Customer Ratings & Reviews

The newest pixel watch, the pixel watch 3, is a major upgrade from the watch 2. The integrated Fitbit health tracking got a huge boost, the comfort and user experience is fantastic and now they offer a larger size (if you want it) and the OG 41mm size is still a bigger screen. But that doesn’t mean there are not still some issues. So let’s get into all of it. [Equipment Spec Notes: I am using the pixel watch 3 paired with a pixel 9 phone. Some results may differ if you are using a non pixel phone. Google says fitbit and most features work on any android device. Find my phone and some google specific apps may not have all features available on non pixel devices] CONS: First, the bad. Since there really hasn’t been a ton to complain about so far, I’ll get those pesky cons out of the way first. Bugs. Bugs are about as sure a thing as taxes and death these days unfortunately, so it’s not going to affect my opinion much on the overall product, but let’s be honest, some tech has more bugs than others. Google doesn’t always sit on the right side of this line, but so far with the pixel watch 3 has been mostly bug free. Bug 1: I’m not sure this is a bug, or some kind of battery saving attempt, but every time I charge the watch, it gets to 99% and says “1 min left” for …well a long time. An hour was the longest I let it go. Once I take the watch off the charger, sometimes it would then say 100% other times it would still show 99. If it showed 99 I put it back on the charger and it quickly said 100 most of the time. This feels like a bug to me, probably an easy enough one to fix with an update, but did throw me off a few times until I figured out what was going on. Bug 2: There is a setting to have “alarms sync” with your pixel phone and watch. This is described as being able to sync alarms added to your phone with your watch and vice versa. I did not see an issue specifically with the sync process, but I did have an issue with the watch only playing the alarm tone but not on the phone one time. This was also a little after 8pm and the alarm the watch was chiming for was set for 8am according to the alarm app on the watch. The watch had previously powered down due to power loss and while charging, it powered back on and a few minutes later fired off an alarm….from roughly 12 hours ago. This seems buggy to me, but you can kind of follow how it got there. Bug 3: A few notifications would occasionally not sound on my watch despite going on my phone. This would be from apps like gmail or texts that usually have no issues. Not a setting to turn off notifications etc. This is also something I’ve seen happen with many watch brands and should not be much of a surprise to anyone. Chalked up to bluetooth usually. And that’s about it. Like I said, not a lot of bugs. I think google did a great job in their beta testing and having a solid grasp on the watch OS now with version 5, there wasn’t a lot of issues. Those bugs are barely worth noting even, but people like me will appreciate the note I hope. Besides bugs, the only other cons I really had in my short testing window so far is more to do with the watch band than the watch. I know, easy fix. Buy a new one. But that’s kind of the problem. Luckily the band that comes with the watch is extremely comfortable (there are two sizes too!) but from what I can tell, it is not a “standard clasp” like say samsungs, where you can get a lot of replacement band options. Attaching the band to the pixel watch 3 was not difficult but also not a style I had seen before. I struggled to attach them by guessing, but once I read the instructions and actually followed them, it was easy to attach. So at least they’re easy to use, but I am bummed my other standard style bands I have for other watches won’t work. And that is it for the negative. Not a whole lot PROS: This review is already getting long, so I’ll try to keep this short, but suffice it to say, there are a lot more pros than I wrote here. I have been a long time samsung watch user but there are so many things I like more on the pixel watch vs the samsung. And I LOVE that google made it easier to swap what phone you’re connected to. On my other watches, I have to wipe the watch with a full reset before I can connect to my second phone, then restore a backup. The pixel watch 3 keeps all the settings and switches phones just fine. That’s a game changer for anyone with more than one phone. So what else does the new watch 3 do better than before? A lot. The highlights include battery life/charging, obviously the screen size options, health features and sensors, UWB (ultra wide band), nest cam live view, and even a google tv remote control. So the battery got an upgrade and software tweaks which is supposed to charge faster and last longer. From my limited testing so far, I think the numbers google gave are pretty accurate. I had the always on display on for awhile, but quickly decided I didn’t need it, so with that off I definitely go over 24 hours and somewhere around the 2nd days afternoon I charge it because it’s getting low ish. It did die completely on me once, I didn’t catch when and I kind of wish the phone would fire off a notification that the connection was lost or the watch app says the watch died - something along those lines. I was working at my desk and didn’t realize for some time that the watch was dead. But usually around 20% I would charge it and within about 35 or 45 minutes, it was full. (despite the above mentioned bug). And last note, this is yet another unique charger system and not standard wireless charge. Everyone does this, I don’t know why, but basically, don’t forget to pack your charger when you travel because you can’t just buy one at the cvs. But, the charger is fast, the battery last long. That’s fantastic. I also love the smaller size face and I’m glad they kept it around while offering the larger size too. I am a smaller person, and although I have always gotten the larger size samsung watches in the past, I wanted to try the smaller size to have more variety. Plus for exercise, I like a smaller device. But I love the rounded edges too. It’s just a joy to look at even when the screen is off. I think design is not taken into consideration enough with other brands and some think slapping a big rectangle on your wrist is fine, but for me, I love the rounded edges and smooth cover google went with here. My only question is, can I still put a glass screen protector on this with the rounded edges. I’m sure there will be some made, but I had curved glass phones in the past and the protectors never worked on them. As someone new to the pixel watch world, I’ll have to look into that more. Lastly about the design, the dial is a joy to use. I do love me a spinning bezel on samsung, but a) they ditched that a few models back and b) this dial is way better. It’s so smooth and responsive. I only wish there was a sensitivity setting in the phone app because with a small screen, it’s easy to scroll way too fast. Worth noting too, the newly added UWB sensor is an important thing because this allows things like unlocking your car when you walk up to it or more commonly used, unlocking your phone without face or fingerprint etc. If your watch is on your wrist and unlocked, your phone will unlock with just a swipe. You think that’s not a big deal…until you try it. HEALTH AND FITNESS: this really is a category all it’s own in this review. They really upped the game from an already impressive health device. Now that fitbit is not hiding much behind a premium subscription, you get so so many features for free. I’m not a runner, but I might start just to test these cool features, but runners will go crazy for all the things you can do now. Make a custom run and have your watch tell you when to do what, it tracks your strides and ground contact and cadence etc. It’s really crazy how much it can do. And then there’s the readiness score now available with the free version and the heart rate monitor got even better. I wasn’t able to test readiness yet because you need I think 14 days of history tracked, but from what I’ve read about it, it can be a really useful tool to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Plus the fitbit health features work with any android phone, not just a pixel. Other watch brands' health features I’ve used only work with their specific phone models. Let me put it this way, if you’re trying to stay healthy, this will help a lot, if you’re trying to start being healthier, this will help a lot. There is a lot of info available in the fitbit app and coaching and alerts you can set up to set and keep your health goals. The sleep tracker has also been very accurate so far and I love getting a morning briefing on my watch when I wake up, no matter what time I wake up. OVERALL: There’s so much more I could say but this is way too long already. If you read all that, thank you. If you didn’t have time and jumped here, I get it, that’s fine. My overall thoughts on the pixel watch 3 is “oh dang. I got a new favorite.” I’ve tried other watches from other brands and love them all for their own reasons, but the pixel watch 3 has checked more of my personal need boxes than any other watch I’ve used. I prefer the smaller size, but now I can get both sizes, fitbit and the health features are some of the best free options I’ve seen, including detecting mood changes and letting you track your mood/stress, it’s so comfortable to wear and a joy to look at and use. The only cons have been a few bugs and I could argue the OS is a little clumsy to use at first. With practice it should get better, but sometimes things feel clunky and navigation is not so intuitive. But overall I am loving the pixel watch 3 and will definitely make this my new go to watch for all my day to day use.

It's very good but the load only lasts 2 days unless it lasts a week but only 2 days if it loads fast but there are marks that last 20 days

replaced my Versa4. Short battery life. Hard to change bands

I like the look but for a watch the battery life is horrible. I have to recharge every 1.5 days. It dies on me all the time since I was not used to frequent charging. I want to go back to my Fitbit. Love the tap pay feature, hate how it randomly turns volume on after I've muted. Overall, one star, due to battery life.

This comes with a proprietary charger and watch bands, actually it has 2 sizes of band for the half with holes. The bands are not preinstalled, they will slide in from the left to right. There is a button hidden to release the band right next to the left side. The sizes go from what I would assume are child sizes all the way up to my meaty wrists. Since they are designed for this watch, you need to buy Pixel watch 3 specified bands. The interface is standard Pixel watch OS fare. There are some apps available, especially if you have a Pixel phone, that are quite handy. For instance you can control your camera on your Pixel phone with the watch. The watch is waterproof, at a prespecified depth it will disable touches and the crown controller. Very neat. I have not seen what that depth is, but it is not overly deep. Being in the pool will disable the crown. Step tracking seems to be very accurate. I counted steps from the mailbox to the front door and they were almost exact. The screen is bright enough you can see it easily outside. Navigation is easy, especially with moist hands from sweating, thanks to the crown controls. Battery life is interesting. It charges faster than advertised and will easily last a 24 hour day with battery. It can charge in the time it takes to get showered and dressed in the morning. Sleep tracking is pretty good, but too easy to disable. The drop down shade can disable functions depending on how you sleep. I've lost a couple nights tracking from sleep disabling. I don't sleep in one position often. Overall, this is a excellent smart watch. It tracks everything you might want. You can pay with it using Google Pay. I can pretty much do most things without taking the phone out of my bag. I give this a thumbs up for a recommendation. My only wish, I wish I got the larger watch. That extra 3 or so mm makes a difference.

I have had Pixel watches since they released the first one years ago. However, that first one did not live up to snuff and was glad I was able to update to the Pixel Watch 2 through a trade in program and additional funds. However, the PW2 was way from perfect. Yes the battery lasted a bit longer, but not as much as I need it to without sacrificing always on display. Everything else was fine for a moderately priced watch for the build quality. Now the Pixel Watch 3 feels like a worthy upgrade. Admittingly, it is surely not there yet, but the battery life is getting there! Now it boasts 24hr battery life and I can say it can come close to my usage. However, I cannot sleep with it and have it charge the next morning to have it ready to go for the day? I need my devices to be fully charged before I set out for my day. So this was a negative for me for sure. But other than that, the increased screen real estate was actully suprising! I didn't think the smaller 41mm would really notice the difference, but I immediately did when I powered it and paired it. The screen is brighter and works well outside finally. The assistant is a bit tinny, but works. I would have thought Gemini could have been ported over by this time, but no, that is still fractured at this point. Dissapointing there as well. But the G works fine. In my daily usage, it works well for a weekend errand watch. Will it work for a sleep monitor? I can't recommend it for that, but I guess you could. I mean the charging works really fast. However, I have found that I could not use my third party Pixel Watch 2 charger to charge the Pixel Watch 3. I cleaned the contacts but still would eventually stop charging and I would need to revert back to the charger that came in the box. Even though it has the same pins and locations, it was not consistant and because of that, I could not wear the watch for that day. Would I recommend this watch? I would say yes, but depending on what you are going to use it for. I mean if you are looking for a basic day watch in which you will need to charge overnight? Sure. The daily fitbit measurements work as it should and ported from the PW2 without issues. But there are a few issues that keep it from my daily wear.

On my 3rd watch. They have changing issues. If i could get my money back i would. Do not recommend at all, buy something else.

I acquired this watch for my boyfriend, who exclusively wears it during the day for his job, and it unexpectedly stopped functioning. In contrast, I have been using my own watch for over three years without any issues and i wear it around the clock

I'm really enjoying this watch. I'm coming from a watch that isn't pure wear os and connected to a pixel phone. The pure wear os experience is great. Setup to my phone was seamless and I was up and running in a few minutes after starting. I primarily use my watch for texting, controlling my music while listening to earbuds and for tracking my walks. The battery life is really good especially with the screen always on turned off. With the screen on all day and sporadic use I had around 66 percent after leaving work. I charge it at the end of day out of habit so I don't find myself worried it dying out on me at all. Charging is very quick also but I do wish the included cable was a bit longer. The magnet connection between the cable and watch is pretty strong and the connection snaps into place easily without having to worry about it not charging. The watch display itself is very bright and due to the rounded design texting was easy for me even though it's a small size. Swipe navigation between different apps and menus feels so smooth and quick that operating the watch is very enjoyable. The preloaded apps are plentiful and Fitbit working with my pixel phone is great. The watch overall feels very sturdy, premium but still lightweight. I definitely recommend this watch, especially to anyone with a pixel watch.

I did not own the Pixel 1 or 2 but based on reviews and videos the Pixel Watch 3 may look familiar, especially the 41mm option, but it has undergone significant design changes. Most notably, it now comes in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm, similar to other flagship watches. This drives more eyes from users with larger wrists or those who prefer a bigger watch screen. The second important improvement is the slimmer display bezels, reduced by 16% from previous models. This gives the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 more usable screen space, while the 45mm model boasts a 40% larger screen. The display is also brighter, maxing out at 2,000 nits, making it easier to see in bright sunlight. You can set it to always-on display. The new screen can now drop to 1 nit to minimize disruption in dark environments, and the display refresh rate dynamically adjusts between 1 and 60Hz for better performance and power efficiency. Previous models maxed out at 30Hz, so the increase provides a smoother visual experience. In terms of health and fitness features, the Pixel Watch 3 has Google’s most accurate heart rate sensor yet. I find the heart rate accuracy the closest to the big fruit company. The sensor algorithm is supposed to be tuned for precise running data, considering arm movement and ground contact time. There are several new metrics for runners including stride length, step cadence, and vertical ratio, alongside standard workout specs like calories burned, distance, pace, elevation gain, and heart rate. Although I’m not a runner, I wish Google offered a similar form analysis for cyclists or hikers. You can also create custom running routines with different intervals and goals using Google’s new Build a Run feature. So you can build a routine where you alternate between walking and running and the Pixel Watch 3 is either alert with an audio notification sound or haptic feedback on the wrist. All of your running progress and performance details can be viewed in the new running dashboard in the Fitbit app, even without Fitbit Premium. But Fitbit Premium does unlock Google AI daily running plans based on your recent performance and readiness, as well as exclusive workout content from Fitbit Premium trainers. You'll get 6 months free when you set up your new Pixel Watch but you’ll have to cough up $80 a year after that or pay $10 a month. Some of the cool features that Google reported on stage during their presentation this year require Fitbit Premium. But Readiness Score isn't locked behind Fitbit Premium, so it is nice to see daily ratings based on your activity and recovery needs. You will need to wear your watch all day for seven days to start seeing those ratings. Other metrics require wearing the watch for at least three weeks. I like the new Cardio Load score. It lets you know how hard your heart is working while exercising. It's supposed to prevent overtraining or straining your body. I also really like the Morning Brief I get every morning on my watch shortly from waking up. The summary includes information on your sleep, readiness, target cardio load, and progress toward your weekly exercise goals. It also provides weather updates and alerts you if any of your metrics, such as HRV, SpO2, or skin temperature, are outside your range. I did not test it side by side with my other smart fruit watch but looking back at my records the numbers are closely aligned. If you owned Google’s previous Fitbit watches you’ll be familiar with their sleep-tracking features and data. The Fitbit app is the most insightful and helpful of the other sleep data I’ve used. I’m a fan of the Sleep Profile and how helpful they can be. It analyses your sleep patterns and stats. The app compares you to an animal with similar sleep behaviors and why. It compares your stats and provides you with averages and the low and high marks for the metric. Good sleep means you should be in the upper range of those metrics. You can also see your sleep data on the watch. You will not get details into your respiratory rate while sleeping, or sleep apnea detection. It would be helpful if they used a medical data-trained AI model to give you better insights into how your sleep could be affecting your training and your health. Also, how to improve. The Pixel Watch performs best when integrated with its own company's services. You can use great apps for Google Maps, YouTube Music, Google Home, and Google Wallet. If you don't have a Nest camera or doorbell, like me, you're missing out on the chance to watch your security camera feed right on your wrist. The watch can also act as a Google TV remote. Now that the Pixel Watch 3 comes with Ultra-wideband it can allow you to control non-Google tech. For example, I used it to lock, unlock, and start my Kia SUV. It works fast and consistently. I wish several phone apps would have a corresponding Google Wear OS 5 watch app or better watch apps. Some of my security cameras don’t have live streams but do have photo notifications. It would be super helpful to get multifactor codes directly on my watch or approve logins straight from my wrist. Maybe someday down the line. Now, my biggest issue with the Watch 3 is Battery life and charging. The Google Pixel Watch 3 uses the same charger as the Pixel Watch 2, which means a proprietary charging adapter. No Qi Wireless charging here. It comes with the charging cable without a brick - that’s expected. But that means another cable on my nightstand or work desk. Google told the world to expect only slight battery life improvements, except for when using power-save mode, where the device is promised to last up to 36 hours. However, I don’t know when to expect a full day's usage under my normal usage conditions. I turned off the watch's automatic exercise tracking. It seemed to help for a week but then two days in a row when the battery didn’t make it to bedtime so I turned it back on. I set the minimum continuous activity to 10 minutes. To monitor my sleep and use my watch throughout the following day, I ensure the watch is charged 100% daily before going to bed. However, I've encountered several instances where the watch battery unexpectedly depletes by 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm, cutting its usage short. I have been unable to figure out why I’ve had so many days of low battery warnings or shutting down before bed. On days when I do indoor cycling and work out with weights, my watch has 30% battery left before bed. I think the adaptive battery algorithm was doing its thing the first week. That first week the battery life was just plain bad for me. It has been better since then but I still experience ups and downs. The increased battery life of the 45mm model may be the main reason to go with that size versus the 41mm I have. The battery hasn’t been all bad news for me. It’s supposed to charge up to 20% faster than the Pixel Watch 2. From my daily driving, it takes about 35 minutes to hit 100% when battery life is floating around 30%. I still get those speeds with a third-party dock charger. Overall, it's been a great smartwatch. It's closer and closer to being on even ground with the one big competitor everyone knows. I recommend this watch over any other Google-made smartwatch or another Android smartwatch.

Best Buy sold me an open box watch that, while factory reset, is still tied to someone else's account making the watch essentially useless to me.

The bands are to get on and the will not stay on. I am truly upset with this purchase

This is my first Google watch and so far I am very impressed. I will say up front that many features of the Watch 3 are geared toward fitness and activity, which I do not find particularly useful so I have not tested some of those features thoroughly. However, many other productivity features work very well and with the entire Google ecosystem, and that is what I am more interested in. You first need to attach the wrist band(s) to the watch. The watch comes with two different lengths and each side needs to be attached to the watch itself. This was the only thing I struggled with - getting the bands on was a little tricky and took me 5 minutes just to do that. Beyond that, everything else was a breeze to use. I have the 41mm size, which is perfect for me. A full charge takes about an hour using the supplied charging cable, but the watch did not include a 5v charger. I was disappointed to learn that wireless charging is not available. Having to use the dedicated USB charging cable (with proprietary 4 pin contacts) seems like a limitation and would be a problem if the cable was lost or damaged. The battery would easily last 24hrs with the always on display, and at least 36 hours with the always on display in off mode. The watch face is bright, even in full sunlight, and the adaptive brightness works well also. Scrolling is super smooth and pleasant. The watch face can be changed and edited to suit the tastes of the wearer. One feature I appreciate is the ability to control my Pixel phone camera from the watch. This is useful for nightscape or astrophotography shots using longer exposures, as well as for including the wearer in group photos. The watch can also control a host of Google products like the Nest camera and Home controls.

This review is on a Google Pixel Watch 3. It comes packaged nicely in a long box that opens on two sides. On one side is the base and the other contains the watch bands. You get two lengths. The band is very easy to put on and take off. You just stick it in and slide it. Then press a button and slide it again to take off. Watch band feels very smooth and is rounded on the inside. It attaches easy with one hand and stays in place. The screen is round and very bright. The rounded screen gives a very nice look. I am impressed with how pictures from texts look amazing. The dial on the side actually works. Turn it and you feel like it is clicking through the menu. It gives better menu accuracy than running your finger on the screen. If you already own a Pixel phone, then pairing this watch with your phone is super easy. Install and open the Pixel watch app and be connected in a few minutes. It will already get it attached to your Wi-fi without having to input all your info. The charger has 4 pins that only seat in one direction, making sure you have a stable connection with a magnet. The battery life is great and charges quickly. Taking and making calls works awesome. The sound is great. Using Google Pay is convenient at checkout. Notifications work better because you get the vibration from your watch. It will even detect if you have taken a hard fall and send out an alert to your list of friends and give you time to cancel the alert. There are many other options I have yet to explore but look forward to all the health programs.

It's a pixel watch, with the latest OS, but has some changes that I simply don't like. The battery life goes 24 hours easily, IF I turn off the always-on-display. Otherwise that just doesn't happen. Google has removed the ability to use 3rd party watch-face stores - if you're going to use an "aftermarket" face for your watch, it MUST come from the play store. This is a big disappointment considering the well-known watch-face store that I've grown to love has a lot of faces I like to switch through. To add insult to injury, not long before getting the Pixel Watch 3 I renewed my subscription to that store for another year. Worse - any previous model of pixel watch that receives the WearOS 5 upgrade will be subject to this exact same limitation - DOH! A lot more Fitbit integration is nice, especially since I've upped my fitness game a bit just before I got this watch - it's nice to see all the data that it collects on my exercising ! The addition of an additional size to the Pixel 3 line is a bonus - although I got the 41mm version (same size as previous models), there is now a 44mm version available for those of you who want a larger watch face. It's straight from google - the maker of the operating system on the watch - I couldn't ask for more, other than that annoying watch-face-store issue!

The Pixel Watch 3 is finally catching up to what the first-generation Pixel Watch should have been. It is an extremely flexible device capable of many different kinds of tasks and integrates well with the Google ecosystem. Many of my gripes with the original watch have been addressed (some with Pixel Watch 2, but I haven’t personally used that watch so I won’t use it for comparison). This new iteration feels like a watch for the average person, not just early adopters and diehard Google loyalists. There is still room for improvement, however. [ Some Improvements ] Unlike the original watch, the PW3 has a truly all-day battery life. The adaptive screen refresh rate (down to 1 Hz) now makes the Always On Display a viable option. The automatic switching to bedtime mode means not waking up to a depleted battery and missing sleep data. And the quicker charge time makes a meaningful difference to those who like to recharge when showering. The charging cradle (improved with PW2) does a better job of keeping the watch secured. Improved health monitoring with irregular heart rhythm notifications, and SpO2 and skin temperature monitoring while you sleep. Though, the last two features only working while you sleep puts these at a disadvantage to some competing products. The new Morning Brief feature helps you track health goals, lets you know if any of your health metrics are off, and tells you the weather forecast for the day, all right on the watch. Unfortunately, I don’t think they’ve integrated calendar events yet, which seems like an obvious thing to include. Many app improvements, such as offline maps support in the Maps app (which thankfully carried to older models), new Google TV remote control tile (currently PW3-exclusive, and not as well designed as the Roku remote app, which works with the PW1/2), better call control in the Phone app, and more. The health and exercise tracking features have repeatedly improved since launch, but most of these improvements are not exclusive to the PW3. The faster processor and higher max refresh rate make interface navigation and app usage snappier and smoother. [ The Usual Good ] The true strength of the Pixel Watch is its flexibility and Google ecosystem integration. Besides all the health and fitness tracking features, the PW3 has everyday, all-day utility. This includes things like providing quick glances at notifications to see what may warrant closer attention (such as an important new incoming email), conveniently taking or rejecting phone calls, looking at and checking off items on my grocery list in Google Keep, setting timers, live street map view while walking or riding a bike, and convenient access to the Google Assistant. With access to apps from the Google Play store, you’re not limited to what Google had in mind for the watch. And there’s peace of mind in knowing that I can contact emergency services via cellular connection even if I don’t have an active plan on my watch. [ The Questionable ] Supposedly, the max nit brightness has doubled. Yet in a side-by-side comparison between the PW1 and PW3 outdoors, I did not notice any difference, whether using adaptive brightness or not (and manually selecting the highest brightness setting). When I compared the Google Pixel 9 phone side-by-side with the GP8, which only had a 12.5% increase to max nits, I did notice a difference. Something feels way off here. Supposedly better Google Home integration, such as being able to view a life feed of various Nest cameras and doorbells. Except for reasons entirely beyond me, my first-generation wired Nest Doorbell is not supported (along with perhaps other models). This feels completely arbitrary when, for example, the Nest Hub can pull up the live feed just fine. [ Still Needs Improving ] The audio is still as horrible as ever. The max volume is quite low, and when at max volume there is significant audio distortion. However, I’m not sure what room there is for improvement in such a small form factor. I haven’t had the opportunity to compare this with competing products. I’d like to be able to measure SpO2 and skin temperature at will, not just automatic monitoring when I’m sleeping. Some software-only features are arbitrarily locked to certain models, likely as a part of planned obsolescence (just like they do with their phones). This feels like the wrong path for Google, not having the same kind of necessity/impetus as in competing brands/companies. Lots of settings and interactions still require interacting with the paired phone. I feel like the watch should be able to do some of this independently.

So I have every version on this watch, the 1st, 2nd, and now this 3rd model. So when I speak on this watch, I have some background on it. The hardware: Well, it's the same as the other models, and it's not a bad thing. It is very smooth, and sleek in design. However, it would be nice to see some changes, other than internals. It's a good design, but needs an update next time. Battery life: The watch does not have the best battery life, but it's decent this time around. It does last longer than the previous models, but not by much. If you want the best battery life, you have to buy the 45mm version of this watch. It has a MUCH bigger battery inside. They at least gave us that option this year. Performance: The watch is fluid, and very fast when using it for daily task. I do more fitness than anything, and that is where the watch shines the best in my opinion. Google owns Fitbit, so it's integrated perfectly. GPS tracking seems to be a little better, as you can do full maps on the watch. The operating system is great, and should hold up good over time. The price: it's priced higher than some other watches that cost a lot less. Overall, if you want to keep it all synced by company, this is a great purchase for your Pixel phone. There is an LTE model, so you can use it as a stand alone as well.

I'll have to admit, I've not been much of a fan of smart watches because I don't want to have to charge them every single day and there's very few that run for even a week without needing a charge much sooner. This isn't a review about battery life but rather one about a watch that has become such a necessity that I stopped caring. Packaging: Fairly straightforward packaging, long narrow box with the watch, some literature and the charger. Nothing groundbreaking here but still well done. Setup: I have an android device so setting up the pixel watch was about as straightforward as can be, you hold it near the phone and it's detected and enters setup. Something I did find interesting is that this watch is paired with Fitbit, I hadn't realized that Google bought Fitbit in 2021 so now one of the best fitness trackers is integrated into one of the best smart watches. Styling: I really dig this new screen to watchband layout, this smooth transition is rather nice, and I appreciate that Google has chosen to not go with the square design that everyone seems to be copying from their biggest competitor. The screen itself is responsive and bright and looks amazing. Use: I've tried some Google wear watches in the past and found the experience to be less than wonderful in most cases. That's not the case here, the watch is fast, responsive, bright. Using and switching between apps is quick, there's not much to complain about here. I've always loved custom watch faces and have used them on previous smart watches to great effect, so to have that option here is very welcome, so that the information *I* need is displayed rather than just what someone else determines is best for me. The GPS is accurate and easy to read. Really everything is great about the watch with the exception of the battery life. With heavy usage it's about a day, maybe a little more. I have gotten into a routine of plugging it in at night, but it'll annoy me when I forget to do it. Overall: It's got all the apps from both Google and Fitbit that you could hope for in both a smart watch and a fitness watch. The style is great, the performance is great. If you can deal with the battery life then all in all it's a really good watch. I do recommend it and most people realize that they are getting into a daily charging situation when it comes to a watch like this so it's difficult to mark it down for that.

The Pixel Watch 3 is a very good smartwatch, packed with a wide range of features that makes it a joy to use. The only real downfall here is that I wish I'd gone for the larger variant. I've had a number of smartwatches over the years, primarily in the WearOS ecosystem. The Pixel Watch 3 is the first one that feels like a truly coherent and complete package. The UI is well thought out, and the crown dial is a phenomenally effective user interface that helps with traversing the various menus on the device. Performance, similarly, feels very good here; reasonable responsiveness and fluidity with not much in the way of lag. Overall, whatever they've done with seemingly limited horsepower has worked, as everything works very well here. Included with the Pixel Watch 3 is a plethora of health features powered by Fitbit. The Fitbit app provides a cohesive and centralized location for all the watch's various health tracking statistics, from sleep quality to physical readiness and workout results. After wearing the watch for a few nights, a couple of additional heatlh statistics were unlocked; namely, recovery and readiness metrics. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly what goes into these, or how Google/Fitbit calculates them, but they give some easy to understand information on how your body is doing and whether you're primed for a workout or not. Additionally, the app provides a number of sleep related metrics; sleep quality, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and skin temp. These stats all give me a comprehensive look into how well I'm sleeping at night to degree I haven't previously had. Finally, the built in ECG function deserves a mention here, as well. By initiating the ECG app and touching an opposing finger to the side of the crown, you get a 30 second ECG rating that, as with the other metrics, helps to give you a view into your health that you wouldn't normally have, helping to alert to potential health issues. Overall, I've been quite surprised, pleasantly so, at just how much health tracking they've crammed into this watch. At this point, I have a few negative points about the watch that I'll discuss. First, as mentioned previously, this size just isn't quite right for me personally (being a male with average to above average wrists). Really, this isn't a negative as Google has given users more options this time, but I'd recommend going for the larger size if you have large wrists. Additionally, battery life is held back by the smaller package. While it does get a full day of battery life, that feels a bit pedestrian when the larger model gets upwards of double that. The larger size and better battery life would be huge positives. Finally, I've found that the face glass is prone to scratching more than I'd have expected. After a week or two of usage, I actually have a few hairline scratches in the device, which has me concerned for the long term viability and durability of the screen. Given the rounded bevels on the screen, screen protectors aren't really a great option either. Overall, the Pixel Watch 3 feels like a foundational device that gives me virtually everything I want in a smartwatch. App selection is solid, health tracking features are awesome, and sleep monitoring/tracking work well. If you're in the market for a watch and have an Android phone, the Pixel Watch 3 is a great option. Just make sure you consider which size is right for you.

Easy to set up and use. Lots of options. Excellent accessory to compliment the Google Pixel phone.