Google Pixel Watch 3 with a hint of Fitbit: is it really worth it?

Besides a free Fitbit Premium subscription, does the Google Pixel Watch 3 have anything more to offer?

Google launched an array of new Pixel devices last month. Among them was the Google Pixel Watch 3, a device designed to help users reach fitness goals, provide health-related guidance, and ensure security. The watch also comes with a Fitbit Premium subscription, free for the first six months.

As a smartwatch wearer who still can’t part ways with her three-year-old Apple Watch SE – which keeps dying on me – I was intrigued by the new watch and the fact that it comes with the Fitbit Premium app. The app enticed me with its AI-powered features and personalized workouts by expert trainers, so I decided to give it a go and see if it’s worth upgrading.

Google Pixel Watch 3 specifications and what I found useful

For the first time, Google Pixel Watch 3 is available in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. This was good news for me after my last review of the Samsung Galaxy Ultra smartwatch, which, despite its useful features, was hardly wearable on a slender wrist.

Another useful detail that I noticed is the watch’s display. When you turn the watch to check the time or other metrics, the display gets brighter while staying dim otherwise.

That’s because, compared with the Google Pixel Watch 2, the latest watch display is two times brighter and more responsive since it has the Actua display that’s also used on Google Pixel smartphones. Thanks to Actua, the watch is supposed to provide a better view when a user is outdoors or in direct sunlight.

Battery life

My smartwatch Achilles heel is tracking day-long hikes. The estimated battery life of the Pixel Watch 3 is around 24 hours, and it can hold around 36 hours with a battery saver mode on.

I mainly used the watch to track training, hiking, and sleep. On average, it would last two to three days, keeping in mind that I didn’t receive any messages, calls, or similar notifications.

The battery was used the most when I wore the watch to track my hikes. The good news is that it withstood a 12-hour hike, so while the battery life isn’t spectacular, it didn’t disappoint.

However, one potentially disappointing feature of the watch is that if it stops working for some reason, it can’t be repaired, only replaced.

If it stops working for some reason, the watch can’t be repaired, only replaced.

Google Pixel Watch 3 features

Besides its conventional features, the Pixel Watch 3 can also be used as a helping hand in photography, during an emergency, or as a personal trainer.

Watch as a personal photographer – how often do we use this feature?

The Pixel Watch 3 was the device that introduced me to a feature that has apparently been there for ages – at least in Apple Watches – the ability to control the phone camera.

This “camera remote” is quite useful since it doesn’t require a front camera, which often helps when I want to take a group photo. However, such selfies often come out in lesser quality than when taken with a back camera.

The Pixel Watch 3 camera app includes a timer, a zoom function, and the ability to switch cameras to front and back, but you will need a phone to frame the shot.

Google Pixel Watch 3 featuring Fitbit Premium

The very first tracker I got during the rise of the 10k steps a day challenge trend was Fitbit. So, I was familiar with its app, which has now become a part of Google’s smartwatches too.

While some Fitbit users were fearful of Google's changes to the brand, thinking it would shut down Fitbit entirely, the company seems to be doing the opposite, promoting its Fitbit Premium version.

At least, that’s how I understood the company’s offer of a six-month complimentary subscription to Fitbit Premium, which would later cost $9.99 a month.

While reading online forums where people would debate whether the Pixel Watch 3 is worth buying, I was curious to know if the combination of the new watch and the app improves the experience.

Fitbit Premium is an app that provides users with the latest health and workout insights. I was sure that Fitbit’s workouts with professional trainers would be the app I would use the most, as it offers a wide range of excellent workouts.

Nevertheless, its insights into my daily activities were far more interesting because, thanks to Google AI, it provides personalized data.

Advanced health-related features

Among the health-related features presented daily are sleep, cardio load, daily readiness, and more. But what new could Fitbit Premium offer in this area?

Sleep score with sleep profile

Checking sleep statistics is nothing new. One thing that caught my attention, though, was that the app “profiles” users according to sleep.

The sleep profile shows what kind of animal you are. For example, in the month of September, I was “The Parrot,” which “has lively attention spans and lots of energy.”

The sleep profile depicts how users' sleep varies daily, comparing the data with other Fitbit users.

Daily readiness

For people who try to balance sleep, work, and exercise, a daily readiness score can indicate whether they’re ready to hit the gym or should let their bodies rest.

Heart rate variability, sleep, and resting heart rate can impact the readiness score. The app shows these metrics and lets users see if any drastic changes can be seen in the “trends” section.

While, for me, the app showed it to be “mostly moderate,” in retrospect, such a feature could be useful when a person suspects their health is declining.

Can Pixel Watch 3 users manage without Fitbit Premium?

Despite the promoted duo, the app is nice to have but not necessary. It does provide in-depth insights, but it can get overwhelming for someone who, for example, just wants to follow basic metrics. Especially considering that the app costs $9.99 per month or $79.99.

However, to do so, they can also find other app alternatives, such as Google Fit, which tracks sleep, activity, vitals, cycles, and more.

So, while I was initially quite motivated to use the app to the fullest, I soon noticed that I only checked the metrics I’d been following for years, which included sleep and workouts.

Google Pixel Watch 3 safety-related features

While we often look for smartwatches to track our everyday activities, they can also act as a safety measure. Google Pixel Watch 3 has an array of safety features that, when enabled, can save users from dangerous situations that occur when walking, training, or driving.

• Loss of Pulse Detection: detects when a user loses their pulse and can call emergency services to get help when a person might be alone.
• Car Crash Detection: detects when a person is in a car crash and calls emergency services to provide them with a location after the user does not respond.
• Fall Detection: is enabled by a hard fall, after which it asks a user to confirm if they’re okay. If not, it will assume that the person needs help and will contact emergency services.
• Safety Check: a user can set a timer for certain activities (such as walking home). After a set period of time, the feature pops up to check on a person, and in case they don’t respond, share the location with emergency contacts.
• Emergency SOS: helps out when a person is in danger and needs to call the emergency services or a close contact quickly.

As someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, I found such features useful, especially Safety Check and Fall Detection. However, such features only work if a 4G service or an internet connection is on, meaning that if I’m in the middle of the woods, I may not reach help.

Final thoughts – is it worth it?

The Google Pixel Watch 3 is a simple, useful gadget with decent battery life. Its price starts at $349.99, which is a perfect middle ground compared to other smartwatches released this year.

The watch also has an extended free subscription to Fitbit Premium, an app that enhances the user experience. However, if we remove this add-on (which, half a year later, turns your watch into another subscription-driven device), there’s much less to be excited about.