to the app. There's also no manual sync option, so when it failed to sync automatically, I couldn't force it to update. That was frustrating.