5 Pixel Watch 3 improvements I would love to see

The Android smartwatch market has flourished in the past couple of years, with many brands (finally!) adopting the Wear OS platform. As a result, there are now many options available on the market, like the OnePlus Watch 2, the ever-impressive Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, and the newly announced Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro. Another beloved Wear OS smartwatch is Google’s Pixel Watch, offering Google’s unique flavor and design. The Pixel Watch 2 brought many improvements over the original Pixel Watch, but there are still several improvements I hope to see in the Pixel Watch 3.

1 Larger size option

One size doesn’t fit all wrists

The Pixel Watch 2, like the first-gen variant, is only available in one size: 41mm. This works for small wrists, but if you’re someone like me with larger wrists, the display can feel too small, especially with the big bezels (more on that later). In contrast, competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 offer sizes from 40mm to 44mm, and even the Apple Watch Series 9 comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes.

While the OnePlus Watch 2 also comes in only one size, it leans towards the larger side. But thankfully, there are leaks suggesting that Google might offer the Pixel Watch 3 in two sizes, including a 41mm model similar to the current one, and a larger 45mm option. This bigger variant could feature a larger screen and battery, and possibly even more sensors.

2 Thinner bezels

Trim those bezels for a modern, sleek look

With its domed display glass and pebble-like shape, the Pixel Watch is one of the best-designed Wear OS smartwatches available right now. It’s unique, unlike anything I’ve seen before. However, it has large and bulky bezels, which makes it feel a bit outdated — even compared to the Moto 360 that launched a decade ago with smaller bezels.

While the software cleverly hides the bezels most of the time by using black backgrounds in Wear OS, it’s still just a trick to hide the bezels. And in some cases, like using the watch as a flashlight, the bezels are quite noticeable. Smaller bezels with a larger display would be a significant design improvement for the Pixel Watch 3 that we all wish to see.

3 More features in the free Fitbit tier

Google owns Fitbit, and much of the health tracking on the Pixel Watch is managed like the Pixel Watch is a Fitbit. However, Google charges $10 a month for the Fitbit Premium subscription if you want to take ‘full’ advantage of the watch. Although you can track basic fitness parameters such as movement, calories burned, sleep, heart rate, and ECG, features like the Daily Readiness Score, which indicates your body’s readiness for the day, are tied behind a paid subscription.

Although some companies like Oura and Whoop charge a paid monthly subscription for deeper health analysis, none of the Pixel Watch’s direct competitors, including the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, or OnePlus Watch 2, have a paid subscription tied to them. We’d like to see Google offer deeper tracking metrics for free on the Pixel Watch or remove the subscription for Pixel Watch owners altogether.

4 Google Gemini integration

AI magic on your wrist

Google is no longer a smartphone, smartwatch, or search engine company — it’s all about AI, as evident as it was during the company’s I/O 2024 keynote. Google is all in on AI, and with the company looking to integrate Gemini into all of its services, why leave the Pixel Watch behind? Yes, the Google Assistant on the Pixel Watch is helpful for daily tasks like setting alarms and checking the weather, but there’s a huge potential for a Gemini-based Assistant.

Think of a smartwatch assistant that provides you with summaries with actionable insights and recommendations every morning or an AI-based real-time workout tracker that tells you to slow down or keep going based on your heart rate, pace, and goals. An AI-based tool that makes it easier to summarize notifications and emails for the smaller screen — the possibilities are endless.

With Google integrating Gemini into all its products, the Pixel Watch 3 seems like a perfect and logical candidate. I hope Google explores this idea and brings some AI magic to our wrists.

5 Better battery life and improved charging mechanism

A much-needed upgrade, Google!

At this point, it seems this is something I mention every time I write about the Google Pixel Watch. The original Pixel Watch was criticized for its poor battery life. While Google improved it with the Pixel Watch 2, which lasts around 24 hours with AoD active, there’s still room for improvement. Competing Wear OS smartwatches like Galaxy Watch 6 and OnePlus Watch 2 can last 36 to even 100 hours on a single charge, and we hope for a significant upgrade in the upcoming generation, especially with Wear OS 5 promising better battery life.

Speaking of charging, Google needs to standardize the charging mechanism for the Pixel Watch series. The first-generation Pixel Watch used a wireless charger, but the Pixel Watch 2 switched to a pin-based Fitbit-like charger. Google needs to settle on a charging mechanism for the Pixel Watch as it’s not ideal for customers to have to deal with a new charger with each new watch release. Google should choose one charging method, whether it’s the original or the one used with the Pixel Watch 2, and stick with it.

Pixel Watch 3 needs to do a lot to catch up

While Google made many improvements with the Pixel Watch 2 and is planning more for the Pixel Watch 3, such as a new UWB chip for bypassing the lock screen when wearing the watch with a Pixel phone, there’s still plenty of room for improvements. The Pixel Watch isn’t the top choice for health metrics and tracking for many people, and the company needs to step up its game to catch up with competitors.