Google Pixel Watch 3 review: Our favorite smartwatch

I wrote an initial Google Pixel Watch 3 review following its September 10 launch. Based on two weeks of testing time for myself and two colleagues with their own Pixel Watch 3s, I called it "Stronger than ever" and rated it highly.

In the ensuing weeks, fellow editors Derrek Lee and Nick Sutrich didn't need to keep wearing the Pixel Watch 3; they had plenty of other watches from Samsung, Garmin, and others to wear instead. Derrek dealt with some glitches that I'll address in the software section, and both found it lacking for their gym workouts.

So, I think it says a lot that they're both still happily wearing the Pixel Watch 3 as their daily watch despite having so many other options. And while a couple of other Android Central staffers prefer Samsung or Amazfit, the Pixel Watch 3 is the most popular option.

This doesn't surprise me! Despite another six or more weeks of time with the Pixel Watch 3 45mm, my opinion hasn't changed. Its enlarged, brighter display makes it much more wearable than the tiny, thick-bordered Pixel Watch 2 ever was. It's fun and stylish, comfortably fast, longer-lasting than Google's spec sheet implies, and packed with new running software that I appreciate. It's not perfect, but it's improved in the areas it needed to.

Did Google do enough to dethrone the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 as the best Android watch of the year? Samsung still has the edge in a few areas, but Google will keep its loyal followers because it didn't stand pat this year.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Price and availability

The Google Pixel Watch 3 launched on September 10. The Pixel Watch 3 41mm costs $349 / £349 / €399 / CA$479 / AU$579, or $449 / £449 / €499 / CA$599 / AU$749 with LTE support.

The Pixel Watch 3 45mm costs $399 / £399 / €449 / CA$549 / AU$669, or $499 / £499 / €549 / CA$669 / AU$839. Generally speaking, rivals like Apple or Samsung will charge $30 for a larger display or $50 for LTE support, making Google's upcharges a bit pricier.

Google sells the Pixel Watch 3 in 32 countries or territories, compared to 21 countries for the Pixel Watch 2; you can see the supported list at Google Support. Of this list, some countries can only buy the Wi-Fi version, including India.

With the Pixel Watch 3 4G/LTE version, you get two years of complimentary data, but only up to 500MB before data speeds are capped at 256KB/s until the 1GB max. You'll need to add the Watch 3 to your carrier to enable standalone voice calling and unlimited music streaming. Google Fi lets you do so for free, while most other carriers will charge a monthly fee before you can add your phone number to it. That same Google Support link shows a list of compatible carriers.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Design, display, & bands

The Google Pixel Watch 3 comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes with 1.27- and 1.43-inch AMOLED displays, respectively. A 0.16-inch gap may not seem significant, but it does boost the resolution from 384x384 to 456x456, and Google designed Wear OS 5 to reflow content to take advantage of extra space. You can see in the photo above how the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 (left) fits more icons than the 41mm (right), and that applies across apps and menus.

Most of the Android Central staff prefers the 45mm size. Andrew Myrick called the 41mm "too dainty" in his Pixel Watch 3 hands-on, while Derrek Lee called the 45mm "a massive improvement" because of how much more data it can fit on screen. However, Nick Sutrich specifically asked for the 41mm because he grew accustomed to a smaller size, and he feels the 1.27-inch model has more than enough space without paying extra.

In my case, I still believe the Pixel Watch 3 45mm is worth the $50 surcharge. That extra space feels significant, and the 6g gap between both sizes is so small that I barely noticed any difference when trying on both models.

With the larger default band, it weighs 69g/2.43oz, slightly heavier than a Galaxy Watch 7 but still lighter than other brands that use a steel bezel. Its rounded edge doesn't just look chic; it also has a comfort benefit.

Google brought back the haptic crown for the Pixel Watch 3. Not everyone likes crowns, but I'd argue most people would choose a crown over the Galaxy Watch 7's compromise of a digital bezel.

Google didn't announce any changes to the crown with this generation. Derrek and Nick both think it was slightly changed and have different opinions on its quality. Derrek said the crown haptics "are not as...satisfying, like they've been downgraded," while Nick praised the crown as being subtly better than the Watch 2's.

As the tiebreaker, I find that it scrolls smoothly and has a satisfying haptic feel as you scroll through apps and menus. But your opinion may vary from mine.

Whichever size you choose, the Pixel Watch 3 display is the star of the show. It doubles the brightness (1,000 to 2,000 nits) and refresh rate (30Hz to 60Hz) while shrinking the Pixel Watch 2's thick-bordered display by 16% so that it now reaches the edge where the display begins to curve.

Google always hid the border with how Wear OS used black space around text, but I still found the Pixel Watch 2 display made it look a bit too cheap for my liking. Google fixed that here, and the Watch 3 is more attractive for it.

Though I've grown accustomed to my Galaxy Watch Ultra's vivid 3,000-nit brightness, the Pixel Watch 3 is bright enough to match Apple and Samsung's mainline watches and is perfectly readable in direct sunlight (if slightly duller).

Screen transitions are smoother, but it doesn't always stay at 60Hz; Google says it can also dip as low as 1Hz for certain functions like AOD, which is one factor for why the Watch 3 lasts longer than the Watch 2 (see the next section).

The unavoidable downside to Google's edge-to-edge design is its lack of ruggedness. You won't find MIL-STD-810H protection like the Galaxy Watch 7 has; without a metal side to take the brunt, falling or bumping into a wall is riskier. I also wish the Pixel Watch 3 had used sapphire glass instead of Gorilla Glass 5, which is at least good enough to prevent basic scratches. I recommend buying a screen protector anyway.

Google also didn't focus on repairability when designing the Pixel Watch 3. If it has any issues under warranty, Google will send you a new one. It responded to the controversy by saying it's "thinking about" making future Pixel Watch designs repairable to prevent e-waste, but that won't apply until the Pixel Watch 4 or later.

Still, this is all worst-case scenario stuff. I've yet to damage any smartwatch over years of a casually active lifestyle. The Pixel Watch 3 won't be rugged enough for serious outdoorsmen or construction workers, but everyone else should be fine. I think more people will prefer the Pixel Watch 3's looks to the Galaxy Watch 7's.

The default Active band is made of comfortable fluoroelastomer. The snap-and-tuck design can tug at arm hair a bit, but once it's secured, there's no worry about wobbling during workouts like you sometimes get with lug watches. The material wicks sweat and feels nice for all-day wear.

The Pixel Watch 3 uses a proprietary band connector; your old Pixel Watch 2 bands will carry over if you buy the Pixel Watch 3 41mm but you'll need new straps for the 45mm. You insert bands into the connector and then slide them into place; with practice, you can do it quickly, but in most cases it takes me a minute or two of fruitless shoving before it gets in there.

Our senior accessories editor, Namerah Saud Fatmi, wrote that first-party Google bands are expensive, and the third-party Pixel Watch band selection is lackluster. Spigen and Caseology have a few options, but because of a lack of demand, their selection is much smaller than their Apple and Galaxy Watch collections. She did create a guide on the best Pixel Watch 3 bands, but the selection is pretty small.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Battery & charging

In its official product tech specs, Google says the Pixel Watch 3 lasts "Up to 24 hours with always-on display" or "Up to 36 hours with Battery Saver mode," with 300mAh or 425mAh capacity for the 41mm and 45mm models, respectively.

After months of testing, it's clear Google is selling itself short. I consistently get up to 48 hours with AOD active, including one or two GPS-tracked workouts, regular notifications, and two nights of sleep tracking with all sensors active — though sometimes it doesn't quite hit two days.

Derrek, who also has the 45mm watch, says he's "actually pleased with battery life. It lasts longer than I expected it would, although still shorter than I would like." And Nick, who uses the 41mm watch, says it lasts longer than his Pixel Watch 2 did, though not as long as ours. I suspect this is thanks in part to the new Wear OS 5 efficiency updates, particularly the new XML watch face format and the new Hybrid Interface using less energy for tracking health and workout data.

Of course, I agree with Derrek that the Pixel Watch 3 could last longer. Other Wear OS watches like the OnePlus Watch 2R (500mAh) and TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro (628mAh) last about 72–100 hours, though they weigh more and fall short in other areas.

Charging speed got a slight revamp compared to the Pixel Watch 2. The smaller size takes 15 minutes less to hit 100%, while the 45mm takes five minutes longer but is quicker to hit 50%. One post-launch update I really appreciate is Google now sends your phone a fully-charged notification when it hits 100%, so you don't have to worry about draining your battery capacity over time with overcharging.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Hardware & health sensors

If you compare the Pixel Watch 3 vs. Watch 2, you'll find the hardware isn't all that different. It uses the same 4nm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 SoC from 2022 with four cores clocked at 1.7GHz, plus a Cortex M33 co-processor for background tasks. Both watches have 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, 306mAh capacity (for the smaller version), 5ATM water resistance, and nearly all of the same health sensors.

Does this really matter? On the one hand, the Pixel Watch 3 is a speedy device, rarely showing any lag during normal app tasks. On the other, I'm watching Google struggle to update older Pixel Watches to Wear OS 5, and I wonder if this years-old chip has the legs to last three years with consistent support. But that's a future concern; for now, I'm happy with the Pixel Watch 3's performance.

Google did make some subtle quality-of-life upgrades this generation: Bluetooth 5.3 instead of 5.0, WiFi 5GHz in addition to 2.4GHz, and new Ultra Wideband support. The Watch 3 uses less battery and has a stronger connection when communicating with your phone; it downloads apps much faster than before; and with UWB, you'll unlock some niche tools like unlocking your Pixel phone or certain cars.

Google's big health sensor upgrades came last generation. It stole Fitbit Sense 2 sensors like the multi-path optical HR sensor with irregular heart rhythm warnings, electrical skin conductance (cEDA) for continuous body response, and skin temperature.

The Google Pixel Watch 3 brings all of these insights back, but nothing new except for behind-the-scenes algorithmic changes to heart rate data to make it the "most accurate heart rate for running" in its lineup. We'll analyze that claim in the next section.

Even though I remain frustrated that Google has essentially killed Fitbit as a hardware brand, I'll admit that it was smart of Google to steal Fitbit's sensors and software for its lineup, because it leaves every other brand struggling to close the gap for health insights. Google didn't need to give the Watch 3 new health sensors (yet).

With my usual disclaimer that I hate wearing a smartwatch at night, I've managed to wear the Pixel Watch 3 enough to get a sense of its sleep-tracking accuracy. Its sleep stages and awake periods match my actual sleep patterns, and its health metrics like breathing rate, HRV, SpO2, and skin temperature focus more on averages and variation than on trying to shame or stress you out with "abnormal" data compared to other people.

The body response and stress management data seems much more responsive to actual stress and agitation than most watches relying solely on HRV. And while I have no signs of AFib issues, I like that it automatically and passively tests for irregular rhythm and high/low HR data, without restricting the results like Samsung does with its Galaxy-only Health Monitor app.

The same applies to the Loss of Pulse feature, which will auto-dial emergency services in response to cardiac arrest; while other brands have fall detection, this is a welcome bit of reassurance for elderly buyers.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Fitness test and cardio load

Google claims the Pixel Watch 3 has the "most accurate heart rate for running" compared to past Pixel Watches. Unfortunately, Google didn't add dual-band GPS to it, as Samsung did with the Galaxy Watch 7. Some GPS-only watches are more accurate than others, but with Google emphasizing its new Fitbit running tools, I had to put both metrics to the test.

During my initial review window, I took the Pixel Watch 3 out for one normal 10K run, one track workout, and two rucks (aka hiking with weights). Here's what I learned, starting with heart rate.

For a normal run, the Google Pixel Watch 3 does pretty well for a wrist-based optical HR sensor. It stayed within 1 beat per minute (bpm) of my COROS arm band at most points. Most wrist-based sensors struggle with light artifacts and have difficulty with sudden HR changes, but Google's algorithm has it step-for-step. Still, its 158 bpm average was one short of both COROS and my Polar Vantage V3, which became a trend.

Across my 10-mile ruck with plenty of hills and valleys, it showed similar responsiveness, immediately catching my heart rate changes. At the same time, the final bpm average was three short of COROS (134 vs. 131); a few days prior, I did a 6-mile ruck, and there was a similar HR average gap between COROS and Google (135 vs. 132).

The Pixel Watch 3 continues tracking HR when you pause, whereas other brands tend to freeze the reading until you restart. That's why the Pixel Watch 3 workout is slightly longer in the charts above: I didn't realize I was still "working out." That may be one contributing factor to the lower HR average.

Finally, my track workout was a bit of a mixed bag. For each hard lap, Google stayed on track up to about 180 bpm, only to lag behind the COROS band by about 3–5 bpm for 30-second stretches before it started to catch up. For what it's worth, most mainstream watches I've tested struggle with anaerobic tracking, including the Galaxy Watch Ultra, so this isn't a specific Pixel Watch 3 problem.

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Google's GPS-only accuracy was a bit of a mess, which I feared but expected. You can see in the screenshots above how Google (orange) throws my position all over the place, especially in the wild first example. Most commonly, it's parallel to Garmin's dual-band GPS but significantly off to the side, which leads to losing or gaining distance artificially on turns. After a 10K, it lost about eight-hundredths of a mile, which is pretty standard for a GPS-only watch.

For hiking, the wobbly tracking led to massive overestimates of how far I'd hiked. The line itself wasn't that far off, but on my route, a stray line suggested I was climbing off-trail up hills or down steep cliffs. Where Garmin matched my AllTrails route, the Pixel Watch 3 added an extra 0.25mi and 0.4mi to my 6-mile and 10-mile hikes, respectively.

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Since the initial review, I've taken the Pixel Watch 3 out for a few more running tests, and not much has changed. One run surprised me because the Pixel Watch 3 and Garmin Forerunner 965 were within 50 yards of one another after a 10K run; when I analyzed the GPS maps, however, it's clear that Google lucked into that result based on all the meandering lines whenever it lost the signal. And the HR average was (once again) 1bpm short of COROS' total.

Overall, I'd give the Pixel Watch 3 a B for heart rate accuracy — good enough for general calorie and training load data, but not for serious athletes — and a C average for GPS data. It's a shame, because the new Fitbit running software is a fantastic pivot (if not quite "A" worthy).

Creating running workouts is very easy once you get the hang of it, with criteria like distance or calories burned. My personal favorite is the Time Trial workout where you set a distance and time to finish it, which adds a sense of urgency. You can make workouts on the watch in a pinch, but adding targets like pace or heart rate zone — or deleting intervals — is far easier in the mobile Fitbit app.

Fitbit provides a decent amount of post-run data, including running form analysis, heart rate zones, and elevation gain. It doesn't have some popular tools like running power, aerobic/anaerobic training effect, or sweat loss, but it's more than enough for casual runners.

I'm also a fan of the new Fitbit Cardio Load system, which puts more emphasis on weekly and monthly progress than trying to hit Active Zone Minutes every day (especially when you're burned out from a hard workout). It's particularly cool how it'll track your training load from any task where your heart rate is elevated or you get steps, not just tracked workouts.

Comparing its training load against other brands' training load, Fitbit puts more stock on a workout's length than its intensity. I only got a 37 cardio load for six hard laps at the track at a 170 bpm average, then 30 for my 30-minute walk home; Garmin gave me over 200 for the track workout, but maybe a 10 for the walk. For my ten-mile hike with 2,300 feet climbed and 20lb. on my back, Google tracked a 230 cardio load when Garmin gave me a paltry 110.

In other words, I'd say that Cardio Load, despite its name, is actually a better indicator of my muscular soreness than Garmin, while Garmin puts more stock on peak/anaerobic effort and scoffs at low-intensity workouts. You can decide which works better for you!

Fitbit's other big innovation is "Target Load," suggesting how much Cardio Load you should get on a given day based on your daily readiness and past workouts. After a week of sleeping, Fitbit began to show my Daily Readiness, and it seemed fairly accurate to how I was actually feeling in terms of tiredness and soreness.

Overall, the Pixel Watch 3 makes a decently strong showing on the fitness front, but I have some fairly predictable requests for the Pixel Watch 4: It needs to have dual-band GPS, extra LEDs to add better HR hardware on top of the excellent algorithm, and an evolving fitness focus beyond running.

Specifically, since Wear OS 5 added offline maps for casual navigation, the next step is for Wear OS 6 to allow people to make and share GPX courses via Google Maps that you can download to your watch; it would intrude directly on Garmin's territory with hikers, giving them maps and trailheads in areas with no or poor signal that would leave you lost or burning battery to orient yourself.

Cycling is another obvious area where Apple and Samsung have already focused efforts on their watches. And I know Nick and Derrek don't like how basic many non-running workouts are. Other watches like Garmin and Amazfit will track your gym reps automatically or manually, either moving to the next set based on your movements or pressing a button. Google just tracks things like calories and time, leaving plenty of room for growth.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Software

Google added some intriguing new software tools to the Pixel Watch 3. Covering each would be an article in itself, so I'll simply summarize the list and then highlight my favorites.

New Pixel Watch 3 software features: Morning Brief, Google TV remote controls, Nest Camera controls, Google Home tile, offline Google Maps, Call Assist holds, Ultra Wideband watch unlock, Pixel Recorder tile, Submersion detection, Loss of Pulse, Auto Bedtime mode.

Of these, several require other Google or smart home devices, like a Nest Doorbell or Chromecast with Google TV. In particular, the UWB unlock feature only works with the Pixel 7/8/9 Pro models, the Pixel Recorder app saves on the watch but can only upload recordings to Pixels, and the Hold for Me feature is Pixel-exclusive, too.

Our Pixel Watch 2 reviewer specifically praised the fact that "Google didn't hold back certain features if you have a non-Pixel phone," so he might find this shift disappointing. Even though I use a Samsung phone and couldn't test some of these tools, I didn't necessarily mind because I liked what I could test or see.

I don't have a Nest Cam, but Nick Sutrich tested the feature for me, finding it almost as responsive as checking the livestreams on his phone (Bluetooth adds a slight delay). He loves the ease of checking who's there at any time in case his phone isn't on hand.

Morning Brief is very similar to the Garmin Morning Report I'm used to. It starts out pretty simple with sleep insights, weather, exercise progress, and warnings about out-of-range health metrics. With enough sleep tracking, you'll start to see daily readiness, target load, and a recommended workout. It's all quite useful and well summarized, and I only wish you could recheck your brief later — but it vanishes once you're done.

I don't have much of a smart home, but I do find I'm more apt to play with my smart lights now that I can access them quickly in the Google Home tile instead of pulling out my phone. As for Google TV, it's less convenient than simply using your remote control but it does come in handy in case you lose it.

While I've had no trouble with Pixel Watch 3 software, my colleague Derrek had his Watch 3 crash during a transfer to a new phone, and he had to go through a complicated factory reset to get it to work again. He also complained that his Fitbit workout data doesn't always sync properly and won't show up in the app, and while the problem hasn't happened as often recently, he's still seeing complaints about it on Reddit.

More generally, I do find it worrying that Google had to roll back its Wear OS 5 update on older Pixel Watches. That may not affect the Watch 3 directly, but I wonder if Google will take a long time to update it to Wear OS 6 or 7 down the road, maybe due to the older chipset. The next Pixel Watch will probably have a more pronounced NPU for AI functions, and it's possible the Pixel Watch 3 will be left behind for on-wrist Gemini tricks.

For now, though, the Pixel Watch 3 is a very strong Wear OS option; not counting Samsung's One UI Watch, Google's UI always feels more polished and straightforward to use than third-party brands' skins.

Competition

The immediate, obvious Pixel Watch 3 competitor is the Galaxy Watch 7. We have a full Pixel Watch 3 vs. Galaxy Watch 7 guide that exhaustively covers every difference, but here are the main points:

• The Galaxy Watch 7 displays are slightly bigger and have sapphire glass, plus the same brightness and refresh rate.
• Samsung relies on its touch bezel instead of a dedicated crown, which works well enough but isn't quite as precise.
• Samsung has a newer 3nm Exynos chip that's clocked lower but has five cores instead of four; performance is pretty comparable, honestly, but Samsung has a slight efficiency edge, so you'll get more hours out of it.
• The Galaxy Watch 7 has dual-band GPS tracking for better accuracy.
• Both run Wear OS 5, but Samsung offers four years of updates instead of three.

Of the other Android watches to consider, we'll point you to the OnePlus Watch 2 if you're especially concerned about battery life. It's rated to last three or four days per charge and will get a couple of Wear OS updates, though fewer than Google offers. The software isn't quite as polished as Google's, especially for health and fitness, but it's more efficient; it's more classically stylish, as well as much heavier.

If you're considering the Pixel Watch 3 for its health or running features, you could always consider the cheaper Fitbit Sense 2, which has the same health sensors and will get the same cardio load tracking. It's not nearly as smart of a watch, but it lasts six days instead of one-ish and does have a couple of Google apps. Otherwise, runners can look at the Garmin Forerunner 265, another fitness watch with weeks of battery life that lacks sophisticated apps but has in-depth training load and suggested workouts without needing a subscription.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Should you buy it?

You should buy the Google Pixel Watch 3 if...

• You like your Pixel Watch 1/2 but really want a better or larger display.
• You have a Pixel phone and want the best smartwatch integration for features like call screening.
• You're an athlete excited by the combination of health tracking, workout building, and cardio load.
• You're a Wear OS person who cares more about style than durability.

You shouldn't buy the Google Pixel Watch 3 if...

• You need a smartwatch that consistently lasts more than a couple of days.
• You need dual-band GPS for more dependable results.
• You can hold out a year for the Pixel Watch 4's upgrades

The first Pixel Watch took years to arrive, and it showed with its dated CPU and limited feature set. It fixed a ton with the Pixel Watch 2 by adding a Snapdragon chip and a ton of Fitbit sensors, but the display still felt like the Achilles heel.

The Google Pixel Watch 3 is Google's strongest wearable entry yet. It's certainly not perfect, and the company still has a way to go in key areas. I personally have a hard time getting past the simple fact that they didn't add dual-band GPS for a watch with so much emphasis on running software. But none of its flaws are deal-breakers.

While the Galaxy Watch 7 has an objective edge over the Pixel Watch 3 in a few ways, no one can deny that Google's design just looks better. Style matters for a smartwatch, and I could see plenty of Android fans picking the Pixel Watch 3 for that reason alone.