Pixel Watch vs. Galaxy Watch vs. Apple Watch: Which Wearable Wins?

Google’s Android-based Wear OS for smartwatches has been around for years, but the company is now entering the wearable hardware game with the Pixel Watch. It faces compelling, entrenched competition, however. The latest Apple Watch models (the SE, Series 8, and Ultra) stand in one corner, while Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro lurk in another. We compare them all below so you can find the one that works best for you.

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Smartphone Compatibility

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

This is the most important aspect to consider. If you have an iPhone, your only choice is an Apple Watch (or a smartwatch-like fitness tracker that’s compatible with iOS). From there, you can narrow it down to one of the three Apple Watches currently available, but neither the Galaxy Watch 5 nor Pixel Watch is going to work.

On the other hand, if you have an Android phone, you can count the Apple Watch out and narrow your list to the Galaxy Watch 5 or Pixel Watch. Just like Wear OS doesn’t work with iOS, Apple’s WatchOS doesn’t work with Android.

In either case, you need to have a relatively recent phone for everything to work properly. The current version of Wear OS requires Android 8.0 or later and WatchOS requires an iPhone 8 or later with at least iOS 16.

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Design and Style

All three watches have wildly different aesthetics to consider, especially if you feel strongly about whether your smartwatch can pass for an ordinary wristwatch at a glance.

The Pixel Watch is simple and circular, with a stainless steel case in matte black, gold, or silver. It has a watch-like crown and is easy to mistake for a regular watch, especially if you opt for an analog face.

Google Pixel Watch
(Credit: Eric Zeman)

The Galaxy Watch 5 is also circular, though it uses a digital bezel around the face for navigation instead of a crown. The screen looks a little small as a result, but still watch-like. It’s available with either a black, gold, or silver aluminum case, whereas the step-up Galaxy Watch 5 Pro uses either a black or gray titanium case.

Then, there’s the Apple Watch, which looks…well….like an Apple Watch. It’s square, simple, and has an understated digital crown that doesn’t draw attention away from its distinct shape. The Apple Watch Ultra is chunkier but similar in its basic design.

The SE and Series 8 are available in black, gold, silver, and (Product)Red aluminum cases, though you can also get the Series 8 with a stainless steel case in black, gold, gray, or silver. The Ultra is available only with a gray, titanium case.

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Display Technology

Google Pixel Watch
(Credit: Eric Zeman)

The most obvious difference here is that Apple Watch screens are square with rounded corners, whereas the Galaxy Watch and Pixel Watch panels are circular. Besides that, all the watches use OLED displays that, except for the one on the SE, can remain on at all times. Larger models have bigger screens and more pixels than smaller models, but the watches are about equal in effective resolution.

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Which Watch Lasts the Longest?

According to manufacturer claims the Apple Watch SE, Series 8, and the Pixel Watch should all last for up to 24 hours on a charge, or possibly longer if you enable low-power modes. But, in our testing, the Series 8 lasted about 18 hours under normal use before hitting 10%. We haven’t yet reviewed the Pixel Watch and Watch SE (2022), though our above experience indicates you should take company estimates with a grain of salt.

Meanwhile, Samsung says the Galaxy Watch 5 can last up to 50 hours, though we got only around 30 hours in our tests. We don’t have exact battery life figures for the Watch 5 Pro yet, but, for now, the Apple Watch Ultra reigns supreme; it lasted two days in our tests before hitting 15%.

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How Durable Are These Wearables?

Apple Watch Ultra
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

You can swim with all these watches, though, on paper, Apple’s and Samsung’s models come out ahead. The Galaxy Watch 5 has an IP68 rating, which means it’s both dustproof and waterproof. Its 5 ATM rating also means you can dive with it at depths of up to 50 meters. The Apple Watch Series models are all IP6X dustproof. The SE and Series 8 feature the same 5 ATM rating, but the Ultra works at depths of up to 100 meters and sports an EN13319 certification for diving. Both the Galaxy Watch 5 models and the Apple Watch Ultra pass the MIL-STD-810H standard, but this doesn’t represent a specific measure of durability; it just means that they were tested under military standards.

Google says the Pixel Watch is 5 ATM water-resistant, but that’s it. It doesn’t have an IP rating, so there’s no formal measurement of how well it can withstand dust. Realistically, however, it’s likely as durable as the Watch 5, SE, and Series 8 watches.

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Connectivity Support

All three watches can connect to compatible phones, Wi-Fi networks, and cellular networks. All cellular models support 4G LTE bands, which cover most of North America, along with UMTS for Europe. They also have GPS, though the Apple Watch Ultra has both L1 and L5 GPS for better accuracy.

Google Pixel Watch
(Credit: Eric Zeman)

For more local wireless connections, though, the Pixel Watch lags behind its competitors. It has only Bluetooth 5.0 and 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. The Apple Watches and Galaxy Watches, meanwhile, offer dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, which can potentially mean faster and more stable network connections.

The Apple and Samsung watches respectively support Bluetooth 5.3 and 5.2. All three versions of Bluetooth on the watches offer stable, fast connections, but the 5.2 and 5.3 iterations add Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) features that enable better power control and improved audio codecs with Bluetooth connections. To be fair, it’s difficult to determine just how many, if any, of these iterative features the watches actually put to use, but we much prefer the newer Bluetooth versions to the aging Bluetooth 5.0 standard.

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Fitness and Health Features

Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

All of the standard watches have extensive health sensor suites, though the Apple Watch SE offers only a heart rate sensor. The other Apple Watch models have blood oxygen sensors, ECG functionality, and temperature tracking. The latter can help you track ovulation, though we don’t necessarily recommend it. The Pixel Watch has a blood oxygen sensor and ECG, but no thermometer. The Galaxy Watches lack temperature sensors, but they do have heart rate, blood oxygen, and ECG features, plus can measure body mass index (BMI).

On the software side, all three watches can track your sleep and workouts, as well as support a variety of fitness apps. Since Google purchased Fitbit, the Pixel Watch uses Fitbit’s technology for those functions and includes six months of Fitbit Premium. Apple and Samsung rely on first-party workout features, but you can also get third-party fitness and health apps on both WatchOS and Wear OS.

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What’s the Best Smartwatch Value?

The Apple Watch SE is by far the cheapest smartwatch of the bunch at $249 and $299, respectively, for the Wi-Fi and cellular models. The Galaxy Watch 5 slots in after that at $279.99 or $329.99, respectively, for the Wi-Fi and cellular editions. Next up is the Pixel Watch, which sells for $349.99 (Wi-Fi) or $399.99 (cellular). Then, there’s the Apple Watch Series 8 at $400 or $500, respectively, for the Wi-Fi and cellular versions. The larger variant of the Series 8 costs about $30 extra, though some upgrades (like $300 for the stainless steel version) are quite pricey.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra are available in just a single (larger) size. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro starts at $449.99 (Wi-Fi) and $499.99 (cellular), whereas the Apple Watch Ultra destroys the price scale at $799 (cellular-only).

To choose the best watch for your needs, you need to consider what features are essential to you. Opting for the Wi-Fi-only model, for instance, is an easy way to save money. Out of all the watches we detailed here, the Series 8 is the most obvious choice for iPhone owners because of its reasonable price and advanced features. But we’ll hold off on calling a winner on the Android side until we know how well the Pixel Watch tests against the Samsung models.