After launching Android Wear (now Wear OS) in 2014, it took Google eight years to make its first smartwatch that used the software. Thankfully, it was worth the wait: both the original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 have been excellent wearables that really showcase what Wear OS can do in the right hands — and why the latter is our pick for the best smartwatch for Pixel owners.
So what does Google have up its figurative sleeve (and literal one, given we’re talking smartwatches) for the Pixel Watch 3? Details on the hardware front have been trickling out slowly and steadily and we now have a pretty good idea of what to expect from August's Made by Google event.
Here's what we expect from the Google Pixel Watch 3.
Google Pixel Watch 3 cheat sheet: Biggest rumors
- Release date prediction: August 13, 2024
- Price prediction: $349 or higher
- Design: Likely available in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm, thinner bezel than Pixel Watch 2, Bluetooth only and LTE models
- Display: Brightness may reach 2,000 nits, double that of the Pixel Watch 2
- Features: Possibly new gesture controls, better battery life, improved fitness tracking, ultra-wideband support
- Processor: Possibly the same Snapdragon W5 chip as Pixel Watch 2
- Battery: 41mm may have the same 310 mAh battery as its predecessor; 45mm size may sport a 420 mAh battery
- Software: Wear OS 5
Google Pixel Watch 3: Possible price and availability
We expect two Google Pixel Watch 3 models to be announced alongside the Pixel 9 smartphone during the upcoming Made by Google event set for August 13. The invitation states that they'll "showcase the best of Google AI, Android software and the Pixel portfolio of devices."
As far as pricing, both previous Pixel Watches have launched at $349 and $399 (depending on whether you want LTE or not), so it’s possible this could be the case again — though given recent inflation on Pixel flagships, a slight bump in price isn’t out of the question.
As you’ll read in a moment, this is likely the first year when Google has multiple size options, too. Both Apple and Samsung charge more for smartwatches with larger displays, though Google could take a leaf out of Garmin’s book with the Venu 3 and keep the price the same for both big and small models.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Design
Multiple reports point to the Google Pixel Watch 3 coming in two sizes: a 41mm variant, with a 1.2-inch display and a larger 44mm model, possibly called the Pixel Watch 3 XL, with a 1.4-inch screen.
Additionally, there's a strong chance we'll see the maximum screen brightness double from 1,000 nits to 2,000 nits, which would match Apple and Samsung's latest devices.
A report from Android Authority also suggests that the watch's bezel will (finally) see a reduction in size from 5.5mm in width to 4.5mm. Like the Pixel Watch 2, the new models will be sold with or without LTE connectivity. Battery life for the smaller model is rumored to be 310 mAh, the same as the Pixel Watch 2, while the 45mm size may sport a 420 mAh battery.
According to that same report, the new smartwatches may sport the same Snapdragon W5 processor as their predecessor. Style-wise, the smaller option is reported to come in the following styles: a silver case with a rose quartz band, a black case and obsidian band, a gold case with a hazel band, and a silver case with a porcelain band.
The Pixel Watch 3 model will likely be offered in a hazel case with a hazel band, a black case with an obsidian band, and a silver case with a porcelain band.
Outside of the new size option, brighter screen and slimmed-down bezel, we expect the Pixel Watch 3 will look remarkably similar to its predecessor. Early reports of Google removing buttons from the next-gen Pixel Watch may have been incorrect.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Features
Google I/O 2024 gave us a sneak peek into some of the features coming to Wear OS 5, which just debuted on the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra.
In addition to improved battery performance, Wear OS 5 boasts additional fitness stats for runners, like, ground contact time, stride length, vertical oscillation and vertical ratio. (Apple Watch users got these metrics in 2022 with WatchOS 9).
Fitness tracking has also been tweaked to inundate users with fewer unnecessary alerts. Better yet, monitoring physical activity of any kind should be less of a battery drain with the new operating system.
More specifically, Google claims users tracking a marathon with a Pixel Watch will end up with 20% more battery life at the end of the event if they're running Wear OS 5 versus 4.
Lastly, Watch OS 5 will feature an even greater degree of watch face customization.
Meanwhile, on the hardware side, the Pixel Watch 3 will likely include ultra-wideband (UWB) connectivity, as reported by 9to5Google. This nifty piece of tech should improve the Watch Unlock feature that lets users unlock their Android smartphone from afar. It also may open more possibilities when it comes to gesture controls.
Watch Unlock works well enough now, but with UWB connectivity, it should work even more reliably and at greater distances. Currently, Watch Unlock relies on a Bluetooth connection and will likely continue to in countries where UWB is banned.
Google Pixel Watch 3: What we want
We're still several months out from the presumed Pixel Watch 3 launch date, but we have a few things that we hope Google is looking at…
Thinner bezels
The Pixel Watch is a fine-looking wearable, but the bezels are thick even by smartwatch standards.
To be fair to Google, this isn’t noticeable most of the time thanks to the black background on most apps and watch faces. But this is ultimately a visual trick, and if Google could thin things down it would open the watch up to more colorful watch faces and apps in the future.
Better battery life
The first-generation Pixel Watch struggled to get through a day’s use, and to Google’s credit the Pixel Watch 2 fixed this.
But it still only promised 24 hours, and it would be nice if Google could push it further, perhaps by taking a leaf from its Fitbit line of wearables which last longer with a few sacrifices.
Or perhaps the rumored larger model could pack a bigger cell, to give consumers a longer-lasting option. At least we know that Wear OS 5 will do its part for battery life, given Google's promises.
One charger
Speaking of Fitbit, before it was purchased by Google, the company sure loved its bespoke chargers, with almost every fitness tracker having its own uniquely designed cable incompatible with others in the range.
Worryingly, it looks like Google has followed this with the Pixel Watch: the two models so far released have different chargers that don’t work with each other.
That’s because the first one was wireless, while the second used faster-charging pogo pins. We don’t really mind which path Google chooses for the next generation, but we hope it sticks to one type going forward.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Outlook
From the sound of things, the Google Pixel Watch 3 will be more than an iterative update. With the likelihood of multiple sizes, a brighter screen, improved battery performance, better fitness tracking and more, it may very well be worth the upgrade from the 2.
The real question is, will all this be enough to compete with Samsung's new Galaxy Watch 7 and premium Galaxy Watch Ultra smartwatches? And how will it ultimately stack up against the (likely) forthcoming Apple Watch X and Apple Watch Ultra 3?
As with all things tech and watch-related, time will tell.
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