Hands on: Google Pixel Watch 3 review – a big redesign with a deeper focus on health

Google Pixel Watch 3: One minute review

The Google Pixel Watch has always been a sleek, modern – maybe even beautiful – smartwatch. It's stuck out from an incredibly crowded market with a build that looks like a polished pebble, simple controls, and a comfortable feel on the wrist. 

However, it’s only be available in one size for two generations, and has always been far from a full-on Fitbit replacement. That changes with the third-generation Pixel Watch, and after strapping both the 41mm and 45mm Pixel Watch 3 to my wrist, I can say that it’s a pretty big leap. 

That’s right: the Pixel Watch now comes in two sizes: there's still the 41mm model which was the only option with the Pixel Watch 1 and 2, and a much larger 45mm model, which has been dubbed the Pixel Watch 3 XL.

I’ve spent some hands-on time with both the 41mm and the 45mm watches, so I’m sharing my first impressions and briefly discussing the trove of new health and fitness features that are headed to your wrist.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Specifications

Google Pixel Watch 3: Price and Availability

With two sizes of the Pixel Watch 3, pricing is a bit more complex than in years past. Like the previous Pixel Watch 2, the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is priced at $349 / £349 / AU$579, while you’ll pay more at $449 / £449 / AU$749 for cellular connectivity. The 45mm Pixel Watch 3 will start at $399 / £399 / AU$669, and jump to $499 / £499 / AU$839 for the advanced connectivity.

Both sizes come in Matte Black or Polished Silver; the 41mm is also available in Champagne Gold, and the 45mm in Matte Hazel. Whichever size and model you go for you’ll also get six months of Fitbit Premium for free. All variants of the Pixel Watch 3 are up for preorder now, with a shipping and on-sale date September 10.

Watch our Google Pixel Watch 3 hands-on review on TikTok: 

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A modern, sleek build now in two sizes

Like the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Apple Watch Series 9, Google is now letting you choose between two sizes. There’s a smaller 41mm Pixel Watch and a larger 45mm Pixel Watch, both with the same circular design and a dial on the right edge. It’s the classic Pixel Watch design, including the band mechanism on the box, which makes removing and replacing watch bands harder than it needs to be.

The Actua Display now stretches closer to the very edge, even on the smaller 41mm, so it can show you more. It’s also brighter, which makes reading text on a screen much easier – the same goes for hitting touch buttons like numbers on the calculator or buttons on a widget, for example to select a workout type to track. Both displays are LTPO AMOLED, which allows the display to refresh at a rate anywhere between 1Hz and 60Hz.

I think I still prefer the 41mm size, but Google didn’t just make a larger watch for the sake of it. The 45mm Pixel Watch 3 might have more super users or those who want to do more from their wrist, and it will be interesting to see how developers optimize for the extra screen real estate. 

Regardless of size, the Pixel Watch 3 is built from 100% recycled aluminum, and colors vary slightly based on size. The 41mm Pixel Watch 3 comes in Matte Black, Polished Silver, or Champagne Gold, while the 45mm will be available in Matte Hazel, Matte Black, or Polished Silver. 

The Pixel Watch 3 is powered by Qualcomm SW5100, which has a Cortex co-processor and 2GB of RAM. That’s a lot of jargon, but the main takeaway is that while the watch doesn't use Google's powerful Tensor processor, either size felt pretty snappy in my quick demo. You also get a clean version of WearOS 5 out of the box. 

In terms of health and fitness features, there is still a sensor stack on the back that looks sleek and powers all the expected features: daily activity and workout tracking, sleep tracking, Blood Oxygen or Sp02 tracking, heart rate, and the ability to take an electrocardiogram among others.

A few features are made possible through the integration with Fitbit. It seems that Google wants to compete with the run-tracking chops of a Garmin or a Galaxy Watch, so now (specifically for this workout type), you can create several routines with custom metrics you want to hit such as heart rate, pace, distances, and intervals. As you go through the workout, it will alert you if you’re ahead or behind on a metric. That’s pretty cool. After your run, your workout data goes through an AI to give specifics, including your vertical oscillation, cadence, and stride length. You can view this on your wrist or in the companion app on your Android phone.

Fitbit Premium members will also be able to compete against past workouts and the metrics you set, just like a Galaxy Watch. The watch will also consider this data when recommending your daily activities. All Pixel Watch buyers have this option for at least the first six months, and you can cancel the subscription before the free trial ends if you find yourself not using Premium features like this. 

Not just for Premium members, your Daily Readiness Score – delivered each day – will be more accurate as it takes more into account beyond just workouts and activity goals. It will now use sleep, heart rate (active and resting), and variability in all this to paint a better picture. Along with this score, you’ll get a daily recommended cardio load, which can help you decide what workouts to embark on or when to take it easier.

I’m eager to try Fitbit’s Morning Brief, which reminds me of the Oura Ring or Samsung Health. Essentially, you’ll get a notification with your most important activity metrics on your wrist. It just groups everything in one place, flags issues – maybe too little sleep or a change in heart rate – and tosses in topical information like the weather or an important meeting.

Of course, beyond health and activity from Fitbit, Google is also putting more work into its first-party applications. There will be a new interface with Nest devices, specifically letting you view a feed from your doorbell when it’s rung or if activity is detected on a connected camera.

Last but not least, there is always the question of battery life. With the 41mm or 45mm Pixel Watch 3, Google promises 24 hours of battery life with the always-on display enabled or up to 36 hours in extreme battery saver, which shuts off always-on but keeps other features like health tracking active. We’ll need to put this to the test and see how long it lasts, as well as a new bedtime detection mode that automatically shuts the always-on feature off. 

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