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October 13, 2024
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Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: Should you upgrade?

Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: Should you upgrade?

Google just announced the third generation of Wear OS-powered devices since its return to the smartwatch domain. We say devices because this time around, there are two variants — a standard 41mm model and a larger 45mm version.

Apart from the additional bigger size option, the Pixel Watch 3 looks nearly identical to last year’s Pixel Watch 2. So, if you bought the latter in 2023, does upgrading make sense? Or, if you’ve been eyeing the Pixel Watch, you could get a discounted price on the previous generation, so should you buy the Pixel Watch 2 instead?

These are two very important questions. Let us answer them for you in the comparison below. 

Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: specs

  Google Pixel Watch 3  Google Pixel Watch 2
Display

41mm: 1.3-inch 

45mm: 1.7-inch 

Corning Gorilla Glass 5

2,000 nits peak brightness

1-60Hz dynamic refresh rate 

41mm: 1.2-inch 

Corning Gorilla Glass 5

1,000 nits peak brightness

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 5100

Cortex M33 co-processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 5100

Cortex M33 co-processor

Durability

IP68 

5ATM (~50 meter) water resistance

IP68 

5ATM water resistance

RAM and Storage

2GB RAM

32GB storage

2GB RAM

32GB storage

Software Wear OS 5.0 Wear OS 4.0 
Battery

41mm: 306mAh 

45mm: 420mAh 

306mAh 
Sensors

Heart rate

Altimeter

Compass

SpO2

Skin temperature sensor

Continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA)

ECG

Gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer

Heart rate

Altimeter

Compass

SpO2

Skin temperature sensor

Continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA)

ECG

Gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3

4G (LTE models only)

NFC

UWB

Dual-band Wi-Fi  

Bluetooth 5.0

4G (LTE models only)

NFC

Single-band Wi-Fi 

Materials and colors

Polished silver aluminum with “Rose Quartz” Active band (41mm only)

Polished silver aluminum with “Porcelain” white Active band

Matte black aluminum with “Obsidian” black Active band

Champagne gold aluminum with “Hazel” green Active band

Polished silver aluminum with “Bay” blue Active band

Polished silver aluminum with “Porcelain” white Active band

Matte black aluminum with “Obsidian” black Active band

Champagne gold aluminum with “Hazel” green Active band

Size and weight

41mm: 41 x 41 x 12.3mm, 31g without strap

45mm: 45 x 45 x 12.3mm, 37g without strap

41 x 41 x 12.3mm, 31g without strap
Price

41mm: 

$349 (Wi-Fi only)

$449 (LTE)

45mm:

$399 (Wi-Fi only)

$449 (LTE)

$350 (Wi-Fi only)

$400 (LTE)

Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: design and display

Someone wearing the 41mm and 45mm Google Pixel Watch 3.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The Google Pixel Watch 3 comes in a circular outer body without many visible changes from last year’s model. The addition of a bigger 45mm is perhaps the biggest change in hardware we see this year. Despite the wider landscape, the 45mm is as thick as the smaller 41mm variant, which remains largely unchanged from last year. We found that the underside of the Pixel Watch 3 does pick up a lot of scratches very easily, so it’s worth keeping this in mind.

The watch has a rotating crown/button combo placed almost flush with the body, which is made of 100% recycled aluminum, and comes in clear silver, champagne gold, or matte black finishes paired to the same band colors last year — except for a new “Rose Quartz” that is limited to the smaller 41mm variant. The Bay Blue band option will no longer be an option in the default set but you can purchase other blue bands — besides chains, metal links, fabrics, and a whole range of options — separately.

While the design lacks any radical changes over the previous generation, the display gets a major upgrade. Both the 41mm and the 45mm models get a newer variant of Google’s “Actua” displays with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. That’s twice as bright as the 1,000-nit display on the Pixel Watch 2. In addition to getting brighter, the display can also get as low as 1 nit on the always-on display (AOD), so it doesn’t scorch your eyes in the dark. 

A person sitting down and wearing the Google Pixel Watch 2.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The new display also gets variable refresh rate that reaches as low as 1Hz when needed. The primary objective here is to reduce battery consumption, especially with an AOD. 

In addition, the displays feature slimmer bezels. Google says the 41mm’s display is now 10% bigger than last year despite any changes to the overall dimensions. Irrespective of their sizes, both displays get the same level of sharpness at 320 ppi (pixels per inch), so you shouldn’t have any trouble reading text, though interacting with the watch, and especially typing on a full-sized keyboard, is likely to be better on the 45mm variant. The bigger variant’s screen is 40% larger than that of the previous models, and this makes for a much better viewing experience, including seeing more information in notifications.

Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: hardware

The Google Pixel Watch 3 lying on top of a plant.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Other than the display, there aren’t any noticeable changes to the hardware on the Pixel Watch 3. Google doesn’t explicitly list any upgrades to the set of sensors on the Pixel Watch 3 over the last generation, and we can take this silence as a sign of no reasonable upgrades. 

That said, the Pixel Watch 2 already had a versatile set of sensors. In addition to the standard heart rate and blood-oxygen monitor sensors, the Pixel Watch 2 — and now the Watch 3 — features sensors to monitor skin temperature and ECG. Meanwhile, another dedicated sensor to measure electrical conductance in the skin can detect changes in mood and alert you in moments of stress. Though being reminded of your worries may not be useful for everyone, it may be helpful for people who suffer physiological conditions with stress as a sign of worsening symptoms.

The Google Pixel Watch 2's sensors.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Inside, the Pixel Watch 3 still uses a Snapdragon Wear 5100 chip with an M33 co-processor for low-level tasks such as AOD. The two-chip configuration helps limit the load on the main chip, thereby reducing the battery consumption. It’s backed up by a 2GB RAM and 32GB of storage, the same as the previous generation.  

Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: fitness tracking and software

The apps page on the Google Pixel Watch 3.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Although the Pixel Watch 3 lacks any notable changes to sensors for fitness tracking, Google advertises a wide range of improvements using AI. Google claims the improved training algorithms, part of the Fitbit Premium experience, now offer more precise recommendations and insight so you can adjust the intensity of your training. The Pixel Watch 3 will also give you a rundown of your condition at the start of the day with Fitbit’s Morning Brief functionality. This includes insights about your sleep quality, any overnight changes to your vitals, and the weather. 

Additionally, you will now be able to create routines with the Pixel Watch 3, including a sequence of difference workouts and buffers in between for rest or cooldown. You can also desired targets for distance, heart rate, and similar metrics, and the Pixel Watch 3 ensures you keep up or slow down accordingly by using audio-based and haptic reminders. For running-related activities, the Pixel Watch 3 is gaining additional metrics such as vertical oscillation and duration of contact with the ground.  

Furthermore, the Pixel Watch 3 now shows a Readiness score with an improved AI while Cardio Load tells you the ideal amount of activity you should pursue on any specific day based on various metrics, including recovery from sleep and similar workouts in the past. 

There are also new running recommendations powered by AI that use your Readiness Score, Target Load and running preference to provide a daily recommended run plan. As we found in our Pixel Watch 3 review, having your watch tell you precisely the kind of run to undertake is incredibly helpful in improving the variety of your running, making warm-ups more consistent, and ensuring you can enjoy running more. Like detailed sleep tracking, mindfulness sessions, guided workouts and recipes, this feature is locked behind Fitbit Premium — which costs $10 per month or $80 per year — although you will get six months for free when you buy the Pixel Watch 3.

Sleep tracking data on the Google Pixel Watch 2.
Google Pixel Watch 2 Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The Pixel Watch 3 runs the newest version of Wear OS 5, although you may not notice many visual differences from the older Wear OS 4. In addition to the already existing Google Home controls on the Pixel Watch 2, the Watch 3 also gain controls to your TVs and dongles running Google TV, which presumably also includes the new Streamer box Google announced last week. In addition, you can also view and control your Nest cameras, including being able to talk to people through a Nest doorbell.

Since all of these features are available through software, Google might roll them out to the Pixel Watch 2 or even the older first-gen Watch when they receive the Wear OS 5.0 update. 

Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: battery and charging

The side of the Google Pixel Watch 3 and its crown.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The smaller 41mm Pixel Watch 3 gets the same 309mAh battery as the older Pixel Watch 2, which can last over a day of usage with the AOD enabled. The larger 45mm variant comes with a bigger 420mAh battery adjusted for the higher power requirements of the larger display. For both of these sizes, Google claims a 24-hour battery life with an AOD and 36 hours with the battery saver. 

In our testing, we’ve found that the Pixel Watch 3 regularly exceeds its stated claims, a surprise given this rarely happens. The Pixel Watch 3 lasts around a day and a half between charges with the always-on-display enabled, multiple tracked workouts, sleep tracking overnight, and notifications being delivered all day. This is a definite improvement over the Pixel Watch 2.

The Google Pixel Watch 2's charging puck.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Pixel Watch 3 comes the same magnetic puck with physical pogo pin connectors for charging. Without disclosing the exact charging speeds, Google says charging is 20% faster than last year. As per official claims, the 41mm variant charges 80% in 35 minutes (compared to 43 minutes earlier) while a full charge takes an hour. The larger variant will take slightly longer, owing to the larger battery. Google says the bigger Pixel Watch 3 can charge 80% in 50 minutes, while a full charge takes 80 minutes. 

Once again, we will test these claims in real-life scenarios during our review. 

Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: price and availability

All four colorways for the Google Pixel Watch 3 41mm.
All four colorways for the Google Pixel Watch 3 41mm Google

The Pixel Watch 3 is available now. The smaller 41mm Pixel Watch 3 is priced at $349 without cellular connectivity and $449 with it. The larger 45mm variant is available for $399 and $449 without and with LTE, respectively. 

In comparison, the Pixel Watch 2 launched originally for $350 and $400 for Wi-Fi only and cellular variants. However, over the course of the months since its launch, the prices have dipped, and even reached as low as $270 for the sale events such as the recent Amazon Prime Day in July. 

Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: Should you upgrade?

The Google Pixel Watch 3 with its display turned on.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The Pixel Watch 3 barely picks up any new features over the Watch 2, apart from a variant with a larger display. That means if you already own a Pixel Watch 2, upgrading makes little sense. 

However, if you want to buy one and are deciding between the Pixel Watch 3 and the Watch 2, we recommend going for the former. In addition to a new version of Wear OS and improved health metrics and AI-based recommendations, the Pixel Watch 3 will also get an additional year of software support from Google. And if you haven’t bought the Pixel Watch previously due to its smaller size, the new 45mm variant solves that too. Other reasons to choose the Pixel Watch 3 over the Watch 2 include the slightly faster battery backup and the brighter screen. 

As we covered in the review, Google has undeniably refined the experience with the Pixel Watch 3. It fixes a few lingering issues from the second-gen model while adding useful features. The result is one of the best smartwatches you can buy right now.







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