Following leaked information on its wristband options, promotional material for the Pixel Watch 3 has surfaced online, revealing several key features. Chief among them are multiple display improvements, such as thinner bezels.
According to the images obtained by Android Headlines, one of the models will offer “10 percent more screen than the Pixel Watch 2” while the other offers “40 percent more screen”. The former is presumably the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 as that device is closer in size to the Pixel Watch 2, while the second is most likely a 45mm Pixel Watch 3.
Besides the bezel upgrade, both models are breaking new ground by being the first of Google’s smartwatches to sport Actua displays, much like the Pixel 8. It’s unknown if the Actua screen will result in higher resolutions, but they will reportedly hit a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. That’s double the brightness on the Pixel Watch 2, which sits at 1,000 nits.
The leak states that the displays will be “ultra responsive.” Sadly, it does not explain what this means exactly, although we believe the text implies that the wearables will have a higher refresh rate.
Fitness upgrade
So far, everything has been hardware-focused, but things get more interesting when you look at the software. It seems one of the prominent fitness features on the Pixel Watch 3 is “Advanced Running Metrics,” which lets you create custom cardio workouts. What’s interesting about the tool is it can actively direct users during exercise. With the help of “audio and haptic cues,” Advancing Running Metrics will tell you “when to sprint, cool down, or maintain pace” during a jog.
Health features don’t stop there. Morning Brief on the Pixel Watch 3 will reportedly deliver a breakdown of “your most important health… metrics each morning,” telling you how well you slept and “your readiness score for the day.” Cardio Load is another metric that measures your heart and will liekly let you know if you’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately or not hard enough.
FIrst-party apps
Outside of fitness, Google is set to update several of its first-party apps. The promotional materials state that Google Maps on the smartwatch will be able to operate without a connection thanks to offline maps.
Google Home is seeing a huge upgrade as it will reportedly let homeowners with a Google Nest Camera view a live feed on the watch. The wearables are also gaining greater control over the Pixel Camera app by giving users a way to switch between photo and video modes quickly.
The battery life is still expected to be at 24 hours, but Google will reportedly add a Battery Saver mode that will extend the lifetime to a maximum of 36 hours. Charging speeds will be 20 percent faster on the 41mm model. There is no word on how long it’ll take for the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 to charge.
As you can see, this was a pretty big leak, although we are still missing vital information about the smartwatches, like what kind of chipset they’ll be running. We won’t have to wait for too long as Google is holding its next Pixel event in less than two weeks on August 13.
Of course, take everything you read here with a pinch of salt. Things can always change. In the meantime, check out TechRadar’s list of the best smartwatches for 2024.