Google kind of snuck up on the smartwatch party late, but the Pixel Watch 3 (45mm) – which has been reduced in price from $299.99 to $199.99 – is a lot better for wearing every day because engineers have actually spent some time figuring out what makes a decent one. Whether you’re an Android user looking to track your runs or simply need a watch that can record runs, show heart rate, and calendar events without causing you a headache, the Pixel Watch 3 delivers with no unnecessary frills.
That sunshine you’ve always had difficulties seeing on other smartwatch displays? No issues with the Pixel Watch 3. Its display produces an eye-searing 2,000 nits of brightness, ensuring that your text and maps seem crisp and clear even on the brightest afternoons. It’s also got a variable refresh rate from 1Hz all the way up to 60Hz to keep your animations from skipping a beat when you’re scrolling through notifications or swiping between apps.
- The Google Pixel Watch 3 is designed for performance, with advanced fitness from Fitbit[1,2]; the 45mm screen is twice as bright and 40% larger than...
- Maximize your performance with advanced running features; build custom run workouts and get real-time guidance and advanced form tracking[3]
- Enhance your run routine with Fitbit Premium; Google AI uses your goals, past runs, and readiness to power personalized run recommendations[3]
Charging your smartwatch every night used to be a real drag, but this Pixel Watch 3 can go up to 48 hours with a moderate use case. In real-life testing, we saw it holding steady through 10 mile jogs with GPS on, dropping about 20%. A 30 minute charge will give you 80% – and you can easily get an entire day done without breaking out the charger.
Fitbit powers the health side of things here and it’s impressive. The heart rate sensors were spot on during hikes and weight training – they even matched chest straps within 1-2 beats. Sleep stages are broken down into deep rest vs. light dozing and they even give you some helpful suggestions for adjusting your schedule based on patterns. For runners, they’ve got form analysis that can even pick up on stride issues in real time and gives you those daily readiness scores telling you whether to take it easy or go for it.
Need some extra reassurance? The ECG detects anomalies and skin temperature monitoring shows you when your stress levels are getting out of control – and shows you some gentle reminders to do some breathing exercises after a hard meeting that actually help turn all those numbers into habits you’ll actually stick to.
But beyond just the basics, the watch starts collecting data into weekly reports that show you all sorts of things like how caffeine affects your sleep or how your step count affects your mood. It even has that SpO2 monitoring to detect low oxygen levels at night and gives you some scores for stress management recommending some short meditation sessions. Plus, you can share data with loved ones and turn solo tracking into some friendly competition.
