The Pixel Watch 2 fixed many of the complaints we had about its predecessor, and with more improvements added to the new Pixel Watch 3, Google may finally be ready to stand up to the competition. Let’s take a look at the key improvements that make the Pixel Watch 3 worth buying.
1 Larger 45mm size for larger wrists
Many Pixel Watch fans love its smaller size and minimalist look, and while this is aesthetically pleasing, it's unfortunately not very practical for people with larger wrists and can sometimes look awkward.
This won’t be a problem anymore as the Pixel Watch 3 comes in two sizes: the standard 41mm and the new 45mm. You can choose the size that suits you best.
2 Bigger, brighter screen with thinner bezels
Of course, the 45mm model has a larger screen, too — 40 percent larger, to be exact — which is helpful if you've had trouble navigating the Pixel Watch's rather small screen and need more surface area to avoid accidental taps.
The Pixel Watch 2’s outdoor visibility wasn’t bad, but many users found it lacking in direct sunlight. Google has addressed this issue by increasing the Pixel Watch 3’s brightness to 2,000 nits, double the brightness of its predecessor. That puts it on par with the Galaxy Watch 7 and Apple Watch Series 9, which we reviewed.
And if you're curious, the screen can also go down to one lumen when the always-on display is active, avoiding interruptions in dark environments — for example, when you're watching a movie.
3 Longer battery life and faster charging
The 45mm version of the Pixel Watch 3 has a larger 420mAh battery compared to its predecessor (306mAh), which should significantly improve battery performance. Google claims up to 24 hours of battery life with AOD enabled and up to 36 hours using Battery Saver mode.
Pixel Watch 3 automatically turns on Battery Saver mode when it reaches 15% and turns on Bedtime mode when it detects sleep, turning off notifications and AOD.
Google has also increased charging speeds by 20 percent, allowing the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 to fill its larger battery in roughly the same time as before — 50 percent in 28 minutes.
4 Morning brief to start your day right
Morning Brief is a new health and wellness feature that gives you a quick summary of your most important health and fitness metrics each morning. For example, it can show you how well and how long you slept, how you’re progressing toward your exercise goals, and your readiness score, which tells you whether you’re energized enough to exercise or need more time to recover.
This feature also notifies you when any of your health metrics, such as heart rate variability, respiratory rate, or SpO2 levels, are outside of your normal range so you can visualize your improvement over time.
Morning Brief also provides you with weather information, so you don’t miss out on anything. All of this information helps you avoid looking at your phone first thing in the morning while still getting all the important information that’s relevant to you.
5 Deeper integration with Google services
If you already own a Pixel phone and other Google products, the Pixel Watch 3 is the perfect choice for you. Its deep integration with the Google ecosystem lets you use the Pixel Watch for purposes other than achieving your fitness goals.
For example, you can use the watch to watch a live feed from your Nest doorbell camera and answer visitors, access Google Maps offline, check and end phone calls, and control the camera shutter on your Pixel phone. You can even use the watch as a Google TV remote to pause a show, change the channel, or adjust the volume.
Google has improved the Pixel Watch with each generation, and the Pixel Watch 3 is no different. All of these improvements for the same $349 starting price make the Pixel Watch 3 worth your hard-earned money.