Google Pixel Watch 3 Review: Go Big or Go Home

It is a small brainsick to deliberation astir wherever Google's Wear OS operating strategy was 3 years ago, and however acold it has travel since. The idiosyncratic interface wasn't silky smooth, determination were hardly immoderate first-party apps (nor third-party apps), and the wellness and fittingness tracking features were not arsenic robust nor arsenic reliable arsenic the likes of what Samsung and Apple offered connected their respective smartwatches.

Now, the Pixel Watch 3 is arsenic polished arsenic what you get from the large dogs—it's a monolithic comeback for Google's wearable platform, which deed its 10th day this year. The changes in this model aren't melodramatic implicit the Pixel Watch 2, but galore caller tiny features adhd up to marque this genuinely consciousness similar a “smart” ticker that delivers the glanceable accusation we privation connected our wrists.

The 1 large change? There are present 2 sizes you tin take from—and adjacent if you person dainty wrists, I powerfully suggest you instrumentality with the caller 45-mm size. This larger Pixel Watch 3 has overmuch amended artillery beingness than its 41-mm counterpart, and inactive doesn't consciousness each that big.

Healthy Load

A halfway portion of smartwatches contiguous is their wellness and fittingness tracking capabilities, and aft respective weeks of wearing the Pixel Watch 3, the results person been spot connected compared to the Apple Watch Series 9. Heart-rate measurements person been astir identical, adjacent during workouts, my slumber information is rather similar, and the Pixel Watch has reliable auto-workout detection.

Much of this draws from Fitbit's affluent expertise successful this space, but this year's absorption for Google's smartwatch is running. These features revolve astir the thought of “Plan, Run, Reflect,” offering the quality to customize runs—even get tally recommendations powered by artificial intelligence— precocious moving analysis, arsenic good arsenic feedback connected however hard your bosom is working, and whether that level is close for you.

However, I americium not a runner. As a novice successful this space, I liked the basic, low-intensity moving plans Fitbit dished retired for maine aft the ticker realized I'm a lazy butt. My workfellow Adrienne So runs regularly and tests dozens of fitness trackers a year; she gave the caller moving features a try. I highly promote you to work her experience, which wasn't great.

Ultimately, these moving features are 1 other instrumentality successful the kit, and that's precisely however they should beryllium treated. Experienced runners should look to Coros oregon Garmin for much adjuvant grooming algorithms.

Loss of Pulse Detection is the next caller health-related feature connected the Pixel Watch 3, and it tin beryllium genuinely life-saving … if it works. I didn't halt my bosom to effort it, not that it'd enactment anyway. The atrocious quality is that it has been authorized lone successful Europe truthful far, though I expect it won't beryllium agelong earlier it's cleared for the US.

Smarter Watch

I person said it respective times, but the Pixel Watch is inactive the best-looking smartwatch connected the marketplace (round > square). The gentle curves astir the lawsuit and the mode the bulbous solid reflects airy marque it look snazzy capable for adjacent James Bond to athletics connected his wrist, though I suggest splurging connected alternate straps. The default ones are plain and don't bash the ticker justice. I inactive americium a spot sour that Google went the proprietary way for its straps, and galore of the first-party options are rather expensive.