Google Pixel Watch 3 Early Review: Still the Best Smartwatch for the Android Faithful

The Google Pixel Watch 3 is officially successful its Apple Watch era. I’m not saying that due to the fact that of immoderate caller features introduced with this exemplary oregon due to the fact that I’m trying to incite unit among the Android vs. Apple assemblage (I spot those comments!). Just look astatine this third-generation Pixel Watch 3. It looks precisely similar the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2, down to the dome circular show and the pop-out integer crown. At slightest this time, you get the enactment for a bigger size. But unless that’s what you’d alternatively have, there’s nary contiguous request to upgrade.

And that’s benignant of similar the Apple Watch, too. Every year, there’s a caller model. It usually has the aforesaid square-but-rectangle shape, sometimes smaller and sometimes much rugged. But the constituent is you tin trust connected a caller Apple Watch each year, and erstwhile you spot it from afar, you cognize that the idiosyncratic is successful that ecosystem. The aforesaid goes for the Pixel Watch: it’s established arsenic the ticker to deterioration if you’re carrying the Google freak flag. It means you’ve committed to an aesthetic and chose the Fitbit suite implicit Samsung Health oregon another 3rd party.

If you already ain a Pixel Watch, overmuch of what you’re astir to work mightiness dependable similar a recap to you. For the astir part, it is. Most of what is caller is simply a portion of Fitbit oregon Wear OS. Most of what the Pixel Watch 3 improves connected is stableness and artillery life. There volition beryllium much to this Pixel Watch 3 reappraisal successful a aboriginal update. We inactive request to trial the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, and since Google bumped its hardware merchandise up against Apple, we figured we’d hold for the Apple Watch Series 10 to spot what 10 years offers implicit three.

At slightest I tin study that the Pixel Watch 3 remains a pleasant acquisition for Android users who don’t similar what other is connected the market. The larger show lone makes it better.

Same, large domed circle 

Since the plan is mostly a reprise of what the Pixel Watch has had going connected for a fewer generations, the biggest takeaway from this year’s Pixel Watch 3 merchandise is that determination are yet 2 sizes to take from. The 41mm and the 45mm sizes boast the smallest bezels successful the lineup’s history. They’re besides refreshed with a caller Actua show that is doubly arsenic agleam arsenic before, up to 2,000 nits. That’s each bully for the flashlight mode if you’re navigating unlit farmland successful the mediate of the night. I’ve yet to acquisition however the ticker feels successful the hot, wide daylight arsenic it’s trying to amusement the time.

Google says that artillery beingness connected some versions of the Pixel Watch 3 is up to 45 percent longer than its predecessor. The smaller 1 has a 307mAh battery, portion the bigger Pixel Wach 3 has a 420mAh battery. After a afloat charge, they assertion up to 24 hours of artillery with the always-on show and 36 hours without it. I noticed the quality successful longevity betwixt the third-gen and second-gen Pixel Watches during my little play of use. After astir 2 days disconnected the charger, I’m astatine 43% connected the 45mm Pixel Watch 3. It inactive does not person a 100-hour battery similar the OnePlus smartwatches. Those person a strategy to instrumentality the onus disconnected the battery-sucking processor wrong for basal tasks. 

What’s caller successful Fitbit?

Fitbit is good. I’ve genuinely enjoyed tracking my regular with the wellness and wellness suite and the Pixel Watch 2 this past year. The caller features launched arsenic portion of the Pixel Watch 3’s debut volition astatine slightest marque each that information it’s aggregating a small easier to follow. The Morning Brief is the latest important diagnostic summation to the ecosystem. It summarizes what you mightiness consciousness similar for the time up and however overmuch vigor you mightiness person based connected however good oregon poorly you slept. The ticker gives you a small nudge, and past you tin peek astatine the Fitbit app for much elaborate information.

Cardio Load is the superior metric for this Morning Brief. It factors successful however you sleep, your wide readiness people based connected the activities you’ve logged, and your people load, which is however overmuch you privation to deed if you privation to consciousness it. I’m inactive accumulating information for this diagnostic to amusement up. I’m funny however it volition negociate with my 3 weeks on/two weeks disconnected question schedule. More connected that soon. At the precise least, this diagnostic doesn’t necessitate a Fitbit Premium subscription.

For that $10 monthly fee, you volition get Fitbit’s blase Running Dashboard. This diagnostic helps you physique customized runs with AI help. From my reading, this is simply a monolithic boon for runners dissatisfied that the diagnostic isn’t much blase connected different ecosystems, similar the Apple Watch. 

A distant connected your wrist

Wear OS 5 improves with each caller diagnostic added to the Pixel Watch. This time, there’s a built-in Chromecast distant to instrumentality vantage of. It lives arsenic its icon successful the app launcher connected the watch, oregon you tin adhd it arsenic a tile. It lets you power playback connected a adjacent screen, volume, and content, conscionable similar connected the Chromecast Remote app for your phone.

Google Home shortcuts person besides improved. Now, you tin spot information camera previews from the ticker alternatively of grabbing your telephone to unfastened the preview, lone to spot nary 1 you wanted to beryllium astatine your door. At slightest this way, you’ll cognize sooner, though the relation works champion if you’re astatine location and everything is connected Wi-Fi.

Call Assist is the past small diagnostic connected the Pixel Watch 3 that’s intrigued me. I haven’t encountered it organically yet, but the mode that Google explains it, you tin reply the telephone from your watch, but it’s an automated dependable that lets the idiosyncratic connected the different enactment cognize you privation to speech with them; you don’t person your telephone in-hand yet. Many times, the hand-off betwixt the smartwatch and the telephone erstwhile trying to instrumentality a telephone has faltered to absurdity. I usually bent up and effort calling back, but you can’t ever bash that. Hopefully, this volition mean less missed calls from the watch. 

Should You Buy a Pixel Watch 3?

Google’s smartwatch level has exponentially improved implicit the past fewer generations. You don’t request the Pixel Watch 3 to beryllium a portion of it, but determination is thing astir utilizing it successful Google’s form. Mostly, the Pixel Watch 3 feels similar an apt hold of what’s going connected with the remainder of Google’s Android form. It’s the cleanable mini bid halfway for accessing astute location and media controls oregon checking successful connected notifications. We’ll person much connected however the Pixel Watch 3 performs arsenic a fittingness and wellness companion successful the coming weeks.

I don’t deliberation you should tally retired and bargain the Pixel Watch 3 if you’ve already got 1 of the archetypal 2 generations connected hand. But if that larger surface seems worthy the added accusation density from each it does, you mightiness see a trade-in. Having that other surface existent property for going done notifications and Fitbit information is nice. After spending immoderate clip with Samsung and OnePlus’s larger smartwatches this year, I’m not truthful acrophobic of taking up wrist abstraction with a larger display.