How Pixel, Apple and Galaxy Watches compare on paper

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Google announced the Pixel Watch, its first portable flagship. Although it has a clean circular design, the company has only just entered a field in which competitors like Apple and Samsung have been successful for years. While detailed impressions of the Pixel Watch’s actual performance and battery life will have to wait for a full review, let’s take a look at how they compare on paper.

Aesthetics are obviously subjective, but there are certain design aspects that we can objectively compare and contrast. One of the standouts is the shape and controls; like the Galaxy Watch 5 series, the Pixel Watch has a circular design, while the Apple Watch case is a rounded rectangle. Like Apple’s wearable, however, Google has adorned its watch with a rotating crown, button and touchscreen for controls, while Samsung uses a two-button plus. touch bezel and touch interface.

Size is also relatively important when it comes to clothing; large watches can dominate thinner wrists, while small watches can look a bit like toys on fatter arms. The Pixel Watch comes in just one size, 41mm, which is roughly similar to the smaller sizes of the Apple Watch Series 8, SE, and Galaxy Watch 5. Apple and Samsung both offer larger models for a slight price hike, an option currently offered by Google. it does not give us.

a:hover]:text-black [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black text-gray-63″>Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

In terms of materials, the Pixel Watch is made of stainless steel and comes in gold, matte black, and silver. The Apple Watch Series 8 is available in both aluminum and stainless steel (the latter having a steep markup), and the SE is only available in aluminum. Samsung also builds its standard Watch 5 out of aluminum, but switches to titanium for the sports-focused Watch 5 Pro.

Speaking of sports, one of the main selling points of the Pixel Watch (and most smartwatches) is its usefulness as a fitness tracker. Compared to the Apple Watch Series 8 and Galaxy Watch 5, the Pixel Watch has a host of similar sensors; it has an optical sensor to track heart rate, can take ECGs, and can read your blood oxygen level. All watches also offer sleep tracking. Samsung’s sensor, however, has additional capabilities, like the ability to estimate metrics like body fat, mass, and water, and Apple added retrospective estimates of ovulation based on temperature to Series 8.

Image of a person running while looking at a Pixel Watch.

a:hover]:text-black [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black text-gray-63″>Image: Google

It’s worth noting that the Pixel Watch locks some fitness features behind $9.99 per month Fitbit Premium Membership while including six months of service with the watch. After this period, you will need to pay if you want to continue getting a Readiness Score, Sleep Score Breakdown, or Wellness Reports. The subscription also offers access to guided workouts and mindfulness exercises, similar to Apple’s Fitness Plus service at $9.99 per month – although it’s worth noting that Apple doesn’t contain any data or analysis behind his subscription (not just his watch includes the concept of preparation or rest days). Samsung doesn’t charge extra for giving you a sleep score or sleep coaching.

Like the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch, the Pixel Watch offers some level of automatic workout tracking for activities like walking and running. It also comes with three free months of YouTube Music.

The Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch both run the same operating system, WearOS 3, so they should support the same apps and features overall. All of the watches we’re comparing today offer hard fall detection and an emergency SOS feature, but it’s worth noting that Google’s fall detection isn’t coming until later this year. You can also purchase a cellular version of each watch; here are the operators that Google supports with its portable devices.

Unlike the Apple Watch SE, the Pixel Watch has an always-on display, just like the high-end Apple Watch and Samsung models.

Google doesn’t currently offer a rugged, sports-focused watch like the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro or Apple Watch Ultra (which we didn’t include in this roundup due to its much higher price tag). The Watch 5 Pro includes features such as sapphire glass covering the screen – the Pixel has “custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass” – and GPS backtracking, which is also available on Apple Watches.

Google touts the Pixel Watch as a companion to its phones, but its site says the wearable is compatible with any phone running Android 8.0 or newer, like the Galaxy Watch 5 (both watches run the same OS, after all). ). Unfortunately, that means it’s not compatible with iPhones, and the Apple Watch won’t work with Android phones.

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