There’s now a 45mm version for larger wrists and people who just want a bigger screen, plus the original 41mm, the same as the Pixel Watch 1 and 2. The case may have grown, but the bezels have shrunk. Google says the 41mm version has 10% more screen than earlier versions.
The brightness now reaches a maximum of 2,000 nits—that’s the same as the Galaxy Watch 7 and Apple Watch Series 9—and it can go down to one nit in dark environments.
What Else is New?
Running features, more remote control options from your wrist, and of course, AI. The Pixel Watch 3 is Android-only and works with the Fitbit app, where you’ll see all your metrics from sleep, steps, and workouts. If you wear your watch to bed, you’ll now get a new morning brief on the screen that summarizes your health and fitness stats, or it will show if anything is out of range.
Runners, in particular, are getting a lot of attention this time around because you can now build your own workouts, add segments or intervals in the Fitbit app, and then send them straight to your watch. During workouts, the Pixel Watch 3 will also give you real-time guidance on things like pace. It can buzz or give you an audio alert if you are over or under your target.
The Fitbit Readiness Score takes your sleep, activity, and heart rate data to give you a score out of 100, which can help determine if you should take it easy or go ahead with that workout. Previously on Pixel Watches, you’d need the $10 a month Fitbit Premium subscription to see this score, but it’s now available to all users with a Pixel Watch 3. Google says this score has been tweaked to be more accurate than before.
Other Smart Features and Battery Life
Taking a leaf out of the Fitbit Charge 6’s playbook, you’ll now be able to use the Pixel Watch as a heart rate monitor and connect it to gym equipment from brands like NordicTrack and Peloton. In terms of other smart features, Google is really just bringing the Pixel Watch in line with functionality already offered by competitors like the Galaxy Watch and the Apple Watch on the iOS side. You can see the live view from a Nest Cam and use two-way talk, or you can use a remote app on your wrist to control a Google TV. If you have a Pixel phone, you’ll also be able to control the camera, including triggering those astrophotography and night modes. You can even use the same call screening features from a Pixel phone on your wrist.
Google claims the Pixel Watch 3 can last up to 24 hours with the always-on display and regular use, or 36 hours on a charge with battery saver mode. Of course, I’m super intrigued to see if we actually reach that number because in my testing with the other new Wear OS 5 watches—the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra—I did not meet Samsung’s battery life claims. Note that the Pixel Watch 3 and the Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra are running the same OS, Wear OS 5. The 45mm Pixel Watch 3 has a larger capacity battery than the smaller version, which makes sense—it’s 420mAh compared to 306mAh on the 41mm.
The larger watch comes in three colors: matte black, polished silver, or matte hazel. It starts at $400 for the Wi-Fi model and $500 for LTE. If you’re following along at home, that’s $70 more than the retail price of the Galaxy Watch 7 in the largest size. The small version is available in black, silver, and gold and costs $350.
