Google recently launched its Pixel Watch 3 alongside a suite of new Pixel smartphones, and refreshed wireless earbuds, the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. Its ecosystem is fast growing into one of the best in the world, with a selection of devices that all work seamlessly together.
When we tested the Pixel Watch 2, we liked its design and the accuracy of its sensors but hoped for smaller bezels, better battery life and more unique smarts in the next device. Our patience paid off because that’s exactly what we got in the Pixel Watch 3.
I’ve been using the Google Pixel Watch 3 daily for about a month. I’ve used it for running, yoga, and other workouts, I’ve worn it overnight to track my sleep, I’ve used it to pay for the train on the way to work and I’ve answered calls on it.
My quick take is that this is the WearOS smartwatch I’ve been waiting for, combining style and speed with advanced health and fitness tracking and clever workout coaching.
In this Google Pixel Watch 3 review, you’ll find everything you need to know before you buy one, from its design, setup and performance to its, battery, software and features.
Google Pixel Watch 3: At a glance
Google Pixel Watch 3: What’s new
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is quite a big jump from the Pixel Watch 2. Firstly the new watch comes in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm, rather than just one 41mm size before. The screen has smaller bezels and has been improved from 1,000nits peak brightness to 2,000nits. The battery life has been boosted with a new Battery Saver mode which will pause some features including the alwayson display, but keep tracking all the key health metrics for up to 36 hours.
The latest Pixel Watch 3 features a selection of brandnew features as well like the morning briefing to tell you about your day, a virtual coach that uses haptic feedback and audio cues to train you during your runs, you’ll also find new running statistics like stride length, vertical oscillation and vertical ratio. And you’ll now get access to a daily “readiness” score, which was previously paywalled.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Design and setup
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is, in my opinion, the bestlooking smartwatch for Android phone users. The round clock face has sleek curved edges with a ridged dial on one side.
I tested out the 41mm model with a silver aluminium case and porcelain active band, it looks stylish and compact, rather than bulky and obtrusive like some smartwatches.
As well as the silver/porcelain option, you can buy the 41mm model with a black case and an obsidian black band, champagne gold with a hazel green band or polished silver with a rose quartz band. For those who would rather have a bigger screen, you can buy the Pixel Watch 3 with a 45mm face, and that version comes with the same black and porcelain options, as well as a polished hazel case and a matching green band. Of course, Google also sells a selection of other straps to suit your style, including leather and metal options.
The body of the device is made from 100% recycled aluminium and it feels sturdy. There’s IP68 water resistance so it’ll survive both dust and water, and you can use it to track swimming. To protect the display from damage, Google has used Custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, although my watch did pick up a mysterious scratch within the first couple of weeks of using it.
Setting up the Pixel Watch 3 takes a matter of minutes, you just need to turn it on and open the Watch app on your Android smartphone. For the full suite of fitness features, you will also need to download the Fitbit app, create an account and link it to the watch.
Something I found a little tricky during the setup process was attaching the strap to the watch face. It took me a few minutes to figure out because the instructions in the box weren’t particularly clear. But in the end, they slotted in and stayed securely in place for the entirety of my testing.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Performance and battery
The new screen on the Pixel Watch 3 is twice as bright as the Pixel Watch 2 (2,000 nits as opposed to 1,000 nits) and it shows. I could always see what was on the screen, even out running on a rare sunny autumn day. But it didn’t blind me at night either, automatically adjusting itself as low as 1nit at nighttime.
Under the hood, Google’s smartwatch has 32GB of storage and 2GB of RAM with a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 5100 processor paired with a Cortex M33 coprocessor. Flicking through the tiles on the watch face was super smooth, it’s not totally immediate but it’s still fast and responsive thanks to its maximum refresh rate of 60Hz.
To track your health and fitness stats, the Pixel Watch 3 has a heart rate sensor that Google claims is its most accurate yet, plus it’ll track steps, calories and there’s a dualband GPS to track speeds, distance and elevation. Through the Fitbit app, you can see details on your skin temperature, blood oxygen levels, ECG, breathing rate and the list goes on. As far as I could tell, it seemed accurate having come from using a Fitbit before.
The battery lasted more than a day with the alwayson display in use, tracking one workout or walk at the very least during that time. I did tend to hook it up to power every morning but when I did occasionally forget, it would still last me until the afternoon before the battery died. Charging was quick, it took about an hour to reach a full 100% so I could plug it in in the morning and it’d be ready to go before I left the house.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Features and software
Now this is where the Google Pixel Watch 3 gets really interesting, because there are loads of cool features to play around with, and plenty of tools to help you progress your workouts.
Google has put a lot of focus on running in this latest wearable, in fact, you can use it as your very own running coach. Using the Fitbit app, you can set weekly running goals, create custom workouts with warmups, cooldowns and intervals included and get audio cues and vibrations to guide you through them. You’ll be able to see details on your performance including how you improve over time in terms of distance, duration, pace, cadence, stride length, ground contact time, and more.
I took the watch out on my runs at least twice a week, and I quickly got addicted to checking out all my stats afterwards — it definitely motivated me to get out of the house. As I was running, the layout of the workout on my wrist made it easy to see how I was doing, it was clear where my heart rate was and the vibrations did a great job of guiding me through.
You can track 40+ other workouts as well as running, I used it for pilates, yoga, tennis and long Sunday walks. Each day you’ll get a Readiness score letting you know how prepared you are for an intense workout, or not. And you’ll be given a target Cardio Load score, suggesting how far you should push yourself that day. This is meant to stop you from under or overtraining depending on your fitness goals.
At first, I wasn’t convinced, and I ignored my readiness score a few times and went for a run anyway. But ultimately it proved that I should trust the watch — they felt like my hardest runs, I was much slower and couldn’t go as far as I had done when my readiness was high.
Body Responses was another tool I found super interesting, letting you know when you’ve shown physical signs of stress or excitement after the fact. It’ll help you recognise triggers, ultimately helping you to manage them.
Each day, the Pixel Watch 3 will deliver you a Morning Brief showing you a readiness score, your sleep score, how many days of exercise you’ve done so far this week and the weather forecast for the day. It’s a great way to get a quick snapshot of information without looking through the Fitbit smartphone app.
It’s not all about health and fitness, though. There are plenty of other features that I made use of as well thanks to the WearOS operating system.
Firstly there are lots of clock faces to choose from. Some are simpler with an analoguestyle clock, others will show you details on your health and fitness stats or weather reports for the day. You can customise them with the information you’d like to see.
Navigating the watch is simple, you just swipe left and right through your tiles to see a strippedback version of certain apps or health tracking, which could be anything from directions on Google Maps, a list of reminders, your sleep score to a summary of your workouts, your step count or your heart rate.
Pressing the button on the side of the watch brings up your app drawer. There are loads of apps available to download, including Spotify, Strava, Citymapper and Whatsapp. You’ll be able to pay using contactless through the Google Wallet. You can make, take and screen calls on the phone app. You can read and answer your messages, record audio, access Google Assistant and so much more.
You can even control your Pixel phone camera using an app on the watch. I occasionally go solo travelling so being able to snap a picture using the watch is incredibly useful, gone are the days of setting a timer and running to get into place!
To add to that, the Pixel Watch 3 can be used as a Google TV remote, and if you’re a Google Nest user, you’ll be able to see a live view from your security camera or doorbell as well!
Good Housekeeping’s verdict on the Google Pixel Watch 3
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is finally what it should be, the Android equivalent of the Apple Watch. Not only is it super sleek and stylish, with a bright screen and a long battery life, but it is packed to the brim with impressive features.
If you’re a runner, this smartwatch will be the perfect coach. Whether your goal is to run further or faster, the watch will guide you step by step. It’ll tell you when to push yourself, and when to take a day off, and it’ll keep you motivated with detailed information on your progress.
And there are plenty of other smarts too, I like being able to read and answer messages directly from the watch face, see directions on Google Maps and Citymapper without getting my phone out, and skip to the next song on Spotify. It’s useful for contactless payments, understanding when and why you’re stressed, and tracking your sleep. Because I use a Pixel 9 smartphone, I can use it to take photos on the camera without a timer as well.
The list of benefits feels endless, and I can’t find too many flaws. Although admittedly, I would have liked the battery to last longer, having come from a Fitbit that only needs charging once a week, once a day felt like a lot. I also struggled to get the straps attached to the device, so an easier mechanism would have been useful. And I managed to unknowingly scratch the watch face, so I would recommend putting a screen protector on to avoid that.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Also consider
For iPhone users, the Apple Watch Series 10 is the obvious choice. It looks great, tracks everything from health and fitness to sleep apnea, and can play audio through its speakers. The battery only lasts up to 18 hours but it’ll reach 80% battery after an hour plugged into power.
For Android users, and Samsung phone owners in particular, another smartwatch to consider is the Galaxy Watch 7. It has a flatter watch face than the Pixel Watch 3, whether you like that or not will be up to you. Battery life sits at around 24 hours, and it’s loaded with all the tracking you’d expect as well as some AIpowered features. It’s a little more affordable than the Pixel Watch 3 at the time of writing.
Yasmine Crossland (she/her) is Digital Spy’s Technology Ecommerce Editor, looking after advice guides and product reviews across Phones, TV and Audio, Smart Home and Laptop and Tablets. Yasmine also covers major sales events like Prime Day and Black Friday. She has previously written for titles including Good Housekeeping, T3 and PocketLint.
Since 2019, Yasmine has tested hundreds of products from brands including Samsung, Google, Amazon, Bose, Sony and more. As a proud Google Pixel owner, she’s an expert on Android too. Some of her most popular guides include the best smartphones, the best noisecancelling headphones and the best TV streaming services. If you need advice on the kit you should buy, she’ll happily point you in the right direction.
An English Language graduate from King’s College London, Yasmine is also a keen writer and grammar is her guilty pleasure. In her free time, you’ll catch her solo travelling the world, tending to her houseplants and practising yoga.
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