Sorry to leave you all hanging on this. I had to disappear for a few months. At the time, I wore the Pixel Watch 3 to learn its ins and outs. I liked it so much that I ended up trading the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 for the Pixel Watch 3 in the 45mm size. It’s the biggest smartwatch I’ve ever owned, and I surprised myself by choosing it over the smaller 41mm variant. Great display is something very good. It offers about 40% more space for text, images, and, in my case, FlightRadar. It also sits better on my wrist.
If you already own a Pixel Watch, be it this generation or two before it, much of what you’re about to read may sound repetitive, and that’s because it is. What was new and exciting about the Pixel Watch 3 when it launched a few months ago was that it offered new metrics that didn’t require a monthly subscription. The Pixel Watch 3’s battery life is slightly better, too, though I still charge it after a day and a half when I use it for sleep tracking—which I no longer do because I now use a smart ring. Still, the Pixel Watch 3 remains a treat for Android users who don’t like anything else on the market. A bigger display only makes it better.
Google Pixel Watch 3
The Pixel Watch 3 is worth the trade-off if you want a bigger screen on your wrist.
Benefits
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Big screen to choose from this time
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Bright screen for flashlight purposes
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Overall improvements in battery and life tracking
Evil
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Proprietary watchbands are always annoying to buy when other Android models use standard connectors
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You still can’t leave town without a charging cable
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Fitbit is part of the experience whether you want it to be or not
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Google Pixel Watch 3 review: Design
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is officially in its Apple Watch era. I’m not saying that because of any new features introduced with this model or because I’m trying to incite violence among the Android vs. Android crowd. Apple (I see that comment!). But look at this third-generation Pixel Watch 3. It looks exactly like the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2, down to the round display and the protruding digital crown. At least this time, you get a plus size option. But unless that’s what you’d like to have, there’s no immediate need to upgrade.
And that’s like the Apple Watch, too. Every year, there is a new model. It usually has the same square-yet-rectangular shape, sometimes narrower and sometimes more dramatic. But the point is that you can count on a new Apple Watch every year, and if you see it from afar, you know that someone is in that ecosystem. It’s the same with the Pixel Watch: it’s designed as a watch to wear if you’re carrying a rare Google flagship. It means you’re committed to goodness and choose the Fitbit suite over Samsung Health or another third party.
Google Pixel Watch 3 review: Display and battery
Since the design is a repeat of what the Pixel Watch has been for several generations, the biggest takeaway from this year’s release of the Pixel Watch 3 is that there are finally two sizes to choose from. The 41mm and 45mm sizes boast the smallest bezels in the history of the range. They’ve been updated with a new Actua display that’s twice as bright as before, up to 2,000 nits. That’s great for flashlight mode, especially useful when you’re wandering around dimly lit farms in the middle of the night or searching for something in the dark.
The larger Pixel Watch 3 has a 420mAh battery, compared to the 41mm version with a 307mAh battery. After a full charge, Google claims up to 24 hours of battery life with the larger Pixel Watch 3 with an always-on display and 36 hours without it. I noticed a difference in longevity between the third and second generation Pixel Watches during my short time of use. After almost two days off the charger, I’m at 43% on the 45mm Pixel Watch 3. It’s fine, but unlike OnePlus’ smartwatches—they have a built-in system to offload the battery-sucking processor inside for basic functions. —the Pixel Watch 3 can’t leave home for long without a proprietary charging cable.
I tried to see if a bigger battery would give me a little boost before the smartwatch comes out. I had forgotten to charge it the next day and didn’t realize it was low until I got dressed for my early morning workout. The 45mm Pixel Watch was at 13% when I left the house and started tracking the session with the Fitbit. The clock came out about a mile and a half into my lane. Fortunately, I’m wearing a Samsung Galaxy Ring, so I didn’t lose the session completely. But I felt annoyed when the watch vibrated on my wrist to let me know it was going off.
Google Pixel Watch 3 Review: Features and Software
Fitbit is great, but I don’t use it since I wear a smart ring. I’ve really enjoyed tracking my routine through health and wellness with the Pixel Watch 2 this past year, but the Samsung Health suite is a bit more flexible about where it shares data. Fitbit just He started incorporating Peloton workouts to count towards the daily stats.
At least this time, there are some aspects of life that you don’t have to pay for. Morning Brief is the latest important feature added to the Fitbit ecosystem. It summarizes how you might feel the next day and how much energy you might have based on how well or poorly you slept. The clock gives you a little touchthen you can take a look at the Fitbit app for more details. Then there is Cardio Load, the main metric of this Morning Brief. It includes how you sleep, your overall fitness score based on the activities you put in, and your target load, which is how hard you want to hit when you want to feel it.
Wear OS 5 improves with all the new features added to the Pixel Watch. In this case, there is a Chromecast remote that you can use. It lives as its own icon in the app launcher on the watch, or you can add it as a tile in the quick settings shade. It lets you control on-screen playback, volume, and content, just like in your phone’s Chromecast remote app. I only use it to set up the TV in the family room to get my daughter’s attention, and I find that totally worth the install.
Google Home shortcuts have also improved. Now, you can see a preview of the security camera on the watch instead of holding your phone to open the preview, so you don’t see the person you want to be at your door. At least this way, you will know soon, or the work works better if you are at home and everything is on Wi-Fi.
Call Assist is the last little feature on the Pixel Watch 3. I haven’t come across it naturally because no one calls me except spammers. Google describes it this way: You can answer a call on your watch, but it’s an automated voice that lets the person on the other line know you want to talk to them but don’t have your phone yet. Most of the time, reaching between the smartwatch and the phone when trying to take a call has become an absurdity. I usually hang up and try to call again, but you can’t do that. Hopefully, this will mean fewer missed calls on the clock.
Google Pixel Watch 3 review: Verdict
Google’s smartwatch platform has evolved significantly over the past few generations, although you don’t need a Pixel Watch 3 to be a part of it. In particular, the Pixel Watch 3 feels like the perfect extension of what’s happening with the rest of Google’s Android lineup. It’s a perfect little command center for accessing smart home and media controls or logging notifications, but you don’t need it unless it’s time to replace the device on your wrist with something new.
I don’t think you should run out and buy a Pixel Watch 3 if you already have one of the first two generations in hand. But if that big screen seems worth the extra detail density in everything we do, you might consider the trade-off like I did. Having that extra screen real estate for sending notifications and tracking wellness data is very helpful. After spending time with the big Samsung and OnePlus watches this year, I’m not too afraid to take up wrist space with a big display. Sadly, I’ll have to start over with my watchband collection because I don’t currently have anything that matches the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 with its proprietary connectors.
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