Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: Should You Upgrade?

Design

The core design of both Pixel Watches is the same. They're sleek, circular smartwatches with a domed glass face, 100% recycled aluminum casing, and a twistable crown plus an action button on the right side. Like the Apple Watch, it's hard to significantly improve the Pixel Watch 2's already attractive and minimalist aesthetics. The Pixel Watch 3 doesn't try to, but it does now give you the choice of two size options instead of one, and it shrinks the bezel (the black edge around the screen) by 16%, which results in 10% more screen on the 41mm version and 40% more screen on the 45mm version compared with the Pixel Watch 2.

Both generations of the Pixel Watch let you choose between polished silver, matte black, or champagne gold finishes. The Pixel Watch 3 adds another option to the mix: matte hazel, which is more grayish than greenish. The watch face's glass curves to cover the sides, so only accents of aluminum on the edges and the crown are visible when you're wearing it.

Winner: Pixel Watch 3

Hands On With the Pixel Watch 3

Display

The Pixel Watch 3's bezels are smaller, and therefore, its screens are bigger, but that doesn't mean they're sharper. Both the Pixel Watch 2 and the Pixel Watch 3 use AMOLED displays that show 320 pixels per inch. Google doesn't offer exact resolution numbers for the screens, but with the same dot pitch, they're equally sharp. The Pixel Watch 3 has a higher resolution (the same amount of pixels per inch, over a bit more space).

Google has entered the brightness battle Apple and Samsung have already been fighting by doubling the peak light output of the Pixel Watch 3 to 2,000 nits. That's extremely bright, but the 1,000-nit Pixel Watch 2 isn't exactly dim. Both watches cover the DCI-P3 color space.

Winner: Pixel Watch 3

Processor

This is pretty surprising: Both generations of Pixel smartwatches have the same hardware specs. The Pixel Watch 2 and the Pixel Watch 3 each use Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear 5100 processor with a Cortex M33 co-processor and feature 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. This means the new Pixel Watch isn't really any faster and doesn't have any unique hardware-driven AI features.

Winner: Tie

Fitness Features

Both Pixel Watches have the same fitness-tracking equipment. They have several sensors, including red and infrared SpO2, multi-path optical heart rate, skin temperature, and skin conductance (cEDA) body response. Both also pack all of the standard motion and navigation sensors, such as an accelerometer, altimeter, barometer, compass, gyroscope, and magnetometer. Both watches also have extensive Fitbit integration for tracking workouts and various health metrics (and a $9.99 per month/$79.99 per year Premium subscription to access all of those metrics). Additionally, both provide a Readiness Score to help you determine whether to do a hard workout or take it easy.

That doesn't mean the Pixel Watch 3 is completely lacking in new features. It can analyze your stride as you run, and Fitbit can offer AI suggestions for future runs. It provides much more detailed insights into your runs than the Pixel Watch 2.

The Pixel Watch 3 also offers more training guidance than its predecessor through new Cardio Load and Target Load metrics. Cardio Load provides a rolling seven-day breakdown of your exertion over time alongside guidance on whether you’re under or overexerting yourself. Target Load uses your Readiness Score and Cardio Load to help you set a specific workout goal for the day.

Winner: Pixel Watch 3

Connectivity

Both watches have Bluetooth and dual-band 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and are available with 4G LTE cellular connectivity. The Pixel Watch 3 upgrades its Bluetooth from 5.0 to 5.3, which should allow for more stable connections with your phone and headphones. It also supports Ultra-Wideband wireless for accurately locating or being located by compatible devices like the Pixel 9 Pro.

Winner: Pixel Watch 3

Battery Life

Battery life is wildly different between the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 and both its smaller sibling and previous-gen model. The Pixel Watch 2 lasted 33 hours in our tests, but even with a bigger, brighter display, the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 hit 34 hours. The 45mm Pixel Watch 3 eclisped both, though, with an impressive 46.5 hours, coming close to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (55 hours on a charge in our tests). The Pixel Watch 3 can also detect when you're sleeping and automatically turn off the always-on display to save battery life, which could further improve the numbers.

Winner: Pixel Watch 3 (45mm)

Price

The Pixel Watch 3 starts at $349.99 for the 41mm Wi-Fi-only model, the same price as the Pixel Watch 2 when it launched. The 45mm version starts at $399.99. Adding cellular connectivity to either Pixel Watch 3 is an additional $100 (plus the cost of a cellular data subscription).

Google has dropped the price of the Pixel Watch 2. It now costs $249.99, or $299.99 for a model with cellular connectivity.

Winner: Pixel Watch 2