Google 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
| Specs | Google Pixel Watch 3 | Galaxy Watch 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 45 x 45 x 12.3 mm (1.77 x 1.77 x 0.48 in) | 44.4 x 44.4 x 9.7 mm (1.75 x 1.75 x 0.38 in) |
| Dial Size | 41 mm (45 mm also available) | 44 mm (40 mm also available) |
| Weight | 31 g (1.09 oz) | 33.8 g (1.16 oz) |
| Display | 1.2 inches (408 x 408), LTPO AMOLED, 60 Hz refresh rate, 2000 nits brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection | 1.5 inches (480 x 480), Super AMOLED, 60 Hz refresh rate, 2,000 nits brightness, Sapphire crystal display protection. |
| Processor | Qualcomm SW5100 | Exynos W1000 (3nm) |
| Operating System | Wear OS 5, Up to 3 years of major updates | Wear OS 5, Up to 4 years of major updates |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM + 32 GB EMMC storage | 2 GB RAM + 32 GB storage |
| Design | Aluminum body | Sapphire Crystal and Aluminum frame |
| Sports Modes | 40+ | 100+ |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Battery Life | 24 Hours with Always On Display | 30 Hours with Always on Display |
| Strap Colors | Hazel, Obsidian, Porcelain, Rose Quartz | Green, Cream, Silver |
| Price | Rs 39,999/ $ 349 (Bluetooth + WiFi) | Rs 32,999/$ 299 (Bluetooth + WiFi) |
Pixel Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch 7: What’s in the Box
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.
Pixel Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch 7: Build and Design
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 an all-glass top that curves to the sides offering 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 ribbed silicon 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 the Sapphire crystal protects the top glass. 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 is prone 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 with IP68 rating which 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 a rotating 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 the dual-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
Pixel Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch 7: Display and Speakers
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 a 1.2-inch curved LTPO AMOLED display, whereas the Galaxy Watch 7 has a 1.5-inch Super AMOLED screen. 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 from minor hiccups in animation here and there.
In terms of brightness, both watches are again on par as they offer 2,000 nits of brightness. As for speaker quality, Samsung is louder and the audio pickup is also better with it. The best part is that you can play Spotify songs directly from 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
Software and Performance
Now both watches come with the latest Wear OS 5, but Samsung calls it Wear OS for Samsung. The Qualcomm SW5100 powers the Pixel Watch 3 and Samsung’s in-house Exynos W1000 fuels 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 a trimmed-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. The Watch 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 get 4 years of Wear OS updates which is one more than the Pixel’s 3 years of updates. Even with these perks, I still prefer Pixel’s Snappy experience over Samsung’s.
Winner: Pixel Watch 3
Pixel Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch 7: Health and Fitness Track
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 and both 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 the duration of the intense sessions, and that you should consider taking a break as you are pushing yourself too much.
Meanwhile, I found the Galaxy Watch 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 notice this, 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 the sleep 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
Battery Life and Charging
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 a tough time making throughout the day with them.
Starting with the Pixel Watch 3, Google claims 24-hours of battery with AOD turned on, but in my usage, it only lasted for about 15-16 hours with 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 do almost 24 hours but is still lower than the claimed 30 hours from the brand.
When it comes to charging them, the Pixel Watch takes about 30 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 the Pixel Watch still relies on the pins to connect to the charging puck.
Winner: Galaxy Watch 7
Pixel Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch 7: Which One Should You Buy?
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.
