Key Takeaways from ZDNET
- 45mm Pixel Watch 3 It will retail for $400 without LTE and $500 with LTE.
- I love the design and comfort of this watch, the Fitbit integration is deep, the running assistance is useful, and the Google features are great.
- There is no protection around the glass display, no customizable button behavior, and no support for external sensors.
Google’s Pixel Watch models are elegant, minimalist watches that support the Fitbit health and wellness ecosystem. Unfortunately, the first two generations were too small for everyday wear, and I moved on to another wearable after a month.
That won’t happen Pixel Watch 3In fact, the Pixel Watch 3 made me want to upgrade my everyday device to the Pixel 9 Pro just to keep using the new watch.
Google released two sizes of the Pixel Watch 3, and for the past few weeks I’ve been using the larger 45mm model, which offers 40 percent more screen real estate than the Pixel Watch 2. The larger display is also brighter, supporting up to 2,000 nits, which makes it a much better fit for my large wrist.
Plus, the larger display shows more data at a glance. My aging eyes also like the ability to turn on larger fonts to see the watch clearly.
Also: The Best Android Smartwatches You Can Buy: Tested by Experts
With a larger display and overall size, the battery is also bigger, and I was able to get close to two days of use out of a single charge. There were a few times when I went for a run and the battery level dropped to 20%, but thankfully the Pixel Watch 3 charged quickly, and I was able to get back up to 50% by the time I got ready and got dressed.
Speaking of running, Google has optimized the Pixel Watch 3 to better support casual runners. It takes 14 days and nights of wearing the watch to determine your heart rate target. The watch then shows you recommended runs in the Coach tab of the Fitbit app on your phone.
that Pixel Watch 3 It does a great job of providing voice commands and clear graphics on the watch face to guide you through the different intervals of your workout. The workout is limited to two displays, one of which can show four metrics and the other shows your heart rate zones. This is fine for most runners, but anyone who wants to track more metrics, compete against pace or previous runs, or see more than four metrics will find the experience limited.
After your run, be sure to check out the new dashboard, which is packed with incredible data in tables and charts, as well as insights and advice on how to improve. The metrics on the running performance screen show you the basics, like heart rate, pace, distance, and elevation, as well as advanced metrics like ground contact time, vertical oscillation, cadence, and stride length. I really like the details on running form, which helps me understand what I need to focus on to optimize my performance and reduce my risk of injury.
Google’s Pixel Watch models have proven to feature accurate wrist-based heart rate sensors, and the Pixel Watch 3 is no exception. Unfortunately, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, there’s no support for connecting to external Bluetooth sensors.
Also: The best smartwatches you can buy: Tested by experts
Running often brings new ideas and thoughts, so being able to capture them on the go is a huge advantage. Google offers a voice recorder app on the Pixel Watch 3, and it’s probably one of the best features I’ve found so far. I use it as my primary Tile.
This app lets you record voice memos, which appear in the Recorder app on your Pixel phone for further processing. From there, you can transcribe your voice recordings, copy the transcripts to Google Docs, and share clips. You can also back up your voice recordings to your Google Account and access them from: recorder.google.com.
Google has improved Google product support on the Pixel Watch with Nest camera streaming, including the ability to activate the microphone and talk to people on camera. The camera utility supports controlling all camera modes on the front and rear cameras of a connected Pixel phone. No matter how amazing those phone cameras are, this feature makes the Pixel Watch an essential companion.
Also: My favorite hybrid smartwatch, has amazing battery life and a beautiful design.
Another new feature that is not yet widely available is the loss of pulse detection. It’s great to see Google launching a life-saving health feature, and I hope it’s available in the US soon. My father died of a heart attack, and it wasn’t until about 15 minutes later that someone found him. If pulse detection had been lost, someone could have been notified much earlier, and he might have survived.
As we mentioned in our October 2023 Pixel Watch 2 review, Google offers free cellular service for safety checks, emergency alerts/SOS, and fall detection alerts. Also, LTE Pixel Watch 3Google offers two years of free data for messaging, navigation, and music with its Google Fi service. Text messages also work with your current phone number. Phone calls aren’t supported with this service, but you can pay your own wireless carrier to activate LTE connectivity.
The watch face options on the Pixel Watch 3 are excellent. There are a ton of complications to choose from, and you can really customize each face design. There are some differences in app performance and availability on the Pixel Watch compared to the Apple Watch, but the additional apps from Google are a very compelling option. Google Assistant is fantastic, and with so many cards in Google Wallet, I no longer need the Starbucks app or other store loyalty cards.
ZDNET’s Buying Advice
When I first saw the Google Pixel Watch at the Made by Google event a few years ago, I was impressed by its minimalist form factor. Over the past few years, Google has made significant improvements to its smartwatches.
that Pixel Watch 3 It meets all my needs and has additional features that exceed my expectations. If you own a Pixel smartphone, the Pixel Watch 3 is the best smartwatch you can get. If you are a casual runner, this watch can be a coach and workout companion, making it an even more attractive wearable to consider.
