Google’s highly-anticipated Google Glass has been revealed Pixel Watch, ushering in a new era for Wear OS devices and the company’s expanding Pixel ecosystem. It’s a fitting companion to The Pixel 7 and Pixel7 Pro are now availableThey were also announced during this week’s Made by Google eventYou can also use it as a sidebar A new Pixel Tablet.
While it’s encouraging to see more Wear OS smartwatches appearing, the real question is whether Google’s first smartwatch brings enough to the table to topple Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5, a device that’s effectively become the gold standard of Wear OS devices. Let’s take a look at their specifications and features to find out the answer.
Specifications
| Google Pixel Watch | Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 41mm = 1.61 Inches | 40mm = 1.2 inches 44mm = 1.4 inches |
| The body size | 41 x 41 x 12.3mm (1.61 x 1.61 x 0.48 inches) | 40mm: 39.3×40.4×9.8mm 44mm = 43.3 x 44.4x 9.8mm |
| Weight | 36 grams | 40mm: 28.7g 44mm: 33.5g |
| Resolution in pixels | 320 pixels per in (ppi). | 40mm: 396×396 44mm: 405 x 450 |
| Touchscreen | AMOLED Always-on display | 40mm: Super AMOLED Always-on display 44mm: Super AMOLED Always-on display |
| Storage | 32GB | 16GB |
| Wireless interface | Bluetooth 5.0, Wi Fi 802.11 b/g/n2.4, NFC and LTE | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n WLAN 2.4+5GHz NFC, LTE |
| Depth | 12.3mm | 9.8mm |
| Blood oxygen sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Temperature sensor | No | Yes |
| Blood pressure sensor | No | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou | A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| Water/dust resistant | Yes (5 atm ISO 22810:2010). | Yes (5 m + IP68) |
| Battery life | 294mAh 24-hours maximum |
40mm: 284mAh
44mm: 410mAh Up to 50 hours (based on Samsung’s laboratory measurements) |
| Prices | Starting at $350 | Start at $280 |
| Available | Samsung | |
| Review | Hands-on | 4 out of 5 |
Design and display
Google’s first smartwatch features a modern, minimalist design. The circular, domed face blends in seamlessly with the edges. There is only one crown and a small button to the side. The Pixel Watch is unmistakably a WearOS device, but it still has an elegance that belies its status as a smartwatch.
Although taste is subjective, Pixel Watch’s design makes it a great watch. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5These products are more functional. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s fair to say they’re unique enough that each will appeal to a different type of customer.
That’s a good thing since both smartwatches offer such similar specs in many other areas, starting with the display technology. The Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 5 both sport always-on AMOLED displays, and although Google hasn’t provided the exact screen resolution, it does offer a pixel density of 320 pixels per inch (ppi), on par with Samsung’s two Galaxy Watch 5 models, which come in at 321 ppi and 330 ppi. That’s not a difference anyone will notice with the naked eye.
The Galaxy Watch 5 got a hardened sapphire screen for greater scratch resistance. However, the Pixel Watch 5 uses 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which should offer similar protection against bumps, scrapes, and scratches. Google’s smartwatch also gets an edge for using a stainless steel casing, a finish that generally commands a premium from other smartwatch makers. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 is only available in aluminum. Both the Pixel Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 are available in aluminum. Five levels (5 atm) of water resistance, although Samsung’s is also certified for IP68 dust resistance.
The Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 5 also differ in their hardware controls, with Google’s smartwatch featuring a single rotating crown versus Samsung’s two physical buttons and capacitative bezels for using swipe gestures. Both watches have touchscreens, and come in a wide range of colors and bands.
We think that the Galaxy Watch 5 has a distinct advantage by having two sizes to choose from and offering more accessories and bands.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Charge time and battery life
Google promises the Pixel Watch that it can last up to 24 hours on a single charge. Samsung, however, claims that it can last 50 hours. We’ll have to wait to see how well the Pixel Watch holds up under real-world conditions, but we can already tell you that the Galaxy Watch 5 gets nowhere near the 50 hours that Samsung advertises.
So, it’s fair to say that both watches need to hit a charger at least once every 24 hours. Both watches have similar charging speeds. The Pixel Watch can charge from 0 to 50% in 30 minutes, while the Galaxy Watch 5 charges at least 45% within the same time. These faster charging speeds won’t matter much if you don’t wear your watch to bed, but it’s beneficial if you want to take advantage of the sleep-tracking features both smartwatches offer.
Winner: Tie
Features for tracking your health and fitness
The Pixel Watch includes all the usual health sensors, including an optical heart rate sensor and a “multipurpose electrical sensor.” Those are pretty much table stakes for any modern smartwatch, and there’s nothing particularly revolutionary or exciting about the sensor hardware. The Pixel Watch is actually a bit disappointing. It’s a good watch. Technically has a blood oxygen sensor inside, but it’s not currently available for use and has no ETA for when that’ll change.
By comparison, the Galaxy Watch 5 includes Samsung’s upgraded BioActive Sensor, which combines a Bio-Electrical Impedance (BIA), electrocardiogram (ECG), and photoplethysmography (PPG) heart rate sensor. To detect atrial fibrillation, both the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 5 come with an ECG App.
The Galaxy Watch 5 can also take blood pressure measurements and read your wrist temperature, at least in theory; the temperature sensor has yet to be unlocked by third-party developers, and blood pressure monitoring is only available in countries where Samsung has received regulatory approval — and the U.S. still isn’t one of them. So, while the Galaxy Watch 5 sensors may offer more on its spec sheet, these aren’t features that benefit many Galaxy Watch 5 owners.
The Pixel Watch has what may be its most important edge: Google’s 2019 acquisition of FitbitIt is effectively a Fitbit smartwatch. The smartwatch may be new, but it packs in a well-established suite of health and fitness features that Google’s engineers have only been improving upon even more.
Google, for example, notes that the machine learning team at Google teamed up with Fitbit experts to create a new method that tracks heart rate more accurately. This data is also used to calculate metrics such as Active Zone Minutes or Daily Readiness, which can help you optimize your workouts. Anyone who has used a Fitbit device should be familiar with the health and fitness features. Google is offering a free six-month subscription to Fitbit Premium for new Pixel Watch customers.
Of course, Samsung has its own health and fitness suite that’s matured over several generations of the Galaxy Watch. You can also get customized routines to improve your sleep quality with the built-in sleep coaching. The Pixel Watch gives you a Sleep Score which will give you an insight into your sleep patterns. but you’ll need an ongoing Fitbit Premium subscription to get the more advanced Sleep Profiles.
The Galaxy Watch 5 offers 100 workout options, while the Pixel Watch only has 40. This includes the most popular workout types so it should be sufficient. However, Pixel Watch users can add over 1,000 workouts to their Fitbit Premium subscription.
The bottom line is that the Galaxy Watch 5 has advanced health, training, and coaching features right out of the box. However, the best features on the Pixel Watch are actually locked behind a paywall. New owners will get six months of Fitbit Premium for free, but you’ll need to start paying a monthly fee if you want to take advantage of the kind of coaching and wellness metrics that Samsung offers at no additional charge.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Software and features
The Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 5 both run Wear OS 3.5, the latest version of Google’s wearable operating system. Samsung adds its One UI Watch 4.5 to the mix, which allows for more customization and features that are more familiar to users of Samsung smartphones.
Other than the One UI differences between the smartwatches, both include wearable versions Google Maps, Google Wallet and Google Assistant. Additionally, the Galaxy Watch 5 includes Samsung Pay and Samsung Health. They should run the same apps since they use Wear OS3.5. But, the Wear OS app ecosystem remains a barren landscape, especially for those who venture beyond Strava, Adidas Running, or MyFitnessPal.
Both wearables also support emergency SOS. This allows you to quickly call the emergency services. The Galaxy Watch 5 also supports fall detection out of the box, which isn’t available on the Pixel Watch at launch; Google promises it will be arriving early next year in a winter Wear OS update.
Winner: Tie
Prices and availability
The Galaxy Watch 5It is available at Samsung and most retail outlets. The price starts at $280 for the 40mm Bluetooth version, and $330 if your desire to add LTE support. For $30 more, the larger 44mm model will be available.
The Pixel Watch is available from Google’s online store starting at $350 for the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi model or $400 for the 4G/LTE cellular-equipped version. The device is available in one size, with a stainless-steel finish, and in four color and band combinations.
Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Google has done an impressive job with the Pixel Watch, but it’s still clearly a first-generation device. It’s hard for that to compete with Samsung’s much more mature Galaxy Watch platform.
One, the Galaxy Watch 5 has more advanced health sensors. Even if some of these capabilities have not been fully unlocked yet, it is still a hardware device. Further, Samsung’s sophisticated health and fitness tracking and coaching features are available at no extra charge, while Google is offering only the basic Fitbit service and locking all its best features behind a subscription paywall.
Google deserves to be commended for its solid first attempt. It will be interesting to see what the future holds with future versions of the Pixel Watch. For now, though, we think it’s a wearable that will appeal to only a few specific groups: owners of Google’s Pixel phones, folks firmly entrenched in the Fitbit ecosystem, or those who simply like the design and aesthetics. We recommend the Galaxy Watch 5 for everyone else.
Editors’ Recommendations
