Holistic health insights are the hottest trend in wearables from big brands, and Google is getting on the bandwagon with the Pixel Watch 3 (starting at $349). Leveraging Fitbit’s capable fitness tracking technology, the Pixel Watch 3 (starting at $349) triples down on the trend with Readiness Score, Cardio Load, and Training Load metrics that are genuinely helpful for workout planning and more comprehensive than the piecemeal offerings from competitors. The Pixel Watch 3 doesn’t offer much in the way of hardware upgrades over its predecessor besides a new 45mm option and a brighter screen, but it’s a good smartwatch to pair with your Android phone if you want the robust app selection and lifestyle features of Google’s Wear OS along with Fitbit’s algorithms to track and guide your workouts. As a more affordable alternative, the WearOS-powered Samsung Galaxy Watch FE ($199) offers most of the same fitness and lifestyle features for nearly half the price, so it remains our Editors’ Choice.
Design and Specs: Same Look, More ScreenGoogle offers the Pixel Watch 3 in 45mm or 41mm sizes instead of just 41mm like the last generation. The base 41mm Bluetooth-only Pixel Watch 3 costs $349, matching the launch price of the Pixel Watch 2, which has now been marked down to $249.99 and remains a solid option if you’re looking to save money. The larger 45mm Pixel Watch 3 comes at a $50 premium, and an LTE-enabled model of either costs an extra $100. The Pixel Watch 3’s prices are higher than those of its main competition, Samsung’s latest flagship model, the Galaxy Watch 7, which costs $299 for its base 40mm model, an extra $30 for the 44mm size, and an extra $50 for LTE capability. The budget-minded Galaxy Watch FE only comes in one 40mm size for $199.99, and an LTE version is slated to arrive later this year for $249.99.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
Both sizes of the Pixel Watch 3 are available in matte black with an obsidian band or polished silver with a porcelain band. The larger size also comes in matte hazel with a hazel band, while the smaller size is also available in champagne gold with a hazel band or polished silver with a rose quartz band. For this review, Google sent me a 45mm LTE model in matte black/obsidian and a 41mm LTE model in champagne gold/hazel. As I’m a bigger guy, I spent most of my time testing the 45mm version.
The Pixel Watch 3 largely carries over its predecessor’s design, featuring a circular, curved face made of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and no physical bezel. The curved glass transitions seamlessly to the 100% recycled aluminum case that wraps around the back of the watch. On the side, it has a rotating crown and an extra button that sits flush with the case. Its most notable design change is a bigger, brighter display with a maximum light output of 2,000 nits, doubling the Pixel Watch 2 and matching the Galaxy Watch 7, and a 16% slimmer bezel (the black border surrounding the screen) compared with last generation. Its AMOLED display still shows 320 pixels per inch, the same as the Pixel Watch 2, and looks very sharp and colorful. Due to the thinner bezel, Google says the smaller Pixel Watch 3 offers 10% more screen real estate than the Pixel Watch 2 with the same size case, while the 45mm version offers 40% more display space. The large display lets you see most tracked fitness data on the watch itself, and its touch controls and buttons proved consistently snappy and responsive in my testing. The Pixel Watch 3 intelligently uses the screen’s adaptive brightness to save power in darker environments. Adaptive brightness can take the screen all the way down to 1 nit for optimal viewing and battery life, depending on the ambient light. I could easily read it in bright sunlight, and it dimmed low enough in dark rooms to prevent eye strain. The screen also has an adaptive refresh rate that can shift from 1 to 60Hz depending on what’s needed for its current task. The Pixel Watch 3 is slightly thicker than its predecessor at 12.3mm for both sizes, compared with 12.2mm last generation. The 41mm version weighs the same 1.09 ounces as last year’s model, while the 45mm version is a bit heftier at 1.31 ounces. The larger model felt weighty on my wrist, but not burdensome.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
The sturdy rubber watch bands fit snugly and comfortably, and the Pixel Watch 3 comes with both large and small bands in the box to accommodate a wide range of wrist sizes. The band easily and securely snaps into place by sliding over the release button on the case.Like the last generation, the Pixel Watch 3 has an IP68 durability rating, and it can withstand pressure from calm salt and fresh water up to 164 feet deep. Samsung’s smartwatches, including the Galaxy Watch FE, go a step further with a MIL-STD-810H certification, meaning they are rated to endure extreme temperatures and environmental stressors, a spec the Pixel Watch 3 does not offer. Under the surface, the Pixel Watch 3 has the same dual-processor setup as the Pixel Watch 2, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 5100 processor and a Cortex M33 coprocessor, along with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. For connectivity, it adds ultra-wideband support and gets an upgrade to Bluetooth 5.3 (from Bluetooth 5.0 last generation). Otherwise, it continues to pack 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, NFC, and GPS functionality on all models.
Hands On With the Pixel Watch 3
Wear OS 5: Power Efficient and Packed With FeaturesFor apps, notifications, and general smarts, the Pixel Watch 3 runs Wear OS 5, the latest version of Google’s smartwatch operating system, which also powers the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra ($649.99). Wear OS has a wide selection of apps. Apple’s watchOS still has more, but Wear OS is functionally close enough now that you’re unlikely to notice any big third-party options missing from the platform.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
Google launched refined smart home device controls for Nest thermostats, cameras, and doorbells with the Pixel Watch 3, allowing you to more easily change the temperature or talk to the person at your front door from your watch. You can even use the watch to unlock and start compatible cars from BMW and Mini. For productivity, the Pixel Watch 3 can automatically sync alarms with your phone and keep your phone unlocked when the watch is nearby. You can download music or maps to the Pixel Watch 3 for when you want to go for a run offline.On the safety front, the Pixel Watch 3 has fall detection and can make emergency calls like its predecessor. You can also opt in to a new loss of pulse detection feature that senses when your heart stops beating and calls emergency services in that event. The Pixel Watch 3 requires a smartphone running Android 10 or later, and the bulk of its features work with compatible phones of any brand. Pairing it with a Pixel smartphone gives you access to a few exclusive features, including the ability to set up automatic call screening on the watch to find out who’s calling and why before you pick up. If you need to find a quiet place to talk, you can tell the watch to “hold a minute,” and an AI assistant will pick up the call on your phone and say you’ll be right there. You can use the watch as a remote camera shutter to take photos on your phone. You can also record conversations from your wrist with Pixel Recorder and sync them with your phone.While testing, I wore the watch day and night with the always-on display enabled. I used the watch to respond to texts and keep up with email notifications, both of which were delivered promptly. I worked out with the watch to make use of its GPS, and I slept with the watch on. Through all of this, the battery acquitted itself well. Wear OS 5 promises improved power efficiency, which helps the Pixel Watch 3 keep the same 24-hour official battery life estimate as the Pixel Watch 2, despite having a bigger screen and the same 306mAh cell in the smaller version. The larger model has a 420mAh battery. In testing, the Pixel Watch 3 surpassed its promised battery life spec, with the 41mm model lasting around 34 hours on a charge and the 45mm model powering through 46.5 hours. Normally, the watch automatically switches to a battery-saver mode at 15%, but I disabled that feature, and the larger model still lasted nearly two full days. It did crash suddenly from 2% to dead, but that’s still a nice result. When I let the battery saver turn on at 15%, the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 eked out just over 48 hours. It outlasted the Pixel Watch 2 (33 hours) and the Galaxy Watch 7 (22 hours) in the same test.The 45mm watch took 78 minutes to fully recharge and sends a notification to your phone when it’s done. While its battery life is respectable, if you want a WearOS smartwatch that you don’t have to charge every day, check out the OnePlus Watch 2 ($299.99), which lasted 69 hours in the same test. Bear in mind that the OnePlus Watch 2 is missing a couple of features found on Samsung and Google models, such as ECG measurements, skin temperature readings, fall detection, and period tracking.Intuitive Setup and ControlsThe Pixel Watch 3 comes in a box with the watch, bands, a charging cable without a brick, and some paperwork, including quick start instructions and a warranty.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
Before getting started, you’ll want to download both the Pixel Watch app and the Fitbit app on your phone or make sure they’re fully updated if you already have the apps. Then, open the Pixel Watch app and power on the watch by holding the crown for three seconds. The Pixel Watch app will guide you through connecting the devices via Bluetooth and then walk through the rest of the setup. You’ll select your language on the watch itself, allow the app to find nearby devices, pair the two devices by confirming a code, agree to various terms and conditions, then you’ll sign into and sync the watch with the Fitbit app, and indicate your height, weight, and gender (male or female options) so it can calibrate your health data appropriately. Along the way, you can set up LTE service if you have that model. It’ll also walk you through safety features, have you set up Google Assistant, Google Wallet, and install any number of apps from a list of recommended popular ones. You’ll sign up for your free six-month trial of Fitbit Premium, and then you’ll be up and running.While it walks you through some of the fitness features and available apps, it doesn’t give a tutorial on basic controls. Those haven’t changed since the Pixel Watch 2, but if you’re new to Wear OS watches, you might need to play around a little bit to get comfortable, though the controls are relatively intuitive.Tap the crown to see your app drawer or to return to your watch’s home screen from any app. You can rotate the crown or use your finger to scroll on any page. Double-tap the crown to open Google Pay. Tap it five times to start an SOS call. Hold it down to power down or restart the watch.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
Tapping the other button opens up a list of recently used apps. Press and hold the button to talk to Google Assistant. You can also access Google Assistant by raising your wrist and saying the wake words “Hey Google.” During a workout, tap this side button to quickly pause if you need a break, and then tap it again to resume when you’re ready to get back to it.Outside of the buttons, you’ll mostly navigate your watch with touch controls. Swipe down on the watch face for a menu of quick settings like battery saver, brightness, and smart home controls. Swipe up for notifications. Swipe left or right to scroll through a customizable arrangement of tiles such as step count, heart rate total, Google Maps, exercises, sleep assessment, and more. You can swipe from the left side of the screen to the right to go back from any screen. To scroll through various watch faces, touch and hold the home screen. You can access more in the Pixel Watch app. You won’t need to use this app much once your watch is up and running, but it’s there with additional watch face options. You can also use it to customize tiles, access settings, customize notifications, set up safety preferences, and manage apps. You’ll then use the Fitbit app to see health and fitness metrics from the Pixel Watch 3. I dislike needing to use multiple apps to manage my watch, but both Samsung and Apple watches ask you to use even more apps to keep track of all of your health data. Google wisely leans into Fitbit’s expertise at health tracking with the Pixel Watch 3 as the Fitbit app shows you a wide range of information in a clear and helpful manner. At the top, you’ll see featured metrics based on your selected focus, such as Cardio Load, Readiness, sleep, and steps. Below that, you can scroll for more details and charts organized into cards by category–activity, health metrics, heart rate, nutrition, sleep, stress and mindfulness, and more. You can tap any of the cards for more details.
(Credit: Fitbit/PCMag)
The app has additional tabs at the bottom with more features. The Coach tab offers a variety of workouts for Premium members and customizable running plans for all. The You tab lets you customize your profile, share your progress, and check your badges and goals. The Pixel Watch 3 offers all your measured metrics and holistic health assessments for free. A Fitbit Premium membership ($9.99 a month after a six-month free trial) gives you access to the in-app library of audio and video workouts, with recommendations tailored both to your preferences and your holistic health scores. It can also provide specific daily run recommendations with details beyond your Target Load. The Galaxy Watch 7 doesn’t have any paywalled features, but requires a Samsung phone for AI health insights. Fitbit Fitness Tracking: Accurate Workout and Sleep Metrics For fitness tracking, the Pixel Watch 3 has the same set of sensors as the Pixel Watch 2. It has an accelerometer, an altimeter, an ambient light sensor, a barometer, a compass, an electrical sensor to measure skin conductance (cEDA) to gauge stress, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a multi-path optical heart rate sensor, and a skin temperature sensor. It can also monitor blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) with red and infrared sensors and it can take an ECG with multipurpose electrical sensors.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
Google claims to have improved its heart rate tracking this generation through a more precise algorithm that takes arm swing and ground contact into account. Like the Pixel Watch 2, the Pixel Watch 3 tracks your activity in the Fitbit app. It supports automatic and/or manual tracking for more than 40 workout types and also monitors your sleep, including your duration, quality, and stages. The Pixel Watch 3 still trails Samsung on the list of things it can track, as the Galaxy Watch 7 can monitor snoring and sleep apnea, though the former requires a nearby Samsung phone. The Galaxy Watch 7 can also track Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs, an indicator of metabolic health) and body composition measurements similar to those of a smart scale, features that are not available on the Pixel Watch 3.In testing, the Pixel Watch 3 impressed me with its accuracy when tracking my exercise and sleep. To evaluate its workout metrics, I tracked a 30-minute run while wearing the Pixel Watch 3 on one wrist and the proven Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($799) on the other. For the first couple of minutes, the Pixel Watch 3’s heart rate readings deviated from those of the Ultra 2 by 3 to 4 beats per minute (bpm), but then it settled and stayed within 1bpm for most of the run. On subsequent runs, it started off more accurately as well.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
After a consistent jog for 20 minutes, I sprinted at intervals and the Pixel Watch 3 responded to the corresponding spikes and dips in heart rate even more quickly than the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Its GPS map of the run also proved accurate, though it didn’t show the first block and a half on the map. Again, it seems like it was calibrating to this first workout, as its distance measurement still matched the Ultra 2, and the map captured the entirety of subsequent runs. The map also shows a color code that changes based on speed, and it matched my memory of where I ran and where I slowed down. The Pixel Watch 3 tracks a variety of running pace and form metrics, and these measurements matched readings from the Ultra 2 as well. Stride length, step cadence, ground contact time, vertical ratio, and vertical oscillation show both on a generic average scale and within your own average range after you log a few workouts. The Pixel Watch 3 also measures elevation gain and automatically tracks your splits per mile.
(Credit: Fitbit/PCMag)
The Pixel Watch 3 offers more detailed training guidance than its predecessor for running in particular. You can customize a running workout before you start with segments focused on distance, speed, or time. The watch will provide active guidance so you can hit your segment goals during your workout. While running, you can track your own laps or swipe for more detailed workout controls, different views, and music controls. Afterward, you can look at your run and compare it to your past workouts to assess your trends and view any personal records you hit or goals you achieved.It offers significantly more detail for runs than any other workout, but it can still track time and heart rate for many other activities. When out and about, it automatically tracked a walk more quickly than the Ultra 2. Apple’s smartwatch usually showed more steps taken throughout the day versus the Pixel Watch 3, but the two matched reasonably well. As you’re winding down at night, the Pixel Watch 3 will sense when you’re going to bed and automatically enable bedtime mode, which turns off the display and silences all notifications. The watch can also sense when you’re waking up. In practice, it took five to ten minutes for it to recognize either end of my sleep, so I usually preferred to manually control bedtime mode via the quick menu instead of having the screen shining as I was trying to fall asleep, or waiting on the watch to realize I was awake as I brushed my teeth in the morning.I wore it to sleep at night alongside the Ultra 2 on my other wrist, and Google generally gave me credit for slightly less sleep than Apple (about 30 to 40 minutes different), but its numbers more closely matched my anecdotal experience. The graphs of sleep stages looked similar, with times spent within each stage generally lining up. The Fitbit app also provides a sleep score and shows how your time in each stage compares with a typical range for your demographic.
(Credit: Fitbit/PCMag)
Scroll down on the sleep page, and Fitbit breaks down your estimated blood oxygen variation, restlessness, and your sleep profile. I was generally restless for 10% to 11% of my sleep time on a given night. The app hasn’t generated my sleep profile yet, as you need to wear the watch for 14 days in a calendar month to see this data for the first time. The rest of the sleep details populate after a single night.Holistic Health Insights: They’re Actually Useful On the holistic health front, the Pixel Watch 3 continues to support Fitbit’s Readiness Score, also available on the Pixel Watch 2, which uses heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and sleep to give you a sense of how hard you should push your workouts on a given day. The Pixel Watch 3 offers more training guidance than its predecessor through new Cardio Load and Target Load metrics. Cardio Load provides a rolling seven-day breakdown of your exertion over time alongside guidance on whether you’re under or overexerting yourself. Target Load uses your Readiness Score and Cardio Load to help you set a specific workout goal for the day. When you wake up, your watch will show a Morning Brief with all of the above alongside the weather, so you’ll know if you can plan your workouts for the great outdoors or if you’ll need to go to the gym or exercise at home.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
The Galaxy Watch 7 has its own holistic health assessment called Energy Score, which encapsulates your well-being for the day on a scale from 0 to 100 by weighing your sleep and activity level from the day before. It uses this score to also offer a specific wellness tip meant to help you improve your score and feel better the next day.Garmin also has a feature called Body Battery on its latest watches which updates throughout the day with your estimated energy level. Apple’s latest watch software, watchOS 11, has a feature called Training Load which assesses your activity over time and warns of possible burnout. Together, Fitbit’s trio of assessments available on the Pixel Watch 3 encapsulate both an overall energy level and strategic workout planning, making for the most comprehensive set of holistic health advice.You’ll need to wear the watch for six nights to calibrate your Readiness Score and two weeks to provide both the Cardio Load and Target Load. The Morning Brief shows up after three nights, but it’s a little paltry until the other holistic health assessments are ready. Apple’s Training Load also asks for two weeks of data to calibrate, but Samsung’s Energy Score populates after just a couple of days. You might be disappointed to unbox your new watch and need to wait a couple of weeks for its best features to come online, but the information from the Pixel Watch 3 is generally worth it.
(Credit: Fitbit/PCMag)
My Readiness Score has varied from 48 after a long day of travel and a mostly sleepless night to 78 after I made a concerted effort to sleep and recover from my trip. Fitbit called the score of 48 moderate and advised a moderate amount of exercise. It called 78 a high level of readiness and it told me my body was recovered and ready for a workout, which fit my frame of mind. I tend to average a score in the 60s, and Fitbit splits high and moderate readiness within that threshold, calling 63 moderate and 65 high. Overall, the Readiness scores generally reflect how I feel, and Fitbit offers solid workout advice. If you want to dig deeper into your data, Fitbit also shows the sleep and heart rate assessments used to generate your score. The Cardio Load score adjusts in real time as you work out and perform activities throughout the day. You can see the Target Load given on the Cardio Load progress bar, so you know what you’re aiming for. My Target right now is an activity score anywhere in the range of 66 to 103. Under details, it shows I’ve been training less than usual lately and warns that I’m under training. While the Target Load numbers themselves feel obtuse, they become more understandable as you start working out, as the Cardio Load rises and gets closer to the goal. Verdict: Google’s Body With Fitbit’s BonesDespite having the same processor and sensors as the last generation, the Pixel Watch 3 is a solid update thanks to its improved screen, new 45mm size option, and fresh Fitbit features. We appreciate its holistic health insights and precise workout recommendations, especially since they are all offered in front of Fitbit’s paywall. Those details help the Pixel Watch 3 keep up with tough competition from the Galaxy Watch 7, though we slightly favor Samsung’s watch overall thanks to its extra tracking capabilities for body composition and snoring. Still, the Pixel Watch 3 offers better battery life than the Galaxy Watch 7, and it’s a worthwhile investment if you value Fitbit’s excellent app and workout guidance. The Galaxy Watch FE beats both in terms of affordability while offering a similar list of sensors and smarts, remaining our Editors’ Choice among Wear OS watches.
Pros
Useful holistic health metrics
Detailed running guidance
Accurate heart rate monitoring
Excellent sleep tracking
View
More
The Bottom Line
Google’s Pixel Watch 3 gains a larger display and fresh Fitbit-powered health insights to remain one of the best Android smartwatches.
Like What You’re Reading?
Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
About Andrew Gebhart
Senior Analyst, Smart Home and Wearables
I’m PCMag’s senior analyst covering smart home and wearable devices. I’ve been writing about tech professionally for nearly a decade and have been obsessing about it for much longer than that. Prior to joining PCMag, I made educational videos for an electronics store called Abt Electronics in Illinois, and before that I spent eight years covering the smart home market for CNET. I foster many flavors of nerdom in my personal life. I’m an avid board gamer and video gamer. I love fantasy football, which I view as a combination of role-playing games and sports. Plus, I can talk to you about craft beer for hours and am on a personal quest to have a flight of beer at each microbrewery in my home city of Chicago.
Read Andrew’s full bio
Read the latest from Andrew Gebhart
