Google’s latest Pixel phones have been significantly increased in price, and unfortunately that also applies to the Pixel Watch. The previous Pixel Watch remained well below 300 euros, now the cheapest model already costs 399 euros. That is, however, cheaper than the Apple Watch Series 10 announced this week, for which you have to pay at least 449 euros.
In terms of design and hardware, little has changed. A round clock in a casing made of 100 percent recycled aluminum and a crown (rotary knob) on the side, next to an action button.
The watches’ processor is exactly the same as that of the Pixel Watch 2: the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear W5 Gen 1. The sensors have not been updated either, so no new things are measured.
The most important change is that the manufacturer is launching a larger 45mm variant in addition to a 41mm model. That larger screen is of course useful if you want to do more with apps, because I don’t recommend reading your email on such a small screen. And not really reading maps either.
The new watches have brighter screens with smaller bezels than the current generation and charge faster. The maximum brightness has been doubled to 2000cd/m2 and the minimum brightness has been reduced to 1cd/m2, although you don’t really notice that much compared to the previous model.
With Pixel Watch 2 you could count on a battery life of 24 hours and that is no different with Google Watch 3, although there is a larger battery in the 45 millimeter variant: 420 mAh. In any case, you still have to hang it on the charger every day, one of the disadvantages of a smart watch.
You don’t need a separate software program for the Pixel Watch, because Fitbit is standard on every Pixel smartwatch. New is the Readiness score, which indicates whether the user is ready for exercise based on heart rate, heart rate variability and sleep patterns. A similar function was previously only available to Premium subscribers.
The software also has an improved running function, which provides information on cadence, stride length and vertical oscillation, among other things. Premium subscribers get an extra AI feature that analyses previous running sessions and makes daily running recommendations. Google is also introducing ‘Loss of Pulse’ detection. If the watch detects that the user’s heart has stopped beating, it can automatically call emergency services. This is already possible in the Netherlands.
Furthermore, the watches allow you to view images from the Nest doorbell or camera, there is a built-in remote control app for Android TV, the camera app has been updated and the voice recorder app is now also available on the watches.
Please note that the measured values are not always accurate. There are watches that think you have gone to sleep when you are quietly sitting on the couch watching TV.
Few people like to go to sleep with a watch on, so Samsung’s new Health Ring seems like a better option.
If you don’t have a smart watch yet, the most important question is what you think you can do with it. Because buying a smart watch just for the time is a waste of money. Then get an old-fashioned wind-up watch.
You don’t even need a watch to track your steps, you can do that with your phone in your pocket.
When you take the watch out of the box, you first have to connect the bracelets, which requires some knowledge, but is basically a piece of cake. Connecting a Pixel Watch to a Pixel Watch is just as quick, although you have to work your way through quite a few screens.
What is annoying is that a Pixel Watch only works with Android phones, and not with iPhones.
The 41mm variant of the Pixel Watch 3 starts at €399 for the Wi-Fi version. The LTE version costs €499. The larger 45mm variants cost €449 and €549 respectively. They will be available in stores from September 10th.
Source: www.emerce.nl
