Google Pixel Watch 3 Review: The Best Smartwatch for the Android Faithful

Sorry to leave you all hanging on this one. I had to disappear for a few months. During that 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. The bigger display is so lovely. It offers about 40% more room for text, images, and, in my case, FlightRadar. It also sits better on my wrist.

If you already own a Pixel Watch, either this generation or the two before it, much of what you’re about to read might sound like a recap, 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 don’t require a monthly subscription. The Pixel Watch 3’s battery life is a bit better, too, though I still charge it after a day and a half if I’m using it to track sleep—which I don’t do anymore because now I use a smart ring. Regardless, the Pixel Watch 3 remains a pleasant experience for Android users who don’t like what else is on the market. The larger display only makes it better.

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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. Apple crowd (I see those comments!). But look at this third-generation Pixel Watch 3. It looks exactly like the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2, down to the dome circular display and the pop-out digital crown. At least this time, you get the option for a bigger size. But unless that’s what you’d rather have, there’s no immediate need to upgrade.

And that’s kind of like the Apple Watch, too. Every year, there’s a new model. It usually has the same square-but-rectangle shape, sometimes smaller and sometimes more rugged. But the point is you can rely on a new Apple Watch every year, and when you see it from afar, you know that the person is in that ecosystem. The same goes for the Pixel Watch: it’s established as the watch to wear if you’re carrying the Google freak flag. It means you’ve committed to an aesthetic and chose the Fitbit suite over Samsung Health or another third party.

Google Pixel Watch 3 Review: Display and Battery

Since the design is mostly a reprise of what the Pixel Watch has had going on for a few generations, the biggest takeaway from this year’s Pixel Watch 3 release is that there are finally two sizes to choose from. The 41mm and the 45mm sizes boast the smallest bezels in the lineup’s history. They’ve been refreshed with a new Actua display that is twice as bright as before, up to 2,000 nits. That’s good for the flashlight mode, especially helpful when navigating unlit farmland in the middle of the night or looking 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 for the larger Pixel Watch 3 with the always-on display and 36 hours without it. I noticed the difference in longevity between the third-gen and second-gen Pixel Watches during my brief period of use. After nearly two days off the charger, I’m at 43% on the 45mm Pixel Watch 3. That’s fine, but unlike the OnePlus smartwatches—Which have a system sequestered out to take the onus off the battery-sucking processor inside for basic tasks—the Pixel Watch 3 can’t leave home for long without its proprietary charging cable.

I tried to see if the bigger battery would at least net me a hike before the smartwatch petered out. I’d forgotten to charge it the morning after and didn’t notice it was low until I got dressed for the workout in the early evening. The 45mm Pixel Watch was at 13% when I left the house and started to track the session through Fitbit. The watch went out about a mile and a half into my route. Fortunately, I wore the Samsung Galaxy Ring, so I didn’t lose the session altogether. But I felt annoyed when the watch vibrated on my wrist to let me know it was shutting down.

Google Pixel Watch 3 Review: Features and Software

Fitbit is good, but I hardly use it since I wear a smart ring. I’ve genuinely enjoyed tracking my routine with the health and wellness suite and the Pixel Watch 2 this last year, but the Samsung Health suite is a little more malleable about where it shares data. Fitbit just started integrating with Peloton workouts to count them toward the daily tally.

At least this time, there are some wellness features you don’t have to pay for. The Morning Brief is the latest significant feature addition to the Fitbit ecosystem. It summarizes what you might feel like for the day ahead and how much energy you might have based on how well or poorly you slept. The watch gives you a little nudge, and then you can peek at the Fitbit app for more detailed information. Then there’s Cardio Load, the primary metric for this Morning Brief. It factors in how you sleep, your overall readiness score based on the activities you’ve logged, and your target load, which is how much you want to hit if you want to feel it. 

Wear OS 5 improves with every new feature added to the Pixel Watch. This time, there’s a built-in Chromecast remote to take advantage of. It lives as its 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 playback on a nearby screen, volume, and content, just like on the Chromecast Remote app for your phone. I only use it to stop the TV in the family room to get my daughter to pay attention to me, and I find that to be completely worth the incorporation.

Google Home shortcuts have also improved. Now, you can see security camera previews from the watch instead of grabbing your phone to open the preview, only to see no one you wanted to be at your door. At least this way, you’ll know sooner, though the function works best if you’re at home and everything is on Wi-Fi.

Call Assist is the last little feature on the Pixel Watch 3. I haven’t encountered it organically yet because no one calls me anymore besides spammers. Google explains it this way: You can answer the phone from your watch, but it’s an automated voice that lets the person on the other line know you want to talk with them but don’t have your phone yet. Many times, the hand-off between the smartwatch and the phone when trying to take a call has faltered to absurdity. I usually hang up and try calling back, but you can’t always do that. Hopefully, this will mean fewer missed calls from the watch. 

Google Pixel Watch 3 Review: Verdict

Google’s smartwatch platform has exponentially improved over the past few generations, though you don’t need the Pixel Watch 3 to be a part of it. Mostly, the Pixel Watch 3 feels like an apt extension of what’s going on with the rest of Google’s Android form. It’s the perfect mini command center for accessing smart home and media controls or checking in on 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 the Pixel Watch 3 if you’ve already got one of the first two generations on hand. But if that larger screen seems worth the added information density from all it does, you might consider a trade-in like I did. Having that extra screen real estate for going through notifications and tracking wellness data is super handy. After spending some time with Samsung and OnePlus’s larger smartwatches this year, I’m not so afraid of taking up wrist space with a larger display. The only bummer is that I’ll have to start over with my watchband collection because nothing I have currently fits the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 and its proprietary connectors.

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