After months of build-up, leaks, and rumors, the Google Pixel Watch 3 is finally official. Google took the wraps off the Watch 3 at its August hardware event in Mountain View, alongside the anticipatedPixel 9series.
The sequel to one ofour favorite smartwatches, Google’s latest wearable addresses a couple of big criticisms of its prior watches: the Pixel Watch 3 is finally available in two sizes — 41 and 45mm — and the bezels around its screen are noticeably smaller than in previous generations. Fitbit is getting some big updates on Pixel Watch 3, too, making it a particularly appealing option for running enthusiasts. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Pixel Watch 3.
Google Pixel Watch 3
The Pixel Watch 3 is a similar offering to last year’s Pixel Watch 2, but with refined hardware, enticing new fitness functionality, and a new 45mm size option. True to the Fitbit lineage, the Pixel Watch 3 puts a clear emphasis on exercise tracking, making it an appealing option for runners.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Availability and price
The Pixel Watch 3 starts at the same $349 as both prior generations. That’s for the 41mm model; the new 45mm version is $399. you’re able to add LTE connectivity to either size for an additional $100. It’s available for pre-order today, with general availability starting September 10.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Design and specs
Google’s sticking with what works in the Pixel Watch 3: the new watch looks very much like the previous two generations. It’s still round and curvy, with a rotating crown and a single hardware button on one side. There are finally two size options this time, though. There’s still the tried and true 41mm version, but new for this generation, you can opt for a larger 45mm case. Both sizes have slimmer display bezels than the Pixel Watch andPixel Watch 2did. The displays are brighter this year, with peak brightness topping out at 2,000 nits.
Color options vary by size. The 41mm model is available in Matte Black with an Obsidian band; Polished silver with either a Porcelain or Rose Quartz band; or Champagne Gold with a Hazel band. The 45mm version comes in slightly more subdued hues: Matte Black with an Obsidian band; Polished Silver with Porcelain; or Matte Hazel with a Hazel band. Bands made for Pixel Watch or Pixel Watch 2 are compatible with the 41mm Pixel Watch 3, but not with the larger 45mm model.
Inside, things are largely unchanged from the Pixel Watch 2. The Watch 3 uses the same Snapdragon W5 chipset paired with a Cortex M33 co-processor as last year’s watch, and there’s still 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space. The 41mm version has a 306mAh battery, while the larger 45mm comes with a 420mAh cell. Google says the watch is good for 24 hours of wear with the always-on display active, or 36 hours with Battery Saver, “without compromising health, fitness, or safety capabilities.” As with previous generations, the Pixel Watch 3 is IP68 rated, meaning it’s safe to get wet, but it shouldn’t be submerged for extended periods.
Specifications
The Pixel Watch 3 is bigger, brighter, smarter, and more full-featured.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Software
The Pixel Watch 3 comes with Wear OS 5, the latest version of Android for smartwatches. Wear OS 5 is functionally very similar to Wear OS 4, but there’s a handful of impressive new Fitbit features on offer.
There’s a new Morning Brief feature in Fitbit that sees the Pixel Watch 3 deliver a breakdown of key health stats each day, including a heads-up if any of your tracked metrics like HRV or SpO2 are outside your normal range.
Fitbit’s daily readiness score factors in more data on Pixel Watch 3, pulling in resting heart rate and heart rate variability to formulate your number each day. The watch can also measure your cardio load — how hard your heart is working — and Fitbit will give you a target cardio load for each day. Fitbit’s readiness score is no longer part of Fitbit Premium and is available for free on Pixel Watch 3.
Outside the world of fitness, Google’s Pixel Recorder app is available on the Pixel Watch 3, letting you record meetings or voice memos without your phone. Recordings from the watch can be played back on the watch itself or on your paired Pixel phone.
Pixel Watch 3: The good kind of iterative update
The Pixel Watch 3 isn’t a wholesale reinvention of Google’s wearable line, but it seems like a competent upgrade. Its hardware design keeps the unique and stylish aesthetic Google established with the first-generation PIxel Watch while addressing some of the major pain points: the new model has a brighter display, slimmer bezels, and crucially for the large-wristed, comes in two sizes. Its new Fitbit-powered running features seem compelling, too.
you may pre-order the Pixel Watch 3 today, starting at $349. We’ll be sure to put the watch through its paces as soon as we can, so keep an eye out for more.
