Google Pixel Watch 3: Specs, features, and buyer's guide

The Google Pixel Watch 3 is one of the best Android smartwatches available today. But it's also on the pricey side, particularly if you want the new 1.43-inch option or cellular. And with the Pixel Watch 4 on the horizon, you may be wondering if it's still worth buying!

Our Pixel Watch 3 buyer's guide covers everything you should know before you decide, from every key hardware upgrade to new software tools like Loss of Pulse. For a more hands-on perspective, you can also check our Pixel Watch 3 review.

The Pixel Watch 3 is a real rival to the Galaxy Watch 7, particularly for Pixel phone owners or anyone interested in Fitbit perks. And its unique rounded design stands out among Android watches. But does it do enough to become your next smartwatch? We'll help you decide.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Price & cellular

The Google Pixel Watch 3 launched on September 10, 2024, in 32 countries; only 20 of those sell an LTE version. It requires an Android phone running Android 10+ and a Google account. Some features are Pixel-exclusive, but you can still easily use it on other Android phones.

The 41mm Watch 3 costs $349 / £349 / €399 / CA$479 / AU$579, or $399 / £399 / €449 / CA$549 / AU$669 for the 45mm watch. The LTE upgrade costs $100 / £100 / €100 / CA$120 / AU$170.

Buy it from the Google Store to get trade-in value for the Pixel Watch 2 ($65) or Watch 1 ($30), as well as other watch brands.

The Watch 3 LTE comes with 500MB of Google Fi data per month; after you hit the cap, data speeds slow to an unusable 256kbps.

Without adding the Watch 3 LTE to your phone plan, you can't stream music or make phone calls. So we don't recommend buying it unless you've taken the extra carrier fee into account.

This Google Support link lists the international carriers that will accept it on your plan; we've singled out the North American carriers below:

• AT&T (FirstNet)
• Cellcom
• CSpire
• Google Fi
• T-Mobile
• UScellular
• Verizon
• Xfinity
• Bell
• Rogers
• SaskTel
• Telus
• Virgin

Google Pixel Watch 3: Colors & straps

The Pixel Watch 3 41mm comes in four finishes: Matte Black case with Obsidian Band, Polished Silver with Porcelain Band, Champagne Gold with Hazel Band, and Polished Silver with Rose Quartz Band.

The larger Pixel Watch 3 45mm variant has the same Matte Black and Polished Silver cases, plus a Matte Hazel case with a Hazel band.

Both models ship with a Pixel Watch Active Band with small and large sizes to fit any wrist size, plus a proprietary USB-C charging cable.

Otherwise, Google sells excellent (but expensive) first-party bands for a change in style, and we have a guide on the best Pixel Watch 3 bands that include more affordable and diverse third-party options.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Specs and 41mm vs. 45mm

Most of the Android Central staff prefers the 45mm Watch 3 for the extra display space and battery life, and because it doesn't weigh much more than the 41mm. But a couple of us prefer the 41mm because it's more petite, better fitting the original water-droplet style that made Pixel Watches popular.

The Google Pixel Watch 3's 41mm and 45mm variants mostly share the same specs and features; we've bolded the differences in the table above.

Wear OS 5 has an adaptive UI layout that fits more info onto larger displays. The photo below shows how the 1.43-inch Watch 3 45mm can show more icons than the 1.27-inch Watch 3 41mm. But both displays have the same pixels per inch.

The Pixel Watch 3 45mm has an extra 114mAh of capacity over the 41mm. Some of that powers the larger display, but it also helps the larger model last slightly longer. That may factor into your choice to spend the extra $50. Both watches last longer than Google's official estimate of 24 hours with AOD, but the 45mm can hit closer to two days.

The other key difference is that the 41mm watch can be charged in 60 minutes, while the 45mm watch takes 80 minutes because of that extra capacity.

Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2 vs. Watch 1

We have an in-depth Pixel Watch 3 vs. Watch 2 guide that runs through every key difference, as well as the table above to highlight the main upgrades across each generation.

By and large, the Pixel Watch 3 41mm is quite similar to the Watch 2, in case you decide to buy one on sale:

• Both use a Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 with four Arm Cortex-A53 cores at 1.7GHz, plus a Cortex M33 MCU.
• You get 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage with either watch.
• They have the same ingress protection against dust and water, plus the same Gorilla Glass 5 layer.
• The 41mm Watch 2 and 3 measure the same size, weight, and battery capacity.
• Both use Wear OS 5.1, with only minor differences.
• Your health sensors and Fitbit software are the same, too.

Since the new Snapdragon chip is coming in 2025, the Watch 3 couldn't upgrade performance over the Watch 2. Both are faster and more efficient than the Watch 1, which uses an aged Exynos chip.

The Pixel Watch 3 41mm display shrunk its display bezel by 16%, so you get a 1.27-inch, 408x408 display instead of a 1.2-inch, 384x384 display. The brightness jumps from 1,000 to 2,000 nits for better visibility in direct sunlight. And the Watch 2 and Watch 1 have no larger display option.

The Watch 3 display also added LTPO tech to hit 60Hz for normal use or as low as 1Hz for the always-on display, while the last-gen display tech couldn't transition as smoothly or save battery life as readily.

In terms of connectivity, the Pixel Watch 3 leaps from Bluetooth 5.0 to 5.3 for a stronger, more efficient phone connection with less signal interference. It supports the Wi-Fi 5GHz standard for faster app download speeds, along with Ultra Wideband to enable a Watch Unlock feature for your connected Android phone.

Charging on the Pixel Watch 3 is slightly faster, taking 15 minutes less to hit 100% power on the 41mm model (the 45mm takes 5 minutes more, but with more capacity to fill).

Google also told us that the Pixel Watch 3 has their "most accurate heart rate" compared to the Watch 2 and 1 thanks to an improved algorithm. In our review, we found the Pixel Watch 3 did quite well for heart rate accuracy, though not perfectly.

All three Pixel Watches now sport the Wear OS 5 update, but the Watch 3 has over two years of support left, while the Watch 1 shouldn't receive the next version update this fall.

As for Pixel Watch 1 owners considering an upgrade, it's best to look at our Pixel Watch 3 vs. Watch 1 guide. The two-generation gap is pretty substantial, with the Watch 3 significantly better for performance, health data like stress and skin temperature, display size and brightness, battery life, charging speed, and years of support left.

Google Pixel Watch 3: New software

The Pixel Watch 3 currently runs on Wear OS 5, an update dedicated to better Google app integration, battery efficiency, and improved Fitbit fitness features. And it's due to receive Wear OS 6 later in 2025.

The current version of Wear OS added new Google app support like Nest Doorbell live feeds, Google TV controls, and Expanded Call Screening Assist. It also drastically improved Fitbit coaching with AI-generated daily workouts based on your Cardio Load.

Google has promised quarterly Wear OS feature updates on Pixel Watches. The latest was Wear OS 5.1, which added an improved step count algorithm, better menstrual health tracking in the Fitbit app, a Restore Credentials function for easier restoring from backup, a new accent color in the menu, and new "Modes."

However, a pair of April updates rolled back the step algorithm — which apparently had some bugs — and resolved the slow, buggy rollout that caused some Pixel Watches to not receive the update.

Wear OS 6 will launch this summer on the Pixel Watch 4, but it'll eventually come to the Pixel Watch 3. This update will include an overhauled UI with the new Material 3 Expressive design language, shown above.

We actually got to test Wear OS 6 on the Pixel Watch 3 at I/O 2025, and were impressed with the dynamic color theming pulled from your watch face, the smoother scrolling with apps and notifications shifting along the display edge, and more useful Tiles.

Plus, Gemini will replace Assistant as the default watch assistant, so you can use "natural language" to ask questions or communicate with other apps via the AI, such as summarizing an email or checking your recent messages from friends for information.

Google Pixel Watch 3: Should you buy it?

Unless you want the less-stylish but impressive Galaxy Watch 7 or the ultra-pricey Galaxy Watch Ultra, you won't find another watch that matches the Pixel Watch 3 for speedy Wear OS updates, while other brands lag a year behind.

If you're weighing a Pixel Watch against another Android brand, our Pixel Watch 3 vs. OnePlus Watch 3 guide or Pixel Watch 3 vs. Galaxy Watch 7 guide can give you more context!

I still highly recommend the Pixel Watch 3. It's stylish, fast, and better connected with your other Google and Pixel devices than other Wear OS watches, and the Fitbit integration with accurate health sensors is a real draw.

One reason to wait is for the Pixel Watch 4, which may offer a new Snapdragon chip and a further battery boost. But until that arrives, the Pixel Watch 3 is your best option.

If you do decide to buy a Pixel Watch 3, bookmark my Pixel Watch 3 beginner's guide for what settings to change and features to activate once you unbox your new watch!