Pixel Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch 7: Watch Out for The Verdict
Sep. 21, 2024Google and Samsung are the only two brands producing top-of-the-line WearOS watches at the moment. Their most recent releases: the Pixel Watch 3 (review) and the Galaxy Watch 7, come with the latest WearOS 5 out of the box along with another similar feature set. However, given their prices, it can be tough to decide which one to go with. So, after adopting both watches into my routine, I will help settle the debate in this detailed Pixel Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch 7 comparison.
Pixel Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch 7: Specs Comparison
The Pixel Watch 3 and the Galaxy Watch 7 come in an elongated rectangular box, containing only the necessities. So you’ll get the smartwatch, silicon bands, USB-C charging cable, and a quick start guide. However, Google also bundles an additional longer strap with the Watch 3.
Google and Samsung both stick to the same design language as their previous models. But Google has made some improvements with 16% slimmer bezels on the Watch 3, and a new 45 mm variant this time. The rest remains the same with anall-glass top that curves to the sidesoffering an immersive and stylish look to the watch.
The Pixel comes with a plain silicon band that feels cheap, and if you have a sweaty or greasy wrist, it will get dirty quickly.Samsung bundles a higher-quality ribbedsilicon band that doesn’t suffer the same problem. It has blue and orange accents which make the watch instantly stand out.
The Watch 7 has a more traditional design where the aluminum body covers the sides of the watch, while theSapphire crystal protects the topglass. While I found the Pixel Watch quite attractive at first, the spell quickly broke when I bumped the watch into the wall and realized how it isprone to accidental bumps. Though there is Gorilla Glass 5 for protection, I still consider the Galaxy Watch 7 to be a safer option.
Talking about safety, both watches are also equipped withIP68 ratingwhich protects them from dust and water. So I could take either of them out in the moody monsoon showers of Noida without any hesitation or worry about damaging them.
The Pixel Watch sports arotating crown, complemented by outstanding haptics. I often found myself fidgeting with the crown just because of how good it felt. The Recents button sits at the top of the crown. The Watch 7 retains thedual-button design, with orange accents on the top and white on the bottom. I wish Samsung had kept the rotating bezel from the classic models on this one. The heart rate sensor is on the rear of both watches.
Both watches weigh almost the same, so I don’t have any complaints about their heft. But, if I had to pick one, the Galaxy Watch would be the obvious choice due to its more practical design.
Winner: Galaxy Watch 7
Before we talk about display, know that we have the 41 mm variant of the Pixel Watch 3 and the 44 mm variant of the Galaxy Watch 7 at the office. So I will be basing my views on that, but there is another dial option available for both watches.
So, the Pixel Watch 3 has a1.2-inch curved LTPO AMOLEDdisplay, whereas the Galaxy Watch 7 has a1.5-inch Super AMOLEDscreen. As said earlier, Google has decreased the bezels giving the display more room to shine. And shine it does, as it stretches close to the borders, making the nearly all-glass top even more eye-catching. The UI also plays a hand in it as elements start to blur at the edges, giving the impression that they are coming out of thin air, which I think is pretty fascinating.
Both displays are capped at 60 Hz but only the Pixel Watch 3 gets an LTPO upgrade. This lets the watch lower the refresh rate to 1 Hz during always-on-display or battery-saver modes. Though, I don’t feel this has any major benefits to the battery life which I will touch upon later. After using the two watches, they both feel quite smooth apart fromminor hiccups in animationhere and there.
In terms of brightness, both watches are again on par as they offer2,000 nitsof brightness. As for speaker quality, Samsung is louder and the audio pickup is also better with it. The best part is that you canplay Spotify songs directlyfrom the Galaxy Watch speakers, that’s something even Apple adopted this year for their Watch series 10. With that said, if I have to pick a winner, then LTPO gives a clear edge to the Pixel.
Winner: Pixel Watch 3
Now both watches come with the latestWear OS 5, but Samsung calls it Wear OS for Samsung. TheQualcomm SW5100powers the Pixel Watch 3 and Samsung’s in-houseExynos W1000fuels the Galaxy Watch 7. These are the best processors you’ll get on any Android smartwatch.
Google has a minimal and to-the-point approach with WearOS on the Pixel Watch. Everything has a straightforward and simple approach, from app icons to menu options. Apart from the watch faces, the rest of the UI is quite basic, with pastel colors consistent throughout. In contrast, the Galaxy Watch’s software seems like atrimmed-down version of One UI. It is dominated by huge, colorful icons and menus with blur effects and fancy transitions.
Now, I do feel that the Pixel Watch is a lot smoother, even wondering whether the display is 90 Hz. It’s not like Samsung is any bad. It’s simply that the performance can’t always keep up with the animations and transitions, resulting in stutters. TheWatch 3 also boasts better haptics, making interaction even more engaging.
I don’t particularly appreciate scrolling for each notification individually on Samsung using the touch bezels. But Samsung will get4 years of Wear OS updateswhich is one more than the Pixel’s3 yearsof updates. Even with these perks, I still prefer Pixel’s Snappy experience over Samsung’s.
Winner: Pixel Watch 3
For health monitoring, both watches include an accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate monitor, altimeter, compass, and SpO2 meter. Pixel can also measure your skin temperature so it includes a thermometer. Meanwhile, Samsung is certified to monitor your blood pressure. Google relies on Fitbit to measure all your health stats, meanwhile, Samsung requires you to download their own health app for the same.
With these out of the way, here’s my experience with the two so far. I took them out for a 20-minute jog andboth watches accurately detected my steps. They both paused the workout when I stopped for a breather.
Both actively measure calories lost, current heart rate, and distance but the Pixel Watch now also measures your strides during the wall or runs. It also measures the intensity of your workout based on your increasing heart rate. This helps you learn theduration of the intense sessions, and that you should consider taking a break as you are pushing yourself too much.
Meanwhile, I found the GalaxyWatch 7 does better at automatic workout detection. On my way down to the Metro station from the office, it automatically detected I had been walking for 10 minutes and started recording the workout accounting for the steps of the last 10 minutes. This was pretty impressive.Pixel is slow to noticethis, and when it does, it asks you to select the exact workout for it to start recording it. And that doesn’t include the last data of the last 10 minutes.
As far as sleep tracking goes, I will go with Galaxy Watch any day. For some odd reason, the Pixel Watch 7 shows me more awake than I am. So to confirm my suspicion, I started going to bed with both the watches on each of my hands. The result? The Galaxy Watch showed that I was awake for 11 minutes while Pixel came up with 47 minutes. So thesleep tracking needs some tweaking.
The Pixel also takes about a week to create your readiness score which shows how much your body is ready for the day based on your sleep and previous workout sessions. In contrast, Galaxy takes only a day to do the same. So based on my data alone, I will pick the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 over the Pixel Watch 3.
Winner: Galaxy Watch 7
Now truth be told, neither one of the watches are going to win any awards in terms of battery life. I think they might come at the very end all sweaty and panting. I only used these watches with always-on-display enabled, and I had atough time making throughout the daywith them.
Starting with the Pixel Watch 3, Google claims 24-hours of battery with AOD turned on, but in my usage, it only lasted forabout 15-16 hourswith almost 10% left in the tank. Before the August update, the Galaxy Watch 7 gave me a similar battery life. After some time, it improved, but not by much. Now it can doalmost 24 hoursbut is still lower than the claimed 30 hours from the brand.
When it comes to charging them, the Pixel Watch takes about30 minutes to charge to 50%and an hour for 100%. The Galaxy Watch also has a similar charging speed but it supports proper wireless charging. Meanwhile thePixel Watch still relies on the pinsto connect to the charging puck.
Winner: Galaxy Watch 7
Well, I won’t beat around the bush and will give you a straight answer. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 is an all-around better deal than the Pixel Watch. I like its design and the strap it comes with. It gets an additional year of updates than the Pixel. It’s accurate at health, sleep tracking and exercise detection, supports wireless charging, and is more affordable than the Watch 3.
The Pixel Watch 3 would have worked if it was priced the same as the Watch 7 or lower. The addition of an LTPO display, continuous heart rate detection, and the new features aren’t enough to justify the price of Rs 39,990 or $ 349 in my books. But if you love its curved aesthetics then it all comes down to your personal preferences.
As a tech journalist, I dive into the ever-evolving tech landscape with a particular interest for smartphones, apps, and gaming. With a passion for sharing insights, my articles blend expertise with a friendly touch—think of me as your friendly neighborhood tech support.
