Google Pixel Watch3 review: Among the best for Androids, more so for Pixels

With the third-generation Pixel Watch, Google aims to refine an already valuable product. Even with its solid foundation, the Pixel Watch 3 introduces notable upgrades in both hardware and software, featuring a larger, brighter Actua Display and enhanced health-and-fitness tracking capabilities. With these advancements, does the Pixel Watch still rank among the best smartwatches, or has Google introduced too few changes to elevate the user experience? Let us find out:

Display and Design

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The Pixel Watch 3 resembles its predecessor, featuring a pebble-shaped, round dial and an all-glass front design that gives the illusion of a curved infinity display. However, the display remains mostly flat, with the bezels occupying much of the curved space. While Google claims the screen is slightly larger than that of the Pixel Watch 2, the difference is hardly noticeable. What stands out is the significantly higher peak brightness; the Pixel Watch 3 boasts a peak brightness of 2000 nits, which can drop to 1 nit when the always-on display (AOD) is enabled.

During the testing cycle, I encountered no issues reading the display under 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 sufficient for smooth operations on a small screen. However, the smaller size of the 41mm variant (review unit) can make certain tasks, such as typing a response to a message, challenging.

Like its dimensions, the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 weighs the same as its predecessor. The watch feels lightweight on the wrist and is comfortable for all-day wear. The aluminium casing, paired with the soft silicone strap, enhances comfort during prolonged use. The watch stays securely in place without much slipping, even during workouts. Additionally, Google includes an extra watch strap in the box for those with larger wrists.

For durability, Google has equipped the entire front section with 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The straps also feel soft, showing no signs of wear or tear, even after rugged use.

Software and Companion Apps

The Pixel Watch 3 runs on Google’s WearOS 5, based on Android 14, delivering a clean software experience and a user-friendly interface. In terms of compatibility, the Pixel Watch 3 works seamlessly with any Android smartphone. While I primarily paired it with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, I also tested it with both a Motorola and a Samsung device to confirm compatibility.

As a flagship Google product, the Pixel Watch 3 offers the full WearOS experience along with some exclusive features. The Pixel Watch app serves as its companion on smartphones, enabling customisation, downloading updates, and setting up advanced features such as Find My Device, Car Crash Detection, Fall Detection, and more. Additionally, you can utilise 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, the Pixel Watch 3 integrates with the Fitbit app and comes with a six-month Fitbit Premium subscription to enhance your fitness tracking experience.

Bluetooth Calling and Features

Answering calls using the Pixel Watch 3 is seamless and quick. It features a built-in speaker on the left side, providing decent audio clarity for voice calls, though the volume is best suited for indoor use. You can also answer calls on the watch and transfer them to paired wireless earbuds. The voice reception on the Pixel Watch 3 is impressive, accurately capturing your voice even in environments with substantial ambient noise.

In addition to standard smartwatch features like notification syncing and remote control for your smartphone’s camera, some utility-based functions stand out. The Theatre mode in the quick settings panel temporarily disables the display and screen wake while silencing notifications. Another useful feature is Connected Fitness, which allows you to pair the watch with compatible workout machines or apps to share select 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 back up your watch data to your Google account storage for easy access.

Health and Fitness Tracking

At the core 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 for enhanced heart health monitoring.

Sleep tracking provides comprehensive data, charting 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 displays the exact times and durations spent in each stage. You also receive additional metrics such as oxygen variation, heart rate variation, restlessness during sleep, and more. For an overall assessment, the watch provides a sleep score.

Other useful features include Mindfulness, which monitors your heart rate during a guided breathing session and tracks heart rate changes. The Body Response feature tracks metrics like heart rate and micro-sweat levels to assess physical stress.

For fitness tracking, the watch offers dedicated activity modes. The Running mode is especially detailed, allowing you to set goals for distance and time, as well as target pace and heart rate. You can even build a complete running routine with specific times for warm-up, cool down, and running intervals.

Google has also introduced Daily Readiness and Morning Brief features to the Pixel Watch 3. These tools analyse health and fitness metrics to provide insights into how you may feel throughout the day. Both features factor in your sleep data, requiring you to wear the watch while sleeping for at least seven nights to begin tracking.

Battery

Google claims the Pixel Watch 3 can last up to 24 hours with the always-on display (AOD) enabled. In real-world use, however, the watch exceeded this expectation, lasting nearly 32 hours with AOD and sleep tracking active. It’s important to note that activities like workout tracking can accelerate battery drain. Regarding charging speed, I was able to recharge the watch from 13 per cent to full in approximately 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 highly impressive. It also boasts a premium build that is both comfortable and durable for daily wear. However, the smaller 41mm variant is more suitable for those with smaller wrists, while the larger 45mm variant is better if you plan on typing responses to messages directly from the watch.

It would have been beneficial if Google had shortened the time required to gather health data for features like the Readiness Score. Additionally, the watch’s construction may not be durable enough for extreme activities. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Pixel Watch 3 proves to be a great day-to-day companion, provided you are okay with its average battery life.

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