Google Pixel Watch 3 41mm Wifi Matte Black with Obsidian Band

I am a longtime Fitbit user, so I was quite pleasantly surprised when my new Google Pixel 3 45 mm smartwatch integrated smoothly and perfectly into the Fitbit app. It also integrates beautifully with my Pixel phone but should work very well with any Android phone.The Pixel 3 has an attractive circular watch face and has a very comfortable band which is rather challenging to attach to the watch but is very secure once attached. On my arm, the watch feels heavy but but not intolerably so. The display is both pretty and easy to read with very good resolution.The Pixel 3 does all the things that you would expect from a good Fitbit or any other smartwatch, but it seems to do them perhaps a bit better. For example, I noticed while wearing my Fitbit and Pixel (on ... MoreI am a longtime Fitbit user, so I was quite pleasantly surprised when my new Google Pixel 3 45 mm smartwatch integrated smoothly and perfectly into the Fitbit app. It also integrates beautifully with my Pixel phone but should work very well with any Android phone.The Pixel 3 has an attractive circular watch face and has a very comfortable band which is rather challenging to attach to the watch but is very secure once attached. On my arm, the watch feels heavy but but not intolerably so. The display is both pretty and easy to read with very good resolution.The Pixel 3 does all the things that you would expect from a good Fitbit or any other smartwatch, but it seems to do them perhaps a bit better. For example, I noticed while wearing my Fitbit and Pixel (on separate arms - BTW you cannot have both connected to the Fitbit app at the same time.) that the Pixel counted my steps lower than the Fitbit. Later, I conducted a step count test on the Pixel wherein I would count off 100 steps and check the Pixel count. I did that a couple of times for both automatic stride length and the measured stride length. In each test, the Pixel count was within 7 steps over (usually more like 4) the actual count - quite a bit more accurate than any Fitbit that I have owned but very similar to another smartwatch that I once owned. It automatically detects the start of a sleep cycle as well as the start of many athletic activities (afraid I did not try more than two but it worked well for both).I tried to use as many of the tiles and apps that are made so easily available by Google but I guess I am set enough in my ways that I only actively use a few of them. Apps are presented upon a screen accessed by a press of the watch stem when the selected face is displayed and you select from among them by scrolling up or down. Tiles are accessed by scrolling from the right.The battery life at about 2.5 days without GPS enabled on this 45 mm Pixel watch 3 is quite improved over earlier android watches but not yet quite close enough to the Fitbit standard 7 days - a little more room for improvement. However, this Pixel 3 watch charges much faster than any other watch that I have owned.Overall, I highly recommend this Pixel 3 45 mm.

I do like the larger size of the Google pixel watch 3, but still doesn't seem like a big enough upgrade over the watch 2 version. Other than the 4 mm size increase for the pixel watch 3, The Google watches still feels like its missing something to me.My biggest complaint about the Pixel watches are the way there's no protection of the face or bezel, scares me to death I'm going to break the watch.I did purchase replacement bands on Amazon to get rid of a snap closure band and use a standard holeand eyelet style band, for a more secure fit to keep the watch on my wrist. Everything about the watch performs and works well whether it's step recording, activity tracking, sleep tracking, swimming and other physical activity recorded on the watch. The larger 45 mm face ... MoreI do like the larger size of the Google pixel watch 3, but still doesn't seem like a big enough upgrade over the watch 2 version. Other than the 4 mm size increase for the pixel watch 3, The Google watches still feels like its missing something to me.My biggest complaint about the Pixel watches are the way there's no protection of the face or bezel, scares me to death I'm going to break the watch.I did purchase replacement bands on Amazon to get rid of a snap closure band and use a standard holeand eyelet style band, for a more secure fit to keep the watch on my wrist. Everything about the watch performs and works well whether it's step recording, activity tracking, sleep tracking, swimming and other physical activity recorded on the watch. The larger 45 mm face display definitely makes this easier to read, especially out in the sunlight the brighter display is slightly noticeable over the previous gen to watch and is better to read also.I wish Google would incorporate standard wireless charging with this watch, instead of the needed cable puck style magnetic charger which I absolutely can't stand.Battery life with the Google pixel 3 watch is standard at best I normally get about a little over a days use before needing charging, usually I charge it every day so I don't risk running out of battery. A larger battery which would add some weight to the watch would definitely be accepted by myself the watch has a very light feel to it, almost like you're wearing nothing at all.Pairing the watch to my new Google pixel 9 pro XL was very easy and painless it paired right away to the Pixel watch app as well as the Fitbit app. In my opinion this is a little nicer than the Google Pixel watch too since it has a larger display but I don't know if I consider it worthy of an upgrade over the watch 2.The watch crown button and dial are nice features that serve their purpose, I don't find myself bumping the dial as much as I thought I would when moving my left wrist while wearing the watch. I would recommend this watch if you don't already have the Pixel 2 version but if you have the two the only reason I would recommend the watch 3 is for the larger display size and slightly better brightness over the watch 2.

Keen to compete in the flagship, premium smartphone space, Google’s Pixel Watch line of devices have been a common sight among tech enthusiasts who are ingrained in the Android ecosystem. The Pixel Watch 3 is the latest evolution of the device line, packing better specs each year, but as a first-time user, can it convert this smartwatch skeptic?Yes, yes it can.- Unboxing and SetupOpening the Pixel Watch 3 isn’t quite as elegant an affair as some other Pixel devices, but with the smartwatch itself and choice of two sets of bands depending on your wrist circumference, you have just about everything you need to get started. As you might expect, there’s little in the way of documentation in the package and most setup occurs on the device’s screen and on your ... MoreKeen to compete in the flagship, premium smartphone space, Google’s Pixel Watch line of devices have been a common sight among tech enthusiasts who are ingrained in the Android ecosystem. The Pixel Watch 3 is the latest evolution of the device line, packing better specs each year, but as a first-time user, can it convert this smartwatch skeptic?Yes, yes it can.- Unboxing and SetupOpening the Pixel Watch 3 isn’t quite as elegant an affair as some other Pixel devices, but with the smartwatch itself and choice of two sets of bands depending on your wrist circumference, you have just about everything you need to get started. As you might expect, there’s little in the way of documentation in the package and most setup occurs on the device’s screen and on your compatible Android device.Snapping the bands into the Pixel Watch is straightforward, using two spring-loaded clips to hold the bands securely in place. They gave some strong resistance at first but once you get the positioning right the bands snap-in with ease. The crown can be oriented in either direction, for use on either hand with your preferred position. Once powered on, the Pixel Watch pairs to your Android phone and setup completes on your smartphone.- Features and AppsThe Pixel Watch 3 has its own OS specific to the smartwatch, so that it can function in a limited capacity even when your smartphone is out of range. This round-screen-optimized, lightweight OS is plenty speedy (once the watch boots up) and relatively easy to navigate. There’s a bit of a learning curve to operating the touch-driven display with the crown dial and button alongside, but after a day acclimating it was easy and natural to scroll, select, and swipe along.What the Pixel Watch offers is effectively an enhanced notification center and an external screen for compatible apps. The watch can be set to vibrate or make a sound with each phone notification, and notification data (such as message content, email bodies, and reminders) comes through with a surprising amount of readability and detail. Responding to these can be done via speech-to-text right on the watch, or a small but decently useable on-screen keyboard or numpad can enter short messages.One of the handiest features from the default apps was integration with Google Maps for navigating the center of a city without the need to pull my phone out. Instructions were relayed onto the watch face with vibrations for each turn or next direction, and a copy of the map can be displayed on the watch in realtime to show the route. Very neat!There are more apps available from the Google Play store to enhance functionality of the Pixel Watch 3. Quite a few of the apps I use have Watch OS equivalents, which was useful for remotely controlling Spotify and similar streaming apps. Not all will make the most sense or be particularly useful if the app developer hasn’t taken integration into its fullest account; for example, my banking app simply displayed account balances on the watch instead of allowing tap-to-pay through the NFC-enabled watch - Google Wallet is compatible, but none of my cards were eligible to enroll in tap-to-pay at the time of this review.- FitbitGoogle’s ownership of Fitbit means health and wellness features come to the forefront. I would argue it’s one of the best integrations I’ve seen; even with just basic heart rate tracking on the watch, combined data from the phone and watch provide just as much activity tracking information as a dedicated Fitbit wristband would. I hadn’t used a personal fitness device before so this was a new experience for me.The Pixel Watch 3 tracks your activity through the day and can remind you to get up and move every hour. It can track estimated total steps, distance walked/ran/biked, and flights of stairs ascended, all calculating how many calories were burned and providing recommendations for healthier living. These can all be tracked and displayed on the watch without integrating into the Fitbit app from the Google Play store if you prefer - though you will not have daily logging to compare against.I found the Fitbit features worked well and revealed just how few steps I get in a day working from an office…oops! The tracking information can be hidden by changing the watch face (of which about a dozen types are included, more can be added from the Play Store) that doesn’t have the info displayed.- Comfort and BatteryWith the two pairs of silicone wristbands included, the Pixel Watch 3 should fit the majority of buyers. These silicone bands are decently comfortable on the wrist, perhaps tugging slightly in a way that could bother some, but being able to use a looser fit made me less cognizant that there was something on my wrist than other watches might. Certainly the weight of the watch is noticeable more than some others - if you prefer a lighter watch you may want to consider the 41mm size model of the Pixel Watch 3 over the 45mm.Battery life on the smartwatch is quite good, at minimum matching and at times besting the nearly two-day charge I get out of my Pixel 9 Pro. Charging is extremely rapid - not even 20 minutes on the included charger and I went from a dead watch to just about full on a basic USB-C charger using the included magnetic charging cable. Unfortunately the Pixel Watch 3 does not support wireless charging, and the cable is specific to the Pixel Watch line; this is perhaps my only major criticism of the device and certainly not one worth knocking points off for, given how tightly and smartly packaged this smartwatch is otherwise.- Bottom LineSmartwatches aren’t for everybody, but the Pixel Watch 3 does an excellent job being an all-in-one device that can reduce your phone-checking habits. I’m not usually one to wear anything on my wrists, but the Pixel Watch 3 has proven itself a very handy accessory alongside a flagship Android phone. The convenience of having notifications and actionable items sent to my wrist helped keep my focus up at work where I would normally pull out my phone and get distracted, and I can already see that the fitness tracking will help get me in gear to live a bit healthier overall with the reminders and goals it sets. Recommended!