ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The 45mm Pixel Watch 3 is available for $400 without LTE and $500 with LTE.
- The watch is beautifully designed and comfortable, the Fitbit integration is deep, the support for running is useful, and I appreciate the Google goodies.
- There is no protection around the glass display, you cannot customize the button actions, and there is no support for external sensors.
Google’s Pixel Watch models are elegant, minimalist watches with extensive support for the Fitbit health and wellness ecosystem. Unfortunately, the first two generations were too small for me to wear daily, and after a month, I moved on to other wearables.
That won’t be happening with the Pixel Watch 3. In fact, the Pixel Watch 3 is actually pulling me to switch my daily driver to a Pixel 9 Pro, just to keep using the new watch.
Google launched two sizes of the Pixel Watch 3, and for the past few weeks I have been using the larger 45mm model, which offers 40% more screen real estate than the Pixel Watch 2. The larger display, also brighter with support for up to 2,000 nits, results in a much better fit on my larger wrist.
Plus, that larger display brings more data in one glance. My aging eyes also appreciate the ability to see the watch clearly by turning on larger fonts.
Speaking of running, Google optimized the Pixel Watch 3 to better support casual runners. It takes 14 days and nights of wearing the watch for Google to determine your cardio load goal. The watch will then show you recommended runs on the Coach tab in the Fitbit app on your phone.
The Pixel Watch 3 does a great job of offering voice commands and clear graphics on the watch face to guide you through the different intervals in the workout.
Google has improved the Pixel Watch’s Google product support with Nest camera streaming, which even includes the ability to activate the microphone and talk to people who appear on your cameras. The camera utility supports controlling all camera modes on front and back cameras on your connected Pixel smartphone.
Another new feature that is not yet widely available is loss of pulse detection. It is wonderful to see Google rolling out health features that will save lives, and I hope to see this feature launched in the US soon.
ZDNET’s buying advice
When I saw the first Google Pixel Watch at a Made by Google event a couple of years ago, I was impressed with the minimalist form factor. Over the past couple of years, Google has significantly improved its smartwatch.
The Pixel Watch 3 meets all my needs, plus has additional features that exceed my expectations. If you own a Pixel smartphone, the Pixel Watch 3 is the best smartwatch you can get.