How the Pixel, Apple, and Galaxy watches evaluate on paper

Google has introduced the Pixel Watch, its first flagship wearable. While it has a clear round design, the corporate is simply now getting right into a area that rivals like Apple and Samsung have been succeeding in for years. While detailed impressions of the Pixel Watch’s real-world efficiency and battery life must look forward to a full assessment, let’s check out the way it compares on paper.

Aesthetics are clearly subjective, however there are some design facets that we will evaluate and distinction objectively. One of essentially the most notable is form and controls; just like the Galaxy Watch 5 collection, the Pixel Watch has a round design, whereas the Apple Watch’s case is a rounded rectangle. Like Apple’s wearable, although, Google’s adorned its watch with a rotating crown, a button, and a touchscreen for controls, whereas Samsung makes use of a two-button plus touch-sensitive bezel and touchscreen interface.

Size can also be comparatively vital on the subject of wearables; massive watches can dominate thinner wrists, whereas small watches can look a bit like toys on bigger arms. The Pixel Watch is available in one dimension, 41mm, which is roughly just like the smaller sizes of the Apple Watch Series 8, SE, and Galaxy Watch 5. Both Apple and Samsung supply larger fashions for a slight value bump, an choice Google at present isn’t giving us.

In phrases of supplies, the Pixel Watch is made out of stainless-steel and is offered in gold, matte black, and silver. The Apple Watch Series 8 is offered in each aluminum and stainless-steel (with the latter at a hefty markup), and the SE is simply obtainable in aluminum. Samsung builds its customary Watch 5 out of aluminum as effectively however steps as much as titanium for the sports-focused Watch 5 Pro.

Speaking of sports activities, one of many important promoting factors of the Pixel Watch (and most smartwatches) is its usefulness as a health tracker. Compared to the Apple Watch Series 8 and Galaxy Watch 5, the Pixel Watch has an analogous bevy of sensors; it has an optical sensor for monitoring coronary heart fee, can take ECGs, and may learn your blood oxygen stage. All the watches supply sleep monitoring as effectively. Samsung’s sensor, nevertheless, does have some further capabilities, like the flexibility to estimate metrics like physique fats, mass, and water, and Apple added temperature-based retrospective ovulation estimates to the Series 8.

It’s value noting that the Pixel Watch locks some health options away behind a $9.99 a month Fitbit Premium subscription whereas together with six months of the service with the watch. After that point interval, you’ll need to pay if you wish to hold getting a readiness rating, sleep rating breakdown, or wellness stories. The subscription additionally gives entry to guided exercises and mindfulness workout routines, just like Apple’s $9.99 a month Fitness Plus service — although it’s value noting that Apple doesn’t gate any information or analytics behind its subscription (not that its watch understands the idea of readiness or relaxation days). Samsung doesn’t cost additional to present you a sleep rating or sleep teaching.

Like the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch, the Pixel Watch does supply some stage of automated exercise monitoring for actions like strolling and operating. It additionally comes with three free months of YouTube Music.

The Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch each run the identical working system, WearOS 3, so they need to broadly assist the identical apps and options. All the watches we’re evaluating in the present day supply exhausting fall detection and an emergency SOS function, although it’s value noting that Google’s fall detection isn’t coming till later this 12 months. You may purchase a mobile model of every watch as effectively; here are the carriers Google’s supporting with its wearable.

Unlike the Apple Watch SE, the Pixel Watch options an always-on show, identical to the higher-end Apple Watch and Samsung’s fashions.

Google isn’t at present providing a rugged, sports-focused watch just like the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro or Apple Watch Ultra (which we didn’t embrace on this roundup as a consequence of its a lot increased value level). The Watch 5 Pro contains options like a sapphire crystal protecting the show — the Pixel has a “Custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass” — and GPS backtracking, which can also be obtainable on the Apple Watches.

Google pitches the Pixel Watch as a companion to its telephones, however its web site says the wearable is suitable with any telephone operating Android 8.0 or newer, the identical because the Galaxy Watch 5 (the 2 watches use the identical OS, in spite of everything). Unfortunately, which means it’s not suitable with iPhones — and the Apple Watch received’t work with Android telephones.