At the recent "Made by Google" event, the tech giant unveiled its third-generation Pixel Watch alongside the second-generation Pixel Buds Pro.
As a wearable enthusiast, I have been eagerly anticipating this release. The Pixel Watch 3 introduces groundbreaking features with a wide range of Google apps integration and a full Wear OS 5 experience.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2, enhanced with a custom A1 chip, offers some serious upgrades. Let’s dive into what the Pixel wearables bring to the table, powered by some serious AI magic.
Pixel Watch 3
Design and Build: The Pixel Watch 3 does not introduce show-stopping new hardware or sensors, but it’s all about refinement. We get the same rounded pebble-shaped form, consisting of an aluminum back and with a rotating crown, an optical heart rate monitor on the back (same as Watch 2 but is more accurate thanks to a new algorithm), and an IP68-certified dust and water-resistant construction, up to 5ATM.
However, Google introduces an all-new larger 45mm model, offering 40% more screen real state and a 35% larger battery. The bezels are slimmer, giving the 41mm model a 10% increase in visible space and the 45mm model a 16% increase.
Under the hood, the same dual-chip architecture—Snapdragon Wear 5100 and Cortex M33 coprocessor keep things running. But the real star is the ultra-wideband chip, which not only unlocks your Pixel phone but also gives certain BMW and Mini models a nod of approval.
The Pixel Watch 3 now features more advanced and power-efficient all-new Actua Display like the Pixel phones with 3D cover glass. With up to 2000 nits of brightness and a dynamic 60Hz refresh rate, the display is twice as bright and fast as before.
However, it still uses Gorilla Glass 5, which some users hoped would be stronger. Battery life remains similar to the previous model, with up to 24 hours of usage with the always-on display and up to 36 hours with Battery Saver mode. The 45mm model's 420mAh battery is a promising upgrade over the 41mm’s 307mAh capacity.
At $349 for the 41mm model and $399 for the 45mm Wi-Fi-only version the 41mm model comes in Matte Black with an Obsidian Band, Polished Silver with a Porcelain or Rose Quartz Band, and Champagne Gold with a Hazel Band, while the 45mm model comes in Matte Black, Polished Silver, and Matte Hazel.
App Integration: Perhaps one of the Pixel Watch 3's most unique improvements is its app integrations with the Google ecosystem. Beyond the fitness metrics and health insights, the watch can livestream your Nest Camera, control your Pixel phone camera, and even act as a Google TV remote. Even offline, you can access Google Maps and take voice notes with the Recorder app, bringing unprecedented functionality right to your wrist.
Software Features: Building on the success of Call Assist, Pixel Watch 3 introduces "Hold a Minute", a feature that takes over calls for you until you are ready to talk.
It is a lifesaver for busy moments, letting you find a quiet place to continue your conversation. This, along with spam-blocking, phone-tree navigating, and hold-time predicting features, makes Pixel Watch 3 the ultimate tool for communication.
The Pixel Watch 3 is a fitness powerhouse, integrating Fitbit's most comprehensive features and most of them are free now. So, you don’t have to worry about premium membership.
The new Morning Brief summarizes your sleep and activity data, offering actionable advice. With real-time feedback from Google AI, custom workouts, and advanced motion sensing, the watch helps improve performance and reduce injury risk. Additionally, new tools like Readiness Score, Cardio Load, and Target Load metrics help you balance workouts and recovery.
The real deal of the Pixel Watch 3 is its Loss of Pulse Detection feature, transforming it into a vital health and safety device.
This groundbreaking feature detects if you have lost your pulse and become unresponsive. The feature is specifically looking for a pulse, but also looking at physiological and motion data and then tying these together in a smart algorithm driven by on-device AI.
When this happens, Pixel Watch 3 will automatically contact emergency services with your location to ensure help arrives swiftly. That’s a game-changer, when every second counts.
Pixel Buds Pro 2
The latest and greatest from Google’s audio arsenal, the Pixel Buds Pro 2, features significant upgrades over its predecessors, albeit with a $30 price hike.
Despite a similar design, these earbuds are lighter and 27% smaller, making them the smallest and lightest premium noise-canceling earbuds on the market. The new design also includes a tiny twist-to-adjust stabilizer fin for better in-ear stability.
The brain behind the beats of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is Google’s custom Tensor A1 chip, an ultra-low-latency audio processing chip that adapts to your ambient environment up to a mind-boggling 3 million times per second, delivering twice as powerful ANC.
Google re-engineered an audio subsystem featuring 11mm driver, combined with Tensor A1’s multi-path processing, ensures your music has its dedicated VIP lane, independent of ANC processes. Which means you will get an exceptional sound experience right out of the box.
Battery life can reach eight hours of continuous listening with ANC, or up to 30 hours overall if extra juice is added from the case. If you’re in a hurry, a quick 5-minute charge gives you 1.5 hours of audio with ANC switched off.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 uses Bluetooth 5.4 and is relatively futureproofed with LE Audio support but lacks a higher-bitrate codec like LDAC or AptX Adaptive.
However, you can take advantage of spatial audio head tracking, and these earbuds include multipoint connectivity for seamless handoff between two source devices at once.
The case is identical in shape to the previous model, but Google has added a speaker for easy location. The earbuds are rated IP54 against dust and water. And for colors? Porcelain, Hazel, Wintergreen, and Peony. Because why settle for basic black?
Voice calls are now even clearer with updated Clear Calling algorithms. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 also supports conversation detection and will automatically pause your music and engage in transparency mode when your voice is detected.
And finally, the Gemini twist. Al is now everywhere so why not integrate it in Buds. Google introduces Gemini, a new way to interact with an AI assistant, a hands-free audio interface that redefines interaction with Pixel Buds Pro 2.
Ask it anything—email, directions, playlist magic—all hands-free. Your phone can chill in your pocket while you work your voice-command wizardry, like in the movie, “HER”.
Google's Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 demonstrate a significant leap forward in wearable technology, blending hardware with the power of Artificial Intelligence to enhance user experience. As the integration of AI into wearable technology will likely continue to grow, Google's latest wearables are not just incremental updates—they are a reimagining of what wearable technology can be, setting a new benchmark for the industry.
Md Zahurul Al Mamun is a tech enthusiast and writer