Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: Subtle fixes, a new size, and a ton of similarities
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Bigger (if you want) and better
The Pixel Watch 3 comes in two sizes, and the smaller 41mm option is pretty darn similar to the Pixel Watch 2. You get a much better display and a few minor hardware upgrades for connectivity, but most of its coolest new tricks will also come to the Pixel Watch 2 with Wear OS 5. We're most excited to have a 1.4-inch display option, finally.
One size fits many
The Pixel Watch 2 is one of our favorite Android watches, so it's unsurprising that Google stayed faithful to its template for the Pixel Watch 3. It's still a stylish, fast, and comfortable smartwatch with a couple more years of software support left.
If you compare the Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2 solely by their specs, you'd assume that Google didn't make that many changes to its latest Android watch. It's fair to say that many of its coolest new features will also hit the Watch 2 soon, once it receives the latest Wear OS 5 update.
Even though Google gave the Pixel Watch 3 and 2 the same processor, sensors, battery, and other key hardware, it did make a few key changes to modernize the watch compared to the competition, primarily the revamped display with its second size option.
Below, we'll break down how the Pixel Watch 3 vs. 2 specs compare and whether Google did enough for you to upgrade.
Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2 Specs
Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: What's the same?
When you look at the Pixel Watch 2 vs. 1, Google made plenty of changes, but if you compare the Watch 3 vs. 2, you'll find more similarities than differences. Keep reading for a long laundry list of everything Google left unchanged between the Google Pixel Watch 3 and Watch 2.
Processor: The Pixel Watch 3 retains the same Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip as the Pixel Watch 2, along with other Android watches like the TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro, OnePlus Watch 2, and Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro. Even though the chip is two years old, it's still on the cutting edge for performance.
Specifically, both watches use four Arm Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.7GHz, plus a Cortex M33 MCU for background processes and 2GB of RAM. For context, the Galaxy Watch 7 has a new Exynos chip with one Arm Cortex-A78 core (1.6GHz), four Cortex-A55 cores (1.5GHz), and the same memory.
In other words, it's fair to say that the Pixel Watch 3 still matches the competition for performance, even if its chip is a repeat.
Storage: Both watches give you 32GB of storage, offering plenty of space to download playlists and podcasts for phone-less streaming. Only the Apple Watch Series 9 gives you more at 64GB, which doesn't help Android users.
Sensors: The Pixel Watch 3 and 2 both borrowed their sensors from the Fitbit Sense 2, tracking your heart rate, resting HR, HR variability, blood oxygen, skin conductance for body response (cEDA), AFib detection (ECG), skin temperature, sleep duration and zones, and daily readiness.
Despite Google's new focus on running, the Pixel Watch 3 only offers standard GPS tracking (like the Watch 2), unlike the dual-band GPS you get on the Galaxy Watch 7.
Protection: Either watch gives you an IP68 rating with 5ATM water protection. This means they're fully dust and water-resistant but shouldn't be submerged in shallow water for longer than 30 minutes or at a 50-meter depth for longer than 10 minutes.
Google gave the Pixel Watch 3 the same Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protective layer as its predecessor. Most smartwatches in this price range now use Sapphire Crystal, which is more scratch resistant, so you might reasonably find this disappointing.
41mm design: Ignoring the new 45mm Pixel Watch 3 for a moment, the standard 41mm Watch 3 has the same diameter, thickness, and weight as the Pixel Watch 2. It has the same recycled aluminum materials and the same battery capacity. If it weren't for the display changes, you'd have trouble telling them apart.
They use the same band connector, too, so your Pixel Watch 2 bands carry over to the Watch 3 — though not the Watch 3 45mm. They even share the same case colors (Matte Black, Polished Silver, or Champagne Gold) and the same band colors, except that the Watch 3 has a Rose Quartz band instead of Bay Active.
Battery life: Once again, Google rates the Pixel Watch 3 as having a 24-hour battery life with AOD active, regardless of which size you choose. Even though the Watch 3 45mm has an extra 114mAh capacity, much of it goes directly into powering the extra display.
I've heard some conflicting reports from Google staffers saying the 45mm Watch 3 might last longer than the 41mm Watch 3 and Watch 2, but I can't confirm that, so you shouldn't assume anything until we can test this for ourselves.
Software: Although the Pixel Watch 2 uses Wear OS 4 at the moment, it should update to Wear OS 5 soon after the Pixel Watch 3 launches on September 10. So even though the Watch 3 is introducing some really cool features like live Nest Doorbell view and Fitbit Cardio Load, Watch 2 owners will receive them as well.
Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: Every key upgrade or difference
Why upgrade to the Pixel Watch 3 if so many things remain unchanged from the last generation? It's a fair question, but the Pixel Watch 3 vs. Watch 2 differences below could tempt you to switch.
A new 1.4-inch option: Google finally took after Samsung, Apple, Garmin, and several other watchmakers by offering two size options for its mainline watch.
Our Pixel Watch 3 hands-on tester Andrew Myrick, who also reviewed the Pixel Watch 2, praised the new variant, saying "any size concerns" he had with the "dainty" 41mm watch were "put to rest" by the 45mm option.
Wear OS 5 uses a flexible UI that adds more details and menu options for larger watch displays. In Andrew's test, he noted that the Watch 3 45mm had room for an extra four complications on the default watch face; similarly, when looking at the Fitbit app's Quick Start menu, he could see six sport icons on the 45mm Watch 3 compared to three on the 41mm Watch 3.
Best of all, this 45mm Watch 3 only weighs six grams more than the Watch 2 and measures the same 12.3mm in thickness, making it comfortably light combined with the default Active band.
Revamped display: Google shrunk the Pixel Watch 2 display border by 16% for the Pixel Watch 3. Even though the screen space is the same as before, the glass rounds off the edge more quickly, so it doesn't feel as wasteful as before.
You also boost the display brightness from 1,000 to 2,000 nits, matching the Galaxy Watch 7 and Apple Watch Series 9. That earns it the name "Actua display," Google's term for displays bright enough to handle direct sunlight; the Pixel 9 also has an Actua display, though it hits an impressive 2,700 nits.
Another key Watch 3 display boost is to its refresh rate. The Pixel Watch 2 maxed out at 30Hz, making screen transitions more noticeable, while the Pixel Watch 3 has an LTPO display that hits a smoother 60Hz but can dip as low as 1Hz when you're using the always-on display.
Connectivity: Both watches have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC contactless payments, GPS satellite tracking, and an optional LTE upgrade. Yet Google upgraded the Bluetooth standard from 5.0 to 5.3 this generation; while the data speeds and connection range don't change between these two, 5.3 consumes less power, both when sending data and when idling, and the connection itself is less susceptible to signal interference.
Google also gave the Pixel Watch 3 support for 5GHz Wi-Fi, which can typically deliver twice-as-fast download speeds as 2.4GHz. You'll be able to add new apps or sync your data much quicker than before.
One brand-new connectivity tool is Ultra Wideband (UWB). Phones and watches typically use UWB for finding lost devices nearby, or as a unique signature for unlocking things, such as car doors. In this case, Google promises that the Pixel Watch 3 will use UWB to auto-unlock your Pixel phone if it's nearby; we could also see further uses for it down the line.
Lastly, we'll point out that Google is charging $100 to add 4G LTE instead of $50 for the Pixel Watch 2. That might sound like a rip-off, but it appears Google is bundling two free years of LTE data with the watch; adding a watch to your carrier plan can often cost more than that in a year, let alone two, so it could make the Pixel Watch 3 LTE one of the best LTE watches.
Faster charging speeds: Here are the charging speeds for the Pixel Watch 2, Pixel Watch 3 41mm, and Pixel Watch 3 45mm:
As you can see, charging is relatively fast for all three watches up to 50% before slowing down to preserve battery life. The smaller Pixel Watch 3 is relatively speedy compared to the Pixel Watch 2, while the Pixel Watch 3 45mm takes a little longer than before because of its larger capacity. That, combined with the 24-hour battery life, means finding a convenient time to charge it could be tricky.
Better HR accuracy for workouts: Google claims that the Pixel Watch 3 has the "most accurate heart rate for running" compared to the Pixel Watch 2 and 1. Why? Apparently these watches had issues with "light artifacts" that made it hard to catch rapid changes in heart rate during hard workouts, but Google "made significant improvements with generation tuning exactly for these challenging conditions."
Essentially, it's the same claim Samsung made with the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra, promising better heart rate data for hard runs. Samsung did pretty well in our fitness tests, but we're excited to test if Google does any better in our upcoming review.
An extra year (?) of support: Google promised the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 would receive three years of security updates. We don't know yet whether that applies to the Pixel Watch 3, but it's not likely to get fewer updates than the Watch 2, so it should receive support through 2027 at least, while the Watch 2 will lose its support in 2026. We'll update this post when we have confirmation of this.
Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: Should you upgrade?
If you love the Pixel Watch 2 but wish it had a larger display, the Pixel Watch 3 will be a perfect option for you. It provides that extra space, naturally adjusting the interface so you see more information at once, and makes it much easier to read outdoors thanks to the extra nits.
Otherwise, the upgrades to the Bluetooth, wi-fi, and heart rate accuracy are fairly niche; the faster charging speed and enhanced display specs are great, but you might not be willing to pay another $349, unless you get some good trade-in credit for your Pixel Watch 2.
If you order from the Google Store, they're offering a $220 mail-in rebate for your Pixel Watch 2, so it'd cost you $180 to jump to the Pixel Watch 3 45mm. That's not a bad price, in theory!
The Pixel Watch 2 is one of the best Android watches today, and while the Pixel Watch 3 should take its place on our list after we review it, the Watch 2 will receive many of its best perks like the revamped Fitbit training tools and better Pixel phone integration. You may decide to be patient and wait for the Pixel Watch 4, in the hopes it has more significant upgrades to performance and battery life.
Bigger (if you want) and better
Choose the Google Pixel Watch 3 if you're sick of the Watch 2's small display and slow charging, especially if you want the Pixel Watch 3 45mm. Skip it if you're already happy with the smaller Watch 2, or if you need a watch that consistently lasts longer than a day.
One size fits many
Stick with the Pixel Watch 2 if you don't need a larger display, or buy it today if you manage to find it at a significant discount. Otherwise, we'd recommend upgrading to the Pixel Watch 3, if only for the extra year of software support.
