It is a little crazy to think about where Google's Wear OS operating system was three years ago, and how far it has come since. The user interface wasn't silky smooth, there were hardly any first-party apps (nor third-party apps), and the health and fitness tracking features were not as robust nor as reliable as the likes of what Samsung and Apple offered on their respective smartwatches.

Now, the Pixel Watch 3 is as polished as what you get from the big dogs—it's a massive comeback for Google's wearable platform, which hit its 10th anniversary this year. The changes in this model aren't dramatic over the Pixel Watch 2, but many new small features add up to make this truly feel like a “smart” watch that delivers the glanceable information we want on our wrists.

The one big change? There are now two sizes you can choose from—and even if you have dainty wrists, I strongly suggest you stick with the new 45-mm size. This larger Pixel Watch 3 has much better battery life than its 41-mm counterpart, and still doesn't feel all that big.

Healthy Load

A core part of smartwatches today is their health and fitness tracking capabilities, and after several weeks of wearing the Pixel Watch 3, the results have been spot on compared to the Apple Watch Series 9. Heart-rate measurements have been nearly identical, even during workouts, my sleep data is quite similar, and the Pixel Watch has reliable auto-workout detection.

Much of this draws from Fitbit's rich expertise in this space, but this year's focus for Google's smartwatch is running. These features revolve around the idea of “Plan, Run, Reflect,” offering the ability to customize runs—even get run recommendations powered by artificial intelligence— advanced running analysis, as well as feedback on how hard your heart is working, and whether that level is right for you.

However, I am not a runner. As a novice in this space, I liked the basic, low-intensity running plans Fitbit dished out for me after the watch realized I'm a lazy butt. My colleague Adrienne So runs regularly and tests dozens of fitness trackers a year; she gave the new running features a try. I highly encourage you to read her experience, which wasn't great.

Ultimately, these running features are one extra tool in the kit, and that's exactly how they should be treated. Experienced runners should look to Coros or Garmin for more helpful training algorithms.

Loss of Pulse Detection is the next new health-related feature on the Pixel Watch 3, and it can be genuinely life-saving … if it works. I didn't stop my heart to try it, not that it'd work anyway. The bad news is that it has been authorized only in Europe so far, though I expect it won't be long before it's cleared for the US.

Smarter Watch

I have said it several times, but the Pixel Watch is still the best-looking smartwatch on the market (round > square). The gentle curves around the case and the way the bulbous glass reflects light make it look snazzy enough for even James Bond to sport on his wrist, though I suggest splurging on alternative straps. The default ones are plain and don't do the watch justice. I still am a bit sour that Google went the proprietary route for its straps, and many of the first-party options are quite expensive.

My colleague Adrienne So started with the 41-mm Pixel Watch 3, but with roughly two tracked activities in a day, she was charging it constantly. I've been using the 45-mm Pixel Watch 3 and with one to two tracked activities a day, I end up charging it almost every 24 hours if a bit more. That's with the always-on display turned on—with it off, you can get a day and a half out of this smartwatch just fine.

I started testing this watch right after Samsung's Galaxy Watch7, which frustrated me to no end because it was regularly dead on my wrist, so this was a nice change of pace. (Your move, Apple.)

Speaking of charging, this is one area where Apple is unmatched. There are so many ways you can recharge an Apple Watch, but hardly any options for the Pixel Watch outside the included charger. Where are the docks that let you charge your androids phones and Pixel Watch? This smartwatch deserves more first-party accessories.

The small new updates to Google apps are what have made the Pixel Watch 3 feel like a true smart companion to my phones—eliminating the need to regularly pull out my slab of glass. The Nest Camera Controls are excellent (though only useful if you already own Nest products). I have a Nest Video Doorbell and Nest Security Cameras outside my home, and now I don't need my phones to look through urgent motion detection alerts. The watch gives me a clip of whoever was seen, and I can even talk through the camera on the watch and tell the FedEx driver I'm not home.

You get extra perks if you're using a Pixel phones with the watch, too, like how it can unlock your phones via the ultra-wideband chip (available only on Pro Pixel phoness since the Pixel 7 Pro). I'm a bigger fan of the Recorder app, which makes its debut on the watch. I had a briefing recently and asked if I could record it via the watch—I didn't need to hold my phones up the whole time.

Admittedly, the quality of the recording wasn't great, but it was completely usable (I just had to boost my speaker volume). It doesn't automatically generate a transcript, but you can transcribe the recording to your language of choice in the Pixel Recorder app on the phones. The quality of the transcription very much depends on the distance of the people talking to the watch—my questions were pretty accurate, but not so for the people I was speaking to. Still, I relied on the audio just fine to drum up some quotes.

Better Bedtimes

The best new addition of all is Auto Bedtime Mode. Many smartwatches now have a Bedtime mode you can turn on to stop the screen from melting your eyes before bed and to halt all notifications.

I'm fine with turning it on before bed, but there have been so many days when I wake up and half a day goes by and I wonder, “Wait a minute, why didn't my watch notify me of that?” Turns out I forgot to turn off Bedtime mode.

This has never been a problem on the Pixel Watch 3. Auto Bedtime Mode successfully makes the watch revert to its normal, functioning self right as I wake up. It's one of those no-brainer features you'd have expected five years ago—but, then again, that's kind of the Pixel Watch 3 experience in a nutshell.

It's finally becoming the Apple Watch for androids owners, even more so if you're investing in Google's broader hardware ecosystem.