Google went for a launch spree in August this year, where we saw four new Pixel phones, including the new foldable, and the Pixel Watch 3 along with the Pixel Buds Pro 2. But our intrigue piqued when the company decided to let us use and experience the Pixel Watch for the first time in India. Granted, the Pixel Watch 2 did also launch in the country, but we didn’t get a chance to use it for some reason. The Pixel Watch 3 41mm is priced at Rs 38,999 and you get it with Wi-Fi only support.
But this year is different, mostly because the Pixel Watch 3 gets two sizes this year: 41mm and 45mm and we got the former which we used extensively over the last few weeks.
Small and Light
Google didn’t share the screen size but the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 seems to have a 1.2-inch LTPO AMOLED display which is bright and crisp. The company says Watch 3 gets 40 percent more screen, and the bezels have been trimmed down, which we tend to agree with.
The 41mm variant weighs 31 grams without the strap, so our best guess is a total of around 35 grams which makes it easy to wear for long hours, while working out and even sleeping wearing it doesn’t pose any discomfort.
Google says the housing is made of 100 percent recycled aluminium and the strap gets a soft-touch coating which sits really well on the wrist.
Strapping the wrist out of the box is easy and you can use a wide range of colours and designs to change things up. The watch has a dial button to navigate through the screen and you have another button hidden above the main crown. The only gripe we have with the 41mm version is that it can be too small for some people, so the 45mm could be the ideal size to get.
Pixel UI And Fitbit Bring Health Richness
Google’s focus on acquiring fitbit was clear from day one and the Pixel Watch 3 is a big benefactor of this association. You now get the Fitbit suite of features to work with the Watch 3 but you also need the Pixel Watch app to pair the device and make other changes like watch faces, theme etc.
Fitbit even has premium features that are worth exploring if you have any of the Pixel Watch models. The overall performance from the built-in sensors on the Watch 3 was quite good, the step tracking is accurate and even the sleep monitoring does its job effectively.
The Watch 3 is running on the WearOS 5 version which has a Pixel-like feel to it and the interface is slick and fluid in most cases. You will get three more WearOS versions from Google which hopefully should be long enough to keep the Watch running smoothly.
The good thing about the Fitbit app is that Google’s Pixel integration is seamless and you reap the benefits of how an ecosystem behaves with one another. The workout mechanics on the Pixel Watch 3 is equally reliable and shows the versatility of how a fitness-centric smartwatch can do its job. We’re eager to see how Google brings AI into the ecosystem and how it can add value on the wrist.
Small, Bright But Limiting
The 1.2-inch Actua display is bright and the 320 ppi on the LTPO panel gives a wide gamut of colours. The screen size on the 41mm variant feels limited, and we didn’t like how the notifications pop up on the Watch 3 and also white typing on the screen just to get a hang of how it feels.
The brightness makes it easy to use the Pixel Watch 3 under sunlight and this is where the deep blacks of AMOLED helps. Make no mistake the rounded display looks good on the wrist but it feels small and maybe a different dimension should be considered by Google for the Pixel Watch 4.
There’s More
The Pixel Watch 3 in India has launched in the Wi-Fi model. Google has once again decided against bringing the LTE model, most likely because of the higher cost involved with the cellular model. The Watch 3 has a loudspeaker for some reason and supports NFC to let you make payments (not in India).
The Watch 3 is powered by the Qualcomm SW5100 chipset and having it with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage is more than enough to store apps and other stuff. Safe to say, the performance side of the Watch 3 doesn’t give you scope to complain.
Finally, let’s talk about the battery life on the Watch 3 and can it handle the daily rigours of a smartphone user. The good news is that the Watch 3 41mm version even with its smaller battery delivers more than 24 hours of support, and gradually we noticed it can go further if you use it smartly. The charging puck attaches at the back, and you hear the click sound. We would have liked the system to have less friction, but it is good to see Google support fast charging for the Pixel Watch 3.
The company claims you can go up to 80 percent in 40 minutes and we can vouch for those figures which is so much faster than Samsung’s premium Watch Ultra model and most smartwatches, except the OnePlus Watch 2 which costs a lot less.
Pixel Watch 3 is a refreshing attempt to make wearables on WearOS work in all aspects. Be it the overall performance, fitness tracking and ecosystem support, Google has most bases covered. Not having an LTE model does seem strange every time we think about it, but the 41mm delivers long enough battery life to stop you from charging every day, and even when you do, the charging is quick, thank god for that.
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