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One of the highlights of Google’s Pixel 9 launch event was the introduction of the entire Pixel portfolio in the Indian market, which includes both sizes of the Pixel Watch 3. Previous versions of the Pixel Watch faced criticism, particularly regarding battery life. While the second generation addressed some of these concerns, the Pixel Watch 3 confidently signals Google’s serious intentions in the smartwatch arena.
Google spent a lot of time explaining the Pixel Watch 3’s many updates over its predecessors, including new and improved sensors, a refined app experience, and granular data access to support users’ fitness journey. This enhanced functionality integrates the Pixel Watch 3 seamlessly into Google’s expanding Pixel ecosystem.
Pixel Watch 3 is priced at Rs 39,900 for the 41mm model and Rs 43,900 for the 45mm model with Champagne Gold Aluminum Case/Hazel Active Band and Polished Silver Aluminum Case/Rose Quartz Active Band.
The 45mm variant comes in three color options: matte black aluminum case/obsidian active band; Polished silver aluminum case/porcelain active band; Matte hazel aluminum case/hazel active band. We reviewed the 41mm version champagne gold aluminum case/hazel active band option.
Is Google Pixel Watch 3 the ‘perfect missing piece’ that Google’s hardware ecosystem needed? Let’s find out.
google pixel watch 3 design
The Google Pixel Watch 3 doesn’t look much different from its predecessor, although it does have a higher screen-to-body ratio than the older model. It has a round dial, a large crown and a button on the right side of the strap and a speaker slit on the left. The overall structure is similar to a smooth pebble that you would find on any river bank.
The soft silicone strap attaches to the dial in the most ‘pixel manner’ and we had no trouble wearing it all day long, thanks to its light weight (31 grams). The crown can be ‘clicked’ to bring up the app drawer and navigate through installed apps.
Talking about the display, Google says that the screen of Pixel Watch 3 is slightly larger (16%) than Pixel Watch 2. If you’ve used a Pixel Watch 2, it probably won’t make much of a difference in real-world use, but it’s always good to look forward. The all-glass screen melts at the edges and blends into the aluminum frame.
Many improvements have been made in the display. The Pixel Watch 3 features the Actua display we’ve seen in recent Pixel smartphones, a custom AMOLED LTPO display with DCI-P3 color, 2,000 nits (peak brightness), and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The Pixel Watch 2 did not have an LTPO display and brightness was limited to 1,000 nits.
The display impressed us with its exceptional readability. Even in bright sunlight, we had no trouble reading content. It also has always-on display (AOD) functionality that intelligently dims to just 1 nit in the middle of the night or in darkness like in a theater – providing a subtle light that flashes just enough to indicate its presence. Is.
It also has a theater mode that when enabled dims the screen to minimal levels and doesn’t send intrusive notifications that usually keep our wrists tingling for most of the day. There are also other great features like Bedtime Mode which turns off the display, and Touch Lock.
Google Pixel Watch 3 performance
The Google Pixel Watch 3 has a Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip with a Cortex-M33 co-processor. It runs on WearOS 5 – Google’s latest operating system for wearable devices and it met all our expectations. Navigating through menus and apps on the display is as easy as possible and we encountered no lag while navigating through notifications.
However, 41mm seemed a little small to us. Navigation seemed easy, but certain tasks like replying to WhatsApp messages on the 41mm screen or choosing a watch face from the list on an online store felt very tedious due to the small real estate. Pro Tip: If you have thick fingers and wide wrists, choose the 45mm version.
One thing that makes a smartwatch different from an analog watch is the watch face. This gives us the freedom to change the look as per our choice, such as matching it with our outfit. However, there is a slight problem with the Pixel Watch 3.
Frankly, the many pre-installed designs are a major drawback. They have no sense of civility, sophistication and elegance. Although we get the option to download many of them. Of the many pre-installed watch faces, we settled on just one and had to scroll through hundreds on the App Store to find one we liked.
Overall, the design doesn’t live up to the expectations set by the Pixel Watch 3’s premium hardware and features.
As expected, the Pixel Watch 3 really shines when integrated with a Google account. Basic apps like Calendar, Google Maps, Assistant, Camera, and others work seamlessly. Additionally, there are apps like WhatsApp, YouTube Music, and Pixel Recorder app that can be controlled through the watch and then accessed on the phone.
The watch also has GPS, so if you want to leave your phone behind while exercising you can easily do so. For example, we went for an exercise session and didn’t want to take the phone with us. We downloaded our playlist on YouTube Music to the Watch and connected it to our Pixel Buds for a full workout session without any interruptions.
The Assistant, which can be summoned via the button just above the Crown, works exactly as it does on Pixel phones. Built-in speaker is loud and clear for audio calls. This tight integration with the Google ecosystem enhances the overall user experience and streamlines daily tasks.
Now talking about the hardware, the Pixel Watch 3 is the most powerful and cleanest wearable we can get from Google. This is mainly due to its compatibility with Pixel smartphones, which suggests that Google is really going for the ‘ecosystem’ concept that Apple has made famous. You get a ton of features, including Find My Device, Car Crash Detection, Google Wallet, Fall Detection, and Emergency Sharing as well as SOS.
Beyond its core functionalities, the Pixel Watch 3 offers a number of useful features designed to enhance convenience, user experience, and health monitoring. Health and fitness tracking on the Pixel Watch 3 is facilitated by the Fitbit ecosystem, which Google is impressively incorporating into WearOS.
One particularly useful feature of the Pixel Watch 3 is its seamless integration with Google Fit. This integration allowed continuous data collection even while the watch was charging. When we left our Pixel Watch 3 on the charger and went to walk our dog, the Google Fit app on our Pixel phone made sure there were no gaps in our activity and health data.
This clever interaction between the watch and the phone ensures a comprehensive and seamless record of our fitness regime. The Google Fit app clearly differentiates between data collected directly by the watch and data imported from the Fitbit app by icon indication.
Speaking of other health features, there’s a cool feature called Connected Fitness that enables wearers to pair the watch with compatible workout machines, allowing sharing of real-time data like heart rate information.
The always-on heart rate sensor provided comprehensive monitoring of our cardiovascular fitness. We set notifications for irregular, high and low heart rates to stay informed about your heart health. While there is a pre-loaded range that the watch can track, you can also set a custom range.
There are many other features that help us customize our routines as per our goals. There are broadly 6 major categories that allow us to take granular control: Running, Strength, Mindfulness, Cardio, Yoga and Mobility and Recovery. We can select each mode and set individual goals.
For example, the Running mode is impressive and allowed us to set personalized goals for distance, time, and target heart rate. Other comprehensive routines included warm-ups, cool-downs and intervals.
If you’ve got a lot going on in your mind and need a moment of peace, the Mindfulness feature can guide you through breathing exercises while monitoring your heart rate variability. Sleep tracking is another area where the Pixel Watch 3 excels.
Google Pixel Watch 3 battery and Fitbit app
While all of this can be accessed on the watch itself, the Fitbit app allowed us to dive deeper into the data. It provides a detailed description of sleep stages, including deep, light, REM and wake times, presented in a clear and informative graph. However, to get access, you must have Fitbit Premium, which luckily came bundled with our Pixel Watch 3 for free (for 6 months).
If you’re serious about your health and fitness, the Fitbit subscription (Rs 999 annually) has a lot of cool benefits. Apart from providing deeply personalized information about your goals and performance, it offers features like daily workout routines powered by Google AI, sleep scores, workouts guided by expert trainers, among other benefits.
Talking about battery life, Pixel Watch 3 falls in the general range of smartwatches. During our normal daily routine with the Watch – which also included a few workout sessions – we got about a day of battery life. However, over the weekend, we were able to get a maximum of one and a half day of battery use.
The biggest feature of Pixel Watch 3 is its fast charging capability. It charges its battery quickly, reducing downtime. Once the watch is charging, a notification appears on the phone saying the watch is fully recharged.
Google Pixel Watch 3 verdict
The Google Pixel Watch, like the Pixel smartphones, is late to the party. But in terms of features, it has proved to be somewhat effective for Google Smartwatch. And it’s no different for the Pixel Watch 3 With prices starting at Rs 39,900, the Google Pixel Watch 3 is a significant step forward for Google in the smartwatch market. It has an attractive design, a vibrant display, seamless integration with the Google ecosystem, and a robust suite of health and fitness features.
If you’re deeply immersed in the Google ecosystem and prefer seamless integration and health tracking, the Pixel Watch 3 is a great choice. We think the Pixel Watch 3 isn’t just an incremental upgrade, but reflects Google’s ambition to become a leading force in the smartwatch market. So a short answer to the question, “Can Google compete with Apple and Samsung in the smartwatch market?” “A big yes.”