Google Pixel Watch 3 Official: Two Sizes, UWB and Bluetooth LE Audio

The Google Pixel Watch 3 is now official, and while it retains the same design, it comes with some major changes to the lineup. While you could be forgiven for confusing it with the Pixel Watch 2 from a distance, you now have a choice of two sizes – 41mm and 45mm.

The Pixel Watch 3 has the same Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 processor for wearables, and the same suite of sensors like a heart rate monitor, ECG readings, blood oxygen measurement, skin thermometer, and GPS. The new addition is the UWB chip.

This means the Pixel Watch 3 is the first Android smartwatch to offer UWB connectivity, making it easy to unlock your phone or find your gadget if you lose it using Google’s Find My Device feature. The watch will also be able to unlock your car if it has the feature, of course.

The display gets a slight upgrade, with both the 41mm and 45mm versions now featuring displays capable of up to 2,000 nits of brightness, a big step up from last year’s 1,000 nits Pixel Watch 2.

Pixel 3 watch

Perhaps most noticeable are the bezels of the display, which are now a full millimeter thinner. The 41mm model still has a 1.2-inch display, while the 45mm version grows to 1.4 inches.

The 41mm option retains the same battery as its predecessor – 310mAh – while the 45mm has a 420mAh cell. Interestingly, Google promises 24 hours of battery life with the always-on display on, which is exactly the same runtime as last year’s Pixel Watch 2. However, we think the 45mm might be capable of more.

Pixel 3 watch

Charging is also supposed to be improved, with the new watch now able to charge 20% faster.

If you listen to music or podcasts on your watch during your morning run, you’ll be happy to know that the Pixel Watch 3 now supports Bluetooth LE Audio. This is a low-energy Bluetooth audio protocol that uses less power to stream songs. It’s also the first Android smartwatch to offer such a feature.

Google is marketing some other features like improved running tracking, controlling your Pixel phone’s camera, accessing your Nest Cam or Nest Doorbell directly from your watch, and navigating with Google Maps in offline mode.

New features for fitness and health tracking

There are also some new health tracking features, including a readiness score, which assesses your recovery level and gives you a gauge of whether you’re ready for your next workout or need more rest.

A variety of Pixel Watch 3 bands are available.

The colors available for both versions are matte black aluminum with an obsidian strap and polished silver aluminum with a porcelain strap. The 41mm version also comes in a champagne gold aluminum case with a hazelnut strap, while the 45mm version comes in a matte aluminum option with the same hazel strap.

The 41mm Pixel Watch 3 with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi will retail for $349, while the same configuration for the 45mm model will set you back $399. LTE adds $100 to the standard price.

In the UK, the device is priced at £349/399 with an extra £100 for the LTE modem, while in mainland Europe it is priced at €399/449 with an extra €100 for the cellular version. Shipping starts in all markets on September 10.