Google Pixel Watch 3 vs Pixel Watch 2: What's improved in Google's latest smartwatch?

Google announced the third iteration of its Pixel Watch during its Made by Google event in August, which was a little earlier than the traditional October calendar spot. 

The latest smartwatch makes a couple of improvements that put it on track to be one of the best smartwatches out there for Android users, but what are those improvements and how is the Google Pixel Watch 3 different to the Pixel Watch 2?

We've put them up against each other to help you figure out what new features the Pixel Watch 3 offers over its predecessor and what enhancements have been made to that simple and elegant design.

Google Pixel Watch 3 vs Pixel Watch 2

Price and availability

The Pixel Watch 3 starts at £349/ $349/ AU$579 at Google, which is for the 41mm model with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The 45mm model – which is new for the Pixel Watch 3 – starts at £399 / $399 / AU$669. For 4G LTE connectivity, you'll pay an extra £100 / $100 / AU$170. 

The different Pixel Watch 3 models offer different colour options. The 41mm model is available in Polished Silver with a Porcelain or Rose Quartz Active Band, Champagne Gold with a Hazel Active Band, and Matte Black with an Obsidian Active Band. The 45mm model comes in three colour options: polished Silver with a Porcelain Active Band, Matte Black with an Obsidian Active Band, or Matte Hazel with a Hazel Active Band.

The Pixel Watch 2 only comes in a 41mm size option, but it is still being sold by Google (as well as third-party retailers) and is now cheaper than it was when it first launched, currently starting at £239 / $239. However, it was initially the same price as the 41mm Pixel Watch 3, at least in the UK and US.

There are four colour options: polished Silver with a Bay Active Band, Polished Silver with a Porcelain Active Band, Matte Black with an Obsidian Active Band, and Champagne Gold with a Hazel Active Band. Three of the four colours are the same as those offered on the 41mm Pixel Watch 3.

Winner: The Google Pixel Watch 3 comes in two sizes.

Specifications

Winner: The Google Pixel Watch 3 offers better specs on paper.

Design and build quality

Google hasn't dramatically changed its Pixel Watch since it first launched in 2022, but that's no bad thing. The smartwatch is simple, elegant and it works. In the third generation, it retains the polished pebble-shaped casing with a rotating crown in the middle of the right edge, while an action button is positioned above, built into the underside of the aluminium case.

The strap mechanism remains the same as the Pixel Watch 2 in the Pixel Watch 3, with a button to release the strap and slide them out. To re-insert, you have to line up the grooves and click it back in to place. It's not the most user friendly and it's one of the areas we said we'd have liked to have been improved in our Pixel Watch 3 review.

We mentioned the Pixel Watch 3 comes in a larger case option to the Pixel Watch 2, which is one of the biggest differences in design and build between these two smartwatches, though the bezel surrounding the display has also been reduced by 16 per cent. It means that even in the smaller 41mm model you get a larger and more useable display in the Pixel Watch 3 compared to the Pixel Watch 2. 

The Pixel Watch 3's display is also brighter than the Pixel Watch 2, with a 2,000 nits peak brightness over the Pixel Watch 2's 1,000 nits peak, meaning the latest model is better for seeing what's on the screen during bright, sunny days. The new model can reduce to 1 nit too, making it better for night time viewing, and there's a 1Hz to 60Hz responsive refresh rate, so everything is a little more fluid for smoother interaction.

Winner: The Google Pixel Watch 3 offers a bigger and better display than the Pixel Watch 2, plus an extra size option.

Features

The Google Pixel Watch 2 offered some integration with Fitbit, but the Pixel Watch 3 fully embraces the Fitbit features and that results in a number of extra tricks and a more seamless experience. It means you get things like the Morning Brief, Cardio Load and Target Cardio Load on the Pixel Watch 3, along with the new specific running features.

These include the run workout builder, real-time running guidance and daily run recommendations, which appear in the Fitbit app once you have set up the feature. There is also a run performance in the Fitbit app and advanced run form tracking. 

The Pixel Watch 3 will also show media controls on the screen when you're working out so you can change what you're listening to without digging out your phone, and heart rate from your Pixel Watch 3 can be used on compatible exercise equipment too, like the excellent Peloton Bike+. 

For features like sleep stages, Sleep Score and Sleep Profile, as well as Stress Management Score, in-app blood glucose tracking and in-app menstrual health tracking, these are available across both the Pixel Watch 3 and the Pixel Watch 2. You also get everything the Pixel Watch 2 offers in terms of safety features on the Pixel Watch 3, including Safety Signal, Fall Detection, Emergency Sharing, Emergency SOS and Safety Check so in this department, these devices are pretty much on par.

When paired with a Pixel phone, the Pixel Watch 3 and the Pixel Watch 2 will also both allow you to control your Pixel's camera remotely, and there's some integration with Nest on both smartwatches too. The Pixel Watch 3 does take things one step further here though, enabling you to see a live view of your Nest cameras on your wrist, and use your Pixel Watch as a remote for your Google TV too. 

There's also support for Voice Recorder, allowing you to start a recording on your wrist with the Pixel Watch 3, and ultra-wideband is on board the Pixel Watch 3, allowing for things like Digital Car Keys – something the Apple Watch Series 10 offers and something the Pixel Watch 2 misses out on. 

Winner: The Google Pixel Watch 3 offers a number of extra features over the Pixel Watch 2.

Battery life

The Google Pixel Watch 2 made some big battery improvements over the original Pixel Watch so it's not a huge surprise that the Pixel Watch 3 remains around the same as the Pixel Watch 2 in the 41mm model. 

Both the 41mm and 45mm of the Pixel Watch 3 claim to offer around 24 hours with the Always On display turned on, though we got more than that during our review period of the 45mm model.

There's also a Battery Saver mode that offers up to 36 hours, putting it in line with the Apple Watch Ultra. This mode isn't offered by the Pixel Watch 2 so the Pixel Watch 3 definitely has the slight upper hand here. 

Charging is a little faster on the Pixel Watch 3 compared to the Pixel Watch 2 as well, with the 41mm model charging to around 50 per cent in 24 minutes compared to 30 minutes in the Pixel Watch 2. You'll get 100 per cent in 60 minutes for the 41mm Pixel Watch 3, while the Pixel Watch 2 took 75 minutes to get to 100 per cent. For the 45mm model, it takes around 28 minutes to get to 50 per cent and 80 minutes to get to 100 per cent.

Winner: The Google Pixel Watch 3 is quicker to charge, and the 45mm model gave us more than 24 hours.

Verdict

The Google Pixel Watch 3 might look similar to the Pixel Watch 2 but it makes some subtle improvements that result in big differences overall. The introduction of a larger case option is great for those that want a bigger smartwatch, and the reduction in the bezel means that even in the smaller model, you get a more useful display. That's without the extra brightness and responsive refresh rate too. 

On the features front, both the Pixel Watch 2 and the Pixel Watch 3 offer plenty, but the Pixel Watch 3 does have the edge, not only offering a range of running features but Fitbit-specific features like Cardio Load, Target Cardio Load and Morning Brief. There are also some additional lifestyle features such as being able to see a live view of Nest cameras on the Pixel Watch 3, as well as music control during exercise. 

The Google Pixel Watch 2 is the cheaper option of course, but while it offers a similar design, it is only available in one size option, it doesn't have as many features on board and you don't get the advantages of the new display or the faster charging. We would recommend the Pixel Watch 3 over the Pixel Watch 2 despite the price difference, but if you want to save some money and the new features don't phase you, the Pixel Watch 2 is still a very good smartwatch.