Despite being in its third generation, the Google Pixel Watch 3 is the first that the internet search giant brought to our shores in an official capacity. For those with larger hands or wrists, this may be a good thing, as it’s the first time these smartwatches have gotten the 45mm trim, as previous generations only had a single 41mm size option.
For what it’s worth, the larger model was the one that come through our office doors for review, so it’s the one that this review will be based on. Size aside though, in equal measure there are things to like as well as dislike about the Google Pixel Watch 3.
What Am I Looking At?
The Google Pixel Watch 3 runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip, and while their screen sizes may differ, both versions have a 320 ppi AMOLED display with a 1 – 2,000 nits of brightness and 1 – 60 Hz refresh rate. Similarly, the 45mm Google Pixel Watch has a 420 mAh battery and the 41mm model sports a 307 mAh battery, both are rated to last for up to 24 hours with its always-on display left as is, or up to 36 hours instead with Battery Saver mode engaged. Or so says the spec sheet, but in actual use, the larger model does tend to last longer, but we’ll get to that in a bit.
Wireless support includes Bluetooth 5.3, WiFi 4, or 802.11n if you prefer. Naturally, there’s NFC for your cashless payments, as well as Ultra-Wideband support. Other items in the spec sheet include 32GB of eMMC flash storage, as well as 2GB of SDRAM. While some degree of water resistance is expected with wearables these days, it’s also nice to see an official IP68 rating on its spec sheet.
With the spec sheet out of the way, the 45mm Google Pixel Watch 3 weighs in at 37g, which for my money is pretty light, as it is lighter than the budget-friendly CMF Watch Pro 2. If you’re someone who is used to smartwatches, then you’ll probably have an easier time getting used to it than I did, considering my usual wristwear is a Casio G-Shock G-7900 which is more comparable to one of the Ultra models by Apple or Samsung.
Operation is done via the touch screen, or the crown which is also a button in its own right. No rotating bezels though, if that’s a method of operation that you’re used to. That being the case, if you’re familiar with Android Wear OS 5, then you should have no issue adjusting to the Google Pixel Watch 3.
What’s Good About It?
The biggest deal with the Google Pixel Watch 3, as you’d expect with most of the other smartwatches made by phone makers, is the ease of use when paired with a smartphone by the same company. That being said, with Google’s own Android being the big umbrella for phones not made by Apple, one can argue that this allows for it to work well with just about any Android phone using Google apps.
Probably the best example of this is when navigating with Google Maps when you’re within walking distance of your destination. This lets you consult your watch rather than your phone, which is probably less of a hassle. Not something that you’d use much, but certainly useful when you’re in unfamiliar territory, like when you’re out on holiday. Then there are the usual list of obvious benefits like using Google Pay for cashless transactions, and perhaps the not so usual use of syncing alarms, so that you’ll feel the watch vibrating alongside your phone ringing.
One thing I’d point out though, at least for the 45mm model Pixel Watch 3, is its battery life. As noted above, the 41mm and 45mm models are supposed to share a common 24-hour battery life, or 36 with Battery Saver. While I had it on me though, the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 would normally last for just under two days without any of the sports tracking engaged. If left to run entirely on Battery Saver mode and no exercise, it could go on for just over four days.
All that being said though, the Google Pixel Watch 3 is by no means being sluggish to achieve its long battery life. I often see the heart rate reading on the watch face update in real time which, as a relatively unhealthy person, is not exactly difficult. The process start with me checking the time, seeing my higher-than-average resting heart rate, feeling anxious because of it, and seeing my heart rate climb as a result.
What’s The Catch?
At launch, the company touted three features as the selling points for the Google Pixel Watch 3, which are Daily Readiness, Cardio Load and Target Load. These are basically scores for your body’s recovery, the amount of work your heart is putting in in a day, and the target amount of cardio activity you should be aiming for, respectively.
Unfortunately, the first and third on the list are not metrics that are available to you immediately, requiring seven and 14 days of consecutive nights with the watch on respectively. On one hand, I get that the wearable needs more data before giving you what it thinks are more accurate readings. But on the other, I’m not sure what I feel about being time-gated by two weeks for a feature.
Another gripe I had with the Google Pixel Watch 3, which may come across as nitpicky, is the Touch Lock feature. In principle, this is supposed to make it so that the touch screen becomes unresponsive until you turn it off, which is done by holding down the crown for two seconds. While for the most part it works fine, it has inexplicably turned itself off at least once every day while I was reviewing it.
Most commonly is when I turn on Touch Lock right before going to bed, only to find the touch screen very much responsive when I wake up. Other times, I find myself instinctively swiping on notifications on the Google Pixel Watch 3, only to remember that I had left Touch Lock on, and shouldn’t be able to do that.
Should I Buy It?
If you’re already a smartwatch or fitness tracker enthusiast, and are looking for something new, then perhaps the 45mm Google Pixel Watch 3 is something you’d want to consider. Its asking price of RM1,999 is probably not unfair when you look at pricier alternatives.
Probably worth mentioning also is the RM1,849 price tag for the 41mm model, though I would probably suggest against it only just in case the official battery life figures are accurate for said model. You will have to have really small hands to refuse the doubling of battery life for an additional RM150.
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