Google Pixel Watch 3 preview: third time's the charm, eh?
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Pixel Watch 3 Intro
Here we go again
The Pixel Watch 3 is Google's third attempt at a smartwatch, capable enough to proudly join the Pixel family line. Now, while that phrasing may come off as if the original Pixel Watch and the Pixel Watch 2 were failures, that wasn't the case. They just left us — and many other Pixel and smartwatch fans — wanting more. Which is exactly why the Pixel Watch 3 is all about iteration and not re-invention. Kind of like the Pixel 9 line-up that it launched alongside with, when you think about it.
Google listened: the Pixel Watch 3 is, in short, more capable, better optimized and at least a bit more customizable (we'll need more time with the device to confirm that, to be honest). The watch now comes in two sizes: the familiar 41mm and the all-new 45mm size for those of us with bigger hands. It also comes out-of-the-box with Wear OS 5.0, which is based on Android 14. Now, combine all of that with the dual-chip design of the Pixel Watch 3 and this becomes the go-to smartwatch for Google fans.
Now, all that being said: the price range of the Pixel Watch 3 is quite competitive. The Galaxy Watch 7 and the Garmin Venu 3, or even the Apple Watch Gen 9 make up the crowd in which the Pixel Watch 3 will have to stand out. You already saw the title and know the question that this review poses, but I'll be honest with you: I'm rooting for the Pixel Watch 3. Its pebble-style design looks unique even years later and, come on: it's made by the guys that make Android. It has to be good, right?
What’s new:
- A new 45mm size option, alongside the classic 41mm
- A dual-chip architecture, improving both performance and battery life
- An eye-catching Actua display, capable of going from 1 nit all the way to 2000 nits of brightness
- An extensive suite of workout options with an emphasis on running
- New, helpful features that aim to contribute to your daily routine
- Sweet Pixel-exclusive functions such as the ability for the Pixel Watch 3 to act as a Google TV remote
- Digital Key capabilities showing potential for a lot of cool tech-trickery in the future
Table of Contents:
Also read:
- Google Pixel Watch 3 vs Apple Watch Series 10: Expected differences
- Google Pixel Watch 3 vs Pixel Watch 2: What's changed?
Pixel Watch 3 Specs, Models and Prices
Some really cool new upgrades!
Image credit — Google
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is available in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm, both of which will be available in WiFi and Wi-Fi and LTE options. The only difference between the two models, beyond size and weight, is battery size, but battery life is expected to be about the same for both.
| Specs | Watch Series |
|---|---|
| Models (Size, Weight, Prices) | 41mm / 45mm, both in Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular versions |
| Processor, RAM, Storage | Qualcomm SW5100 combined with a Cortex M33 co-processor, 2GB of SDRAM and 32GB of storage |
| Software | Wear OS 5.0, based on Android 14 |
| Battery and Charging | - 45mm: 420mAh - 41mm: 306 mAh 24 hours with Always On Display (AOD) 36 hours with Battery Saver enabled Charging speeds: - 41mm: 24 minutes to 50%, 35 mins. to 80% and 60 mins. to 100% - 45mm: 28 minutes to 50%, 50 mins. to 80% and 80 mins. to 100% |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth® 5.3, 4G LTE and UMTS3, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz, 5GHz, NFC, GPS |
| Sensors | Compass, Altimeter, Red and infrared sensors, SpO2 monitoring, ECG, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Ambient light sensor, Electrical sensor, Skin temperature sensor, Barometer, Magnetometer |
| Durability | Custom 3D Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5 5ATM certification, allowing for dives up to 50m in depth IP68 rating deems the Pixel Watch 3 completely dustproof and capable of withstanding being submerged for long period of time, in clean water |
| New features | Dual-chip architecture, Actua display, Extensive workout suite, Helpful features, Pixel-exclusive functions, Digital Key capabilities |
Nope, you are not seeing double: those are two chips listed under the CPU slot in the table above. This is because the Pixel Watch 3 has a two-chip structure, which we're happy to see is becoming more prevalent in the industry. If you haven't heard about it before, think of it in the following way: you've got a bigger, more capable processor in charge of demanding tasks such as running apps and displaying fancy animations and then you've got a smaller, more efficient chip in charge of all the things that are going on in the background like telling the time and keeping track of all of the smartwatch's sensors.
Great! Now, here's why that's cool: it means that watches like the Pixel Watch 3 need to spend less time trying to be adaptive in terms of Battery Capacity. This architecture allows the watch to practically not use the Qualcomm chip when it is not required. What that means for you is that you may be able to enjoy longer battery life, especially given that the Pixel Watch 3 runs Wear OS 5.0 out of the box.
Great! Now, here's why that's cool: it means that watches like the Pixel Watch 3 need to spend less time trying to be adaptive in terms of Battery Capacity. This architecture allows the watch to practically not use the Qualcomm chip when it is not required. What that means for you is that you may be able to enjoy longer battery life, especially given that the Pixel Watch 3 runs Wear OS 5.0 out of the box.
Pixel Watch 3 Design, Sizes and Bands
Déjà vu, sort of, but that's a good thing
Have you seen a Pixel Watch? Well, then you've practically seen them all. But that's great, actually! Despite all the criticism that Google's smartwatch line received for its performance and quirks, everyone pretty much loved the pebble-shaped design of the smartwatch. And that is completely valid for the Pixel Watch 3 too, with one major difference: you can get it in a 45mm size too. Yay!
The Pixel Watch 3, in both sizes, is made of 100% recycled aluminum and available in three color options:
- Matte Black with an Obsidian active band
- Polished Silver with a Porcelain active band
- Matte Hazel with a Hazel active band
On the topic of bands, it seems like all Pixel Watch 3 models will come with two sizes of bands in the box: a small and a large one. Now, however, we've got two general sizes too, so that makes for a total of four band sizes. Here's a quick summary of that:
Image credit — Google
For the 45mm Pixel Watch 3:
- The small active band fits wrists of 150 to 185mm in diameter
- The large active band is a better fit for wrists with sizes of 165 to 215mm
- The small band will fit wrists of 130 to 175mm
- The larger band will be a great pick for those between 165 and 210mm
Now, all bands will use the Pixel Watch's proprietary system, which means three things:
- Bands from Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 will work on the 41mm
- The Metal Slim and Metal Mesh bands will not be compatible on the OG Pixel Watch
- None of the accessories for the Pixel Watch 3 in 45mm will be compatible with any previous model for hopefully obvious reasons
Oh, and all Active Bands are made of Fluoroelastomer with soft-touch coating. Neat! But while on the topic of differences, let's specify another one related to weight:
- Pixel Watch 3, 45mm weighs in at about 37g
- Pixel Watch 3, 41mm weighs around 31g
And that sounds fair, as a difference of about 5,5 grams is unlikely to be bothersome when the smartwatch is strapped on to your wrist. Here's what you may notice though: the height of 12.3mm, which is universal for all sizes. This effectively makes the Pixel Watch 3 one of the thickest tech gadgets of recent. Here's a quick comparison:
Thickness comparison in milimeters:
- Pixel Watch 3: 12.3mm
- Galaxy Watch 7: 9.7mm
- Galaxy Watch Ultra: 12.1mm
- Garmin Venu 3: 12mm
- Apple Watch 9: 10.7mm
Now, this isn't too much of an issue, because the Pixel Watch 3 is a looker, no questions about it, especially with that bright Actua display. Folks like me, however, who have picked up bashing their smartwatches against doors, door handles and, of course: door frames as a hobby, should keep this one in mind. After all: a more protruding smartwatch practically guarantees better critical hit ratios against doors of almost any varieties, regardless of region.
Before we wrap up the section, I won't be able to fall asleep if I don't comment on this: the Pixel Watch 3 is the latest in a series of great devices, released by Google in frankly bland and uninspired colors. I get it: white and black are a given, people love them. But I'm still waiting for the day when Google lets us pick up a bright, vibrant device from the Pixel line.
Pixel Watch 3 Software & Features
I hope you're into running
Image credit — Google
The Pixel Watch 3 comes with Wear OS 5.0 out of the box and that's great! Wear OS 5 is based on Android 14, and if Upside Down Cake was ever good at something, it was performance optimization. Now, allow me to explain that in human: if all of the stars align, Wear OS 5 should provide a notable improvement in both performance and durability for the Pixel Watch 3, even if the battery cell inside isn't that bigger from it's predecessors.
That being said, we will need to spend quite a lot of time with the Pixel Watch 3 in order to confirm that, but it is safe to say that we expect it to impress us more than the Pixel Watch 2.
The Pixel Watch 3 will work with any Android phone with Android 10 and above. Since iPhones don't come with Android, but with iOS instead, this means that the Pixel Watch 3 will remain an Android landscape exclusive for the time being. Sorry, Apple fans!
The Pixel Watch 3 has two sets of unique features, which set it apart from other Android smartwatches:
- Helpfulness (no, really, that's what Google is calling it)
- Pixel-exclusive stuff, highlighting the smartwatch's namesake
Here are some examples that are worth noting:
- You will be able to see your Nest doorbell's feed from your wrist via the Pixel Watch 3
- The Pixel Watch 3 will be able to act as a Digital Key, enabling you to unlock your Pixel 9 Pro phone
- The Pixel Watch 3 will let you use it as a substitute for your Google TV remote
- The Pixel Watch 3 will support the acclaimed Pixel Recorder app
Workout features
Image credit — Google
"The Pixel Watch 3 supports offline Maps" is a sentence that I'd love to be able to share, but the feature is locked behind the Workout category, and you know what that means: it's not what you expected. But hey: it's cool that it's here. And "here", by the way, is where tons upon tons of other fitness features live too.
I won't touch upon the myriad — or 40, to be precise — of workout modes: all of us know to expect those at this point. What we really want to find out is weather the Pixel Watch 3 will be good at detecting when a workout has started and then: when it's over too, but we'll need some more time to test that out, so stay tuned.
What I will touch on, however, is the Pixel Watch 3's emphasis on Running. Google claims that this is the most popular type of cardio workout and even without them quoting any sources, I can imagine that would be the case.
And this is where the concept of "offline maps" comes in: the Pixel Watch 3 will enable you to plan your routes ahead of time, so that the smartwatch can navigate you through said route. The cool part? Even if you go under the radar for a bit and you lose connectivity, the Pixel Watch 3 should be able to memorize where you're going, get you there and then back.
The bummer? Well, you can't exactly customize or explore via the Pixel Watch 3 itself. I mean, I have to ask the question here: if Google decided to make Running as central as it is on the Pixel Watch 3 based on popularity, couldn't the team also have noticed how many people want a native Maps app that is at least somewhat elaborate? Food for thought.
In any case, we'll need time to test how well this one works for sure. But in concept, albeit limited, this is a great feature for joggers.
The Pixel Watch 3 also introduces a suite of three new features, all about helping you figure out if you're ready to train, when to go at it hard and when to rest. The best part? All three of these don't require an active Fitbit premium subscription, but they do require the Fitbit app to be installed on your phone.
Which, in turn, now means that Pixel Watch 3 owners will have to install at least two apps to get this thing going. Not the most... elegant solution, but sure.
- Readiness score: this one basically gobbles up historical data from past days, during which you've had the Pixel Watch 3 strapped on, in order to tell you how ready you are for your next workout. We will certainly need more time to gauge how accurate this one is, but here's something that caught my attention: this metric isn't adaptive. Meaning that your morning Readiness score will stay the same throughout that day, regardless of what activities you partake in and will only change when the time for the next evaluation comes. Now, I must ask, what if I get a perfect readiness score in the morning, but by the time I'm ready to train, let's say: in the afternoon, I've actually tired myself out, but... My score still indicates that I'm primed to go hard at it today? Again, more food for thought.
- Cardio Load: Are you ready to step up your game and gains? The Pixel Watch 3 will utilize this one to help you do exactly that. Those of us who are into the casual side of fitness won't have much to do here, but for everyone else, who is interested in tracking all potential details about their performance are probably going to love it.
- Target Load: Now this is a feature that everyone, invested in their health, could take advantage of. This one basically builds a personalized Target for you, while taking into consideration what you've been doing lately. This includes late night outings or a bad sleep schedule, for example. In short: the Pixel Watch 3 won't aim to push you when your body isn't ready, but will rather advise you to take some time to rest. Let's be honest: we've all made that one bad judgement call once and overdone it, only to be in pain for the next week, so this one has a lot of potential, in my opinion. And I sort of wish I had access to it a week ago.
Now, all of that and more will join forces on the daily to create your Fitbit Morning Brief. This is a customized daily digest, dedicated to giving you the TL;DR on your health and targets each morning. It will also spurt out reminders to plan your runs out and even give you extra tips like weather warnings or, hopefully rarely, reports of irregular health activity.
This, to me, sounds a bit intrusive, because it sort of assumes that I'm into smartwatches for the fitness game, which isn't at all the case for everyone out there. I like tech because tech is cool and inspiring, not because it helps me work out better (which isn't even necessarily the case). That being said, I will need more time with this feature before I make my final judgement call.
Sleep tracking
Auto Bedtime Mode is the big new addition that is loosely related to this category. What does it do? Well, basically it utilizes sleep data to help the Pixel Watch 3 figure out when you're asleep. When you are, it takes advantage of its dual-chip architecture to enter a Battery Saving mode that doesn't compromise sleep tracking, but ensures that your Pixel Watch 3 will be alive and kickin' to greet you with that Fitbit Morning Brief the next day.
The big question here is "with how much battery will that happen" and the response will come as soon as we've got a more exact estimate for you guys.
Health features
On the surface, the Pixel Watch 3 brings the usual in terms of health tracking: it tracks heart rate and SpO2 levels and it has a bunch of sensors to track more stuff, though availability is highly probably going to differ, depending on region.
The Big G hasn't taken the time to highlight any outstanding health tracking capabilities, but given the upgraded specs, the Pixel Watch 3 will probably be more exact than it's siblings. There might be new goodies hidden away in the UI, but we'll need our test unit to arrive in order to tell you more on that front.
Pixel Watch 3 Battery and Charging
An expectedly notable improvement
The Pixel Watch 3 will be able to act as a remote shutter, extending to Pixel-exclusive camera modes. | Image credit — Google
The Pixel Watch 3's two models are identical in all manners, but size and battery size. To be more specific:
The Pixel Watch 3 in 45mm:
- 420mAh battery
- Needs 28 minutes to get to 50%
- Takes about 50 mins. to reach 80%
- 80 mins. are required to juice it up to 100%
The Pixel Watch 3 in 41mm:
- 306 mAh
- Will need 24 minutes to get to 50%
- Requires your patience for 35 mins. to get to 80%
- Will ask an hour of your time in order to reach 100%
Despite that, however, both are noted as being capable to last up to 24 hours with the Pixel Watch 3's Always On Display toggled to active and up to 36 hours when in Battery Saver turned on.
How much of that matches the reality of experience? Well, we'll let you know when we find out, but judging from specs alone: it makes sense that the Pixel Watch 3 would be the most durable of the line yet.
The Pixel Watch 3 doesn't come with an included charger and Google has one on offer, if you don't have any old USB-C compatible brick on hand. If you're already have a charger for your Pixel phone, then it's highly likely that it will be compatible with the Pixel Watch 3 charging puck as well.
Google advises usage of a 30W charger, but since the USB-C cable won't be take full advantage of it, I think that anything between 12W and 30W should do nicely.
The game plan that Google is aiming for seems to be the following:
- Wear the Pixel Watch 3
- Sleep with it
- Let it greet you with its morning digest
- Charge it up just before heading off
Which repeats the classical conundrum: do I charge it overnight and miss out on sleep tracking or do I risk having enough battery throughout the day? Because, let's be honest: none of us want to carry another charger in our bags. It would've been great if the Pixel Watch 3 supported reverse wireless charging at least as a Pixel exclusive, however that is still not the case yet.
Pixel Watch 3 Competitors
Seems crowded, but not really
Image credit — PhoneArena
The Pixel Watch 3 is joining the fray among some pretty interesting competitors. Instantly, the following smartwatches come to mind, so I'm listing off our reviews for them below:
And while at it, you should check out our comparisons too:
- Pixel Watch 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Responding to probably one of the most often asked questions of 2024
- Pixel Watch 3 vs Garmin Venu 3: One of these watches should be taking notes from the other. Can you guess which one and on what front?
- Pixel Watch 3 XL vs Galaxy Watch Ultra: So, how does the Pixel Watch 3 compare to an Ultra-grade product?
On the surface, it may seem like a tough choice, but if you know what type of user you are, you should have a pretty easy time deciding which smartwatch is best for you. Right from the get-go: if you are an Apple fan, the Pixel Watch isn't compatible with iPhones, so that makes things easier for some of you. For the ones remaining, ask yourselves the following questions:
A) Do you value battery life above all else? If yes, then the Garmin Venu 3 is possibly the better fit for you.
B) Does customization play a huge part in why you have a smartwatch? If so, then you'll probably like the Galaxy Watch 7 more than the Pixel Watch 3.
Since the Pixel Watch 3 will be available in two models and each will have two variants, that makes for a total of four price tags you need to keep in mind:
Pixel Watch 3, 45mm:
- $349 for the Wi-Fi model
- $449 for the Wi-Fi + LTE model
Pixel Watch 3, 41mm:
- $399 for the Wi-Fi variant
- $449 for the Wi-Fi + LTE variant
Pixel Watch 3 Summary
Have you always wanted a Pixel Watch?
I mean, what other watch lets you check your door from your wrist? | Image credit — Google
So, the popular saying, included in the title, comes partially true. Third time is the charm, in some aspects, for sure: the Pixel Watch 3 makes for a notable upgrade in the specs department and in terms of features. And the Pixel Watch 3 can look great on bigger hands too, finally!
If you're into sports tracking — especially running — and you like the way the Pixel Watch 3 looks, it will likely end up on your list, and for good reason. The extra modes and tips could really make it or break it, depending on the type of user you are.
Pixel fans finally have some exclusive functionality to look forward to too, but I'll be honest: it's a bit lackluster. Hopefully, Google will carry over it's rich Pixel Drop tradition to the Pixel Watch 3 soon too, as that will surely make the watch a more lucrative option for long time Pixel fans.
Beyond that? Not much out of the ordinary. Those who pick out smartwatches as a fashion statement don't have much to look forward to in terms of customization, especially with Google's bland color options. And if you're not deep into health or fitness tracking, the Pixel Watch 3 doesn't offer much to make it an enticing enough consideration against the competitors in the current techscape.
As of now, it seems like if you buy a Pixel Watch 3, you're highly likely to enjoy it. But if you aren't getting it for it's unique, dedicated features, you're just as likely to enjoy just about any other smartwatch from the same price range too. And we'll make sure to let you know if we still feel the same way in our full review of Google's latest smartwatch.
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