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Techopedia got the chance to try the Pixel Watch 3 at a hands-on session during the Made by Google event, and the larger 45mm model is clearly the star.
The 40mm Pixel Watch 2 (and now the 41mm Watch 3) was always a bit too small for many people with medium- or large-sized wrists. That’s not a problem with the 45mm variant of the Watch 3; it looks big without bordering on huge, as you might see with the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra 2 or Samsung’s 47mm Galaxy Watch Ultra.
While the brighter 2,000-nit display of the Pixel Watch 3 wasn’t easy to test during my hands-on, it was certainly bright enough in Google’s sunlit Bay View space. More than anything, I appreciated the thinner bezels that did Google’s circular, pebble-like design more justice.
Apart from that, it’s a mostly familiar experience if you’ve worn the Watch 2. The Watch 3 is speedy. The biggest differences come with the advanced running and health features, which we unsurprisingly couldn’t test at a demo booth. From what we saw on the screen, they’ll be useful for amateur athletes but not the sort who regularly competes in marathons.
There’s no rush to upgrade to the Pixel Watch 3 if you have the 2 or a relatively recent Galaxy Watch. If you have the original or are new to Wear OS smartwatches, however, it’s a solid choice in most respects. There are cheaper options like the OnePlus Watch 2R, and I’d point you to the Galaxy Watch Ultra (or a fitness-first watch from Garmin or Polar) if you’re particularly serious about battery life or a tougher, go-anywhere case.
