With the third-generation Pixel Watch, Google aims to perfect an already valuable product. Even with its solid foundation, the Pixel Clock 3 features notable improvements in both hardware and software, with a larger, brighter Actua display and improved health and fitness tracking capabilities. With these advancements, is the Pixel Watch still among the best smartwatches or has Google made very few changes to improve the user experience? Let’s find out:
Visualization and design
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The Pixel Watch 3 looks similar to its predecessor, with a round, pebble-shaped face and an all-glass front design that gives the illusion of a curved infinity display. However, the screen is still mostly flat and the bezels take up much of the curved space. While Google claims the screen is slightly larger than the Pixel Watch 2, the difference is barely noticeable. What stands out is the significantly higher maximum brightness; The Pixel Watch 3 features a maximum brightness of 2000 nits, which can drop to 1 nit when always-on display (AOD) is enabled.
During the test cycle, I encountered no problems reading the screen in direct sunlight and the AOD did not disturb my sleep when wearing the watch at night. The display supports a refresh rate of up to 60Hz, which is enough for smooth operation on a small screen. However, the smaller size of the 41mm variant (review unit) can make certain tasks, such as typing a reply to a message, a challenge.
Like its dimensions, the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 weighs the same as its predecessor. The watch feels light on the wrist and is comfortable to wear all day long. The aluminum casing, combined with the soft silicone strap, improves comfort during prolonged use. The watch stays securely in place without slipping much, even during workouts. Plus, Google includes an extra watch band in the box for those with larger wrists.
For added durability, Google has equipped the entire front section with 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The straps also feel soft and show no signs of wear, even after heavy use.
Companion software and applications
The Pixel Watch 3 runs on Google’s WearOS 5, based on Android 14, providing a clean software experience and easy-to-use interface. In terms of compatibility, the Pixel Watch 3 works perfectly with any Android smartphone. While I primarily paired it with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, I also tested it with a Motorola and Samsung device to confirm compatibility.
As Google’s flagship, Pixel Watch 3 offers the full WearOS experience along with some exclusive features. The Pixel Watch app serves as an add-on on smartphones, allowing for customization, downloading updates, and configuring advanced features like Find My Device, Car Crash Detection, Fall Detection, and more. Additionally, you can use Emergency Sharing and Emergency SOS, which allow you to send messages, your location and other details to emergency services or contacts.
For health and fitness tracking, Pixel Watch 3 integrates with the Fitbit app and comes with a six-month Fitbit Premium subscription to enhance your fitness tracking experience.
Calls and Bluetooth functions
Answering calls with Pixel Watch 3 is simple and fast. It features a built-in speaker on the left side, which provides decent audio clarity for voice calls, although the volume is more suitable for indoor use. You can also answer calls on the watch and transfer them to paired wireless headphones. Voice reception on the Pixel Watch 3 is impressive and captures your voice accurately even in environments with a lot of ambient noise.
In addition to standard smartwatch features such as notification syncing and remote control of your smartphone camera, some utility-based features stand out. Theater mode in the quick settings panel temporarily disables screen display and wakeup while muting notifications. Another useful feature is Connected Fitness, which allows you to pair the watch with compatible training machines or apps to share selected data, such as real-time heart rate.
As a Google product, the Pixel Watch 3 offers enhanced functionality when linked to your Google account. Calendar events sync instantly, as do your notes saved in Google Keep. Additionally, you can backup your watch data to your Google Account storage for easy access.
Health and Fitness Tracking
At the heart of the Pixel Watch 3’s health tracking features is an always-on heart rate sensor, which continuously monitors your heart rate throughout the day. In addition to basic tracking, you get advanced options like ECG (electrocardiogram), which is available through a dedicated Fitbit ECG app on the watch and integrates with the Fitbit app on your smartphone. You can also enable irregular rhythm notifications, high heart rate notifications, and low heart rate notifications to improve heart health monitoring.
Sleep tracking provides comprehensive data and records your sleep patterns on a timeline that shows different stages of sleep, including deep, light, REM (rapid eye movement), and awake states. The easy-to-read graph shows the exact times and duration of each stage. You also receive additional metrics like oxygen variation, heart rate variation, sleep restlessness, and more. For an overall evaluation, the watch provides a sleep score.
Other useful features include Mindfulness, which monitors your heart rate during a guided breathing session and tracks changes in heart rate. The Body Response feature tracks metrics such as heart rate and micro-sweat levels to assess physical stress.
For fitness tracking, the watch offers dedicated activity modes. Race mode is especially detailed and allows you to set distance and time goals, as well as pace and target heart rate. You can even create a complete running routine with specific warm-up, cool-down times, and running intervals.
Google has also introduced Daily Readiness and Morning Brief features on the Pixel Watch 3. These tools analyze health and fitness metrics to provide insights into how you may be feeling throughout the day. Both features take your sleep data into account, requiring you to wear the watch while you sleep for at least seven nights to start tracking.
Battery
Google affirms the Pixel Watch 3 can last up to 24 hours with always-on display (AOD) enabled. However, in real-world use, the watch exceeded this expectation, lasting nearly 32 hours with AOD and sleep tracking active. It is important to note that activities such as training tracking can accelerate battery consumption. As for charging speed, I was able to recharge the watch from 13 percent to full in about 45 minutes.
Verdict
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is one of the best smartwatches available for Android users. When paired with a Pixel smartphone, the integration is seamless and very impressive. It also features a premium construction that is comfortable and durable for everyday use. However, the smaller 41mm variant is better suited for those with smaller wrists, while the larger 45mm variant is better if you plan to type replies to messages directly from the watch.
It would have been beneficial if Google had shortened the time needed to collect health data for features like Readiness Score. Additionally, the construction of the watch may not be durable enough for extreme activities. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Pixel Watch 3 proves to be a great everyday companion, as long as you’re okay with its average battery life.
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