Google Pixel Watch 3: One-minute review
The Google Pixel Watch has always been a sleek, modern—maybe even beautiful—smartwatch. It stands out in an incredibly crowded market with a build that looks like a polished pebble, simple controls, and a comfortable feel on the wrist.
However, it’s only been available in one size for two generations and has always been far from a full-fledged Fitbit replacement. That changes with the third-generation Pixel Watch, and after strapping both the 41mm and 45mm Pixel Watch 3 to my wrist, I can say it’s a pretty big jump.
That’s right: The Pixel Watch now comes in two sizes: There’s still the 41mm model, which was the only option on the Pixel Watch 1 and 2, and a much larger 45mm model called the Pixel Watch 3 XL.
I’ve spent some time hands-on with both the 41mm and 45mm watches, so here I’ll share my first impressions and briefly touch on the wealth of new health and fitness features that are on their way to your wrist.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Price and availability
Because the Pixel Watch 3 comes in two sizes, pricing is a little more complicated than in years past. Like the previous Pixel Watch 2, the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi costs $349/£349 (we’re still waiting for Google to announce Australian pricing and will add it when we do), while you’ll pay $449/£449 more for cellular connectivity. The 45mm Pixel Watch 3 starts at $399/£399 and goes up to $499/£499 for the enhanced connectivity.
Both sizes are available in matte black or polished silver; the 41mm is also available in champagne gold and the 45mm in matte hazelnut. Whichever size and model you choose, you’ll also get six months of Fitbit Premium for free. All variants of the Pixel Watch 3 are available for pre-order now, with shipping and on-sale dates set for September 10.
A modern, slim design now in two sizes
Like the Galaxy Watch 7 and Apple Watch Series 9, Google now lets you choose between two sizes. There’s a smaller 41mm Pixel Watch and a larger 45mm Pixel Watch, both with the same circular design and a dial on the right edge. It’s the classic Pixel Watch design, including the band mechanism on the box that makes removing and replacing watch bands unnecessarily difficult.
The Actua display now extends closer to the very edge, even at the smaller 41mm, so it can show you more. It’s also brighter, which makes reading text on a screen much easier – the same goes for pressing touch buttons like numbers on the calculator or buttons on a widget, for example to select a type of workout to track. Both displays are LTPO AMOLED, which allows the display to refresh at a rate between 1Hz and 60Hz.
I think I still prefer the 41mm size, but Google didn’t just make a bigger watch for the sake of it. The 45mm Pixel Watch 3 will perhaps have more super users or those who want to do more from their wrist, and it will be interesting to see how developers optimize the extra screen real estate.
Regardless of size, the Pixel Watch 3 is made from 100% recycled aluminum and colors vary slightly depending on size. The 41mm Pixel Watch 3 is available in matte black, polished silver, or champagne gold, while the 45mm version will be available in matte hazelnut, matte black, or polished silver.
The Pixel Watch 3 is powered by the Qualcomm SW5100, which has a Cortex coprocessor and 2GB of RAM. That’s a lot of technical jargon, but the key takeaway is that while the watch doesn’t use Google’s powerful Tensor processor, both sizes felt pretty snappy in my brief demo. Plus, you get a clean version of WearOS 5 out of the box.
In terms of health and fitness features, there’s still a sensor stack on the back that looks sleek and supports all the expected features: daily activity and workout tracking, sleep tracking, blood oxygen or SpO2 tracking, heart rate, and the ability to record an electrocardiogram, among others.
Some features are made possible by integration with Fitbit. It seems Google wants to compete with the run tracking abilities of a Garmin or Galaxy Watch, so you can now create multiple routines (specifically for this type of workout) with custom metrics you want to achieve, like heart rate, pace, distances, and intervals. As you go through the workout, you’ll be notified if you’re ahead or behind on a metric, which is pretty cool. After your run, your workout data is processed by an AI to provide details including your vertical oscillation, cadence, and stride length. You can view this on your wrist or in the companion app on your Android phone.
Fitbit Premium members can also compete against past workouts and the metrics you set, just like a Galaxy Watch. The watch also takes this data into account when recommending your daily activities. All Pixel Watch buyers have this option for at least the first six months, and you can cancel the subscription before the end of the free trial if you find you’re not using premium features like these.
Not just for Premium members: Your Daily Readiness Score delivered each day will be more accurate as it takes into account more than just workouts and activity goals. It now factors in sleep, heart rate (active and resting) and variability to paint a better picture. Along with this score, you’ll get a daily recommended cardio load that can help you decide which workouts to start or when to ease off.
I’m excited to try out Fitbit’s Morning Brief, which reminds me of the Oura Ring or Samsung Health. Essentially, you get a notification with your key activity metrics on your wrist. It just summarizes everything in one place, points out any issues — maybe not getting enough sleep or a change in heart rate — and adds in timely information like the weather or an important meeting.
Of course, Google isn’t just working on Fitbit’s health and activity features, but also on its first-party applications. There will be a new interface for Nest devices that will notably let you see a feed from your doorbell when it rings or activity is detected on a connected camera.
Finally, there’s always the question of battery life. On the 41mm or 45mm Pixel Watch 3, Google promises 24 hours of battery life with the always-on display enabled, or up to 36 hours in extreme power saving mode, which turns off the always-on display but keeps other features like health tracking active. We’ll have to test this and see how long it lasts, as well as a new bedtime detection mode that automatically turns off the always-on feature.
