Google’s new watch bands leak, but Pixel Watch 3 XL fans might be disappointed

Summary

• The Pixel Watch 3 is expected to come in a 45mm XL model in addition to the standard 41mm case from previous generations.
• The XL variant is unlikely to be compatible with all band options available for the smaller model.
• A list of Google’s first-party watch band options for the Pixel 3 series has leaked, and discrepancies in availability between models seem to indicate that the 3 XL will use a band attachment mechanism that isn’t compatible with the standard model or previous Pixel Watches.

Google’s Pixel 9 launch event is roughly two weeks away, and while the upcoming flagship smartphones are hogging all the attention, we haven’t forgotten about the new Pixel Buds Pro and Pixel Watch 3.

Albeit leaks about the latter two have surfaced far less than the Pixel 9 series, we’ve got some insight into the new accessories. The Buds Pro 2, for example, are expected to be available in four colorways, while the Pixel Watch 3 is expected to be available in two models, with the addition of an XL variant.

We’ve seen leaked renders of the Pixel Watch 3 (41mm) and Pixel Watch 3 XL (45mm), and now we’re getting our first hints about the accompanying bands.

As shared by Android Headlines, quoting an unnamed source, the Pixel Watch 3 will offer a whopping ten different first-party band styles, though not all of them will be available for the XL variant.

All band styles will reportedly offer several colorways, and you can find a brief breakdown of the expected offerings below:

Active Band

• Obsidian
• Porcelain
• Hazel
• Rose Quartz (Pixel Watch 3 only)

Active Sport Band

• Obsidian
• Porcelain
• Hazel
• Coral
• Moondust
• Wintergreen

Woven Band

• Ivy
• Porcelain
• Lemongrass
• Peony
• Bay (Pixel Watch 3 only)
• Sage (Pixel Watch 3 only)

Stretch Band (Pixel Watch 3 only)

• Obsidian
• Porcelain
• Bay
• Sage
• Wintergreen
• Rose Quartz

• Matte Black
• Champagne Gold
• Polished Silver

• Matte Black
• Brushed Silver

• Matte Black
• Champagne Gold
• Brushed Silver

Two-Tone Leather Band (Pixel Watch 3 only)

Crafted Leather Band

Performance Loop Band

• Obsidian
• Porcelain
• Peony
• Wintergreen

Hold onto your old bands

The Pixel Watch 3 is expected to sport the same proprietary connection as its two predecessors, so your old bands should likely fit the 41mm Pixel Watch 3. The XL model, on the other hand, is expected to feature a larger 1.45-inch display compared to the leaked 1.2-inch display on the Pixel Watch 3, and with a larger display comes a larger band attachment system. Considering that the leaked band information clearly states that some bands will only be available for the 41mm model, it is evident that the larger watch will feature an attachment system incompatible with the existing bands.

For reference, this means that the owners of the XL Pixel Watch 3 would only be able to pair it with the Performance Loop Band, Crafted Leather Band, Metal Links Band, Woven Band (except Bay and Sage colors), Active Sport Band, and Active Band (except Rose Quartz). Third-party band manufacturers will likely fill in the gaps.

Elsewhere, according to what we already know, the Pixel Watch 3 series will run on Qualcomm’s W5 chipset with 310mAh and 420mAh batteries for the small and large models, respectively. There have also been hints at the wearable itself being offered in multiple colorways, but nothing concrete.