Since the release of the first model in 2016, Google Pixel smartphones have quickly become the darling of many Android users — especially the prolific photo takers.
While the Pixel series of smartphones are widely favored due to their excellent cameras, they also pack a lot of amazing features that rank them high on the list of the most innovative Android devices.
With the above stated, one of the best ways to get a more enjoyable experience from your Pixel device is to pair it with a solid smartwatch. If you already understand this, then this post is for you.
Best Smartwatches for Google Pixel Phones: Our Top 6 Picks
Here, we’d be reviewing some of the best smartwatches for Google Pixel Smartphones. We have carefully made our selection based on compatibility with Pixel 4, 4XL, 3, 3XL, and 2XL.
Now, let’s cut right to the chase.
1. Samsung Galaxy Watch
The Samsung Galaxy Watch was released two years after the company unveiled its flagship, the Gear S3, and this is why the Galaxy Watch is dubbed the Gear S4 in disguise. The smartwatch was announced alongside the Galaxy Note 9 and is one of the most refined wearables from Samsung. It is attractive, has brilliant battery life and packs a range of fitness-tracking abilities.
Key specifications
- Display: 1.2-inch, 360 PPI Super AMOLED touchscreen
- Processor: Samsung Exynos 9110
- Operating system: Tizen 4.0
- RAM: 768MB (1.5GB for LTE model)
- Storage: 4GB
- Battery: 472mAh
Design
Straight out of the box, the first thing you will notice is that the Galaxy Watch looks like a real watch, sporting a large circular face and a metal body. It looks quite simple and is devoid of visual distractions. With a case that weighs 40mm, this smartwatch can comfortably sit on your wrist, making it easy to sleep with it if you wanted. And if you find the strap unappealing, you can always change it when you want to.
On the right side of the watch, you will find two buttons to make navigation easier. The top button will take you back to the previous option, but it will take you straight to Samsung Pay if you press and hold it.
The second button is a home button, but it also provides access to Bixby, Samsung’s virtual assistant if you double-tap it. Thankfully, the buttons are clicky and responsive, indicating that this is a well-engineered smartwatch.
Display
The Galaxy Watch features 1.2-inch 360 x360 AMOLED display so you will get fractionally lower pixel density in the large model. The screen is bright and color-rich so you can see everything, even during an outdoor run. It is protected by a Gorilla Glass DX from scratches and cracks.
The watch is also dust and water-resistant up to 165 feet, and you can even force liquid out of the watch by blasting its speakers, a function Samsung calls Eject Water. The downside is that the screen details are slow to update when woken up each time. Another impressive feature about the screen is the rotating bezel that works brilliantly, with numbers around the edges to help you read the second and minute hands.
Performance
As expected, Samsung is sticking to its Tizen operating system, which is way ahead of Google’s Wear OS. The system works so well, so it’s not surprising that it remains unchanged.
The Galaxy Watch can track 39 exercises in total, including indoor exercises and strength-training exercises we seldom see on more expensive watches. You can easily switch between the various tracking functions and modes by rotating the Galaxy Watch’s bezel. It also features GPS and GLONASS support, which works alongside the optical heart rate monitor, accelerometer and barometer.
Battery life
Coming to the battery aspect of the Galaxy Watch, it has 427 stacks of cells loaded into it, which Samsung claims can last up to 4 days. The only way to top-up the battery is via wireless charging and it’s not fast.
Pros
- Stylish design
- Decent four-day battery life
- Rotating bezel cycles through UI
- Great array of fitness sensors
- Offline Spotify sensors
Cons
- Few apps
- Bixby is far less capable than Google Assistant
- Limited Samsung Pay Support
2. Fossil Gen 5
Fossil is no stranger to smartwatches, having been in the business of making wearables for some time. The Fossil Gen 5 is a massive improvement in the Gen 4 mode as it delivers in nearly every area including performance, aesthetics, and customizability. With an array of features to keep Wear OS fans happy, Gen 5 is one of the best smartwatches on the market.
Key specifications
- Display: 1.28-inch, 328 PPI, AMOLED screen
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100
- Operating system: Wear OS
- RAM: 1GB
- Storage: 8GB
- Battery: —
Design
Like most smartwatches out there, the Fossil rocks the design of a traditional watch, and can blend into whatever you’re wearing quite admirably. The watch comes in two variants of Juliana for the women and the Caryle HR for men. The differences between both variants are entirely cosmetic as both have same features and are the same sizes. It appears the goal of the manufacturer is to appeal to each gender with unique designs. However, you can swap the straps if the one that was sent to you doesn’t suit your taste.
Coming to the controls, the Fossil Gen 5 has three buttons on its side – the middle one doubles as a rotating crown for scrolling through lists. Pressing the top button opens Fossil’s customization app while the bottom button activates Fossil’s Category setting, which tweaks the style and look of your watch at a button.
The microphone is located on the right side – just beside the buttons – while the left side houses the speaker. In addition, the smartwatch is waterproof to 3ATM, so you can wear it in the shower or pool.
Display
Perhaps, the most attractive aspect of the Fossil Gen 5 is its big and bright 1.28-inch AMOLED display which has a sharp pixel density 328ppi. It is perfectly round without any chin and the screen is quite responsive too.
Outside, the screen might be difficult to see but that’s only until you activate the ‘Sunlight Boost’ mode which will brighten the screen under direct light but that will only cost you a little battery juice.
Performance
To keep things ticking along at a healthy pace, the Fossil Gen 5 uses the Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset, which is supported by 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. With such hardware, the performance of the watch is butter-smooth as there are no lags or stutters. In terms of features, Fossil crams in all just about every basic smartwatch staple you could ask for including GPS, NFC, Google Fit, weather app and a range of other requisite apps.
While Gen 5 could have been better with more features, its speakers allow for more functionality including audible notifications, audible Google Assistant responses and even the ability to make calls directly on the watch. As per fitness, the smartwatch offers just the basics as you can count your steps and track specific activities but there’s no sleep tracking.
Battery life
The battery life of the Fossil Gen 5 might not wow you but it does come with a few battery modes you can utilize to squeeze out a bit more juice. While Fossil advertised 36 hours of use per charge, the smartwatch can only deliver around 21 hours. The Gen 5 earns an average score in this department.
Pros
- Solid construction
- Decent battery life
- Customizable battery modes
- Built-in speaker
Cons
- Wear OS needs more app support
- Expensive
- No sleep tracking
3. TicWatch Pro
The Ticwatch Pro is one of the most interesting smartwatches on the market as it improves on its predecessor in nearly every way including an amazing dual-screen technology and battery stamina that’s nothing short of impressive.
Key specifications
- Display: 1.39-inch dual-screen technology (OLED and LCD), 400 x 400 pixels
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100
- OS: Wear OS
- RAM: 512MB
- Memory: 4GB
- Battery: 415 mAh
Design
The Chinese manufacturer of the wearable, Mobvoi, seems to have invested a lot to give the Ticwatch Pro a more premium design than its siblings, the Ticwatch E and Ticwatch S. It comes with a larger body that doesn’t feel heavier while its thickness is significantly tough. The watch itself is made of hard nylon combined with glass fiber to guarantee a durable yet gorgeous product.
There are two buttons on the right side of the watches, adjacent to the 2 and 4 positions on the watch face, and they’re quite responsive. With the top button, you can access the main menu to see your list of apps while the second button serves as a shortcut to your frequently-used apps. And just in case you want to change the strap, you’ve got eight different options to consider. In all, the smartwatch looks chic with a high-end design that will earn you a lot of compliments wearing it.
Display
The most amazing feature about the display is its dual-screen technology that combines OLED and LCD to deliver a detailed and colorful display. With the LCD screen mode, you can save some battery juice when you need to, while the OLED screen allows you to get all the colorful visuals you desire. It gets even better as you can read anything under bright light, even in its low-power mode. It’s a brilliant concept that makes the Ticwatch Pro stand out from its rivals on the market.
Going further, the TicWatch Pro display is a touchscreen and this functionality performs incredibly well without issues. The Essential mode that conserves power can be activated any time or it will automatically kick in when the battery runs low. That might seem like an ordinary feat, but there are not many rivals that have the dual-screen feature and yet without issues around its responsiveness.
Performance
The TicWatch Pro has a commendable performance due to the top-end spec it features. For example, it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 with support from 512MB of RAM. It also has Bluetooth functionality for you to connect to your headphone for music and the process is straightforward. The inbuilt storage is 4GB but it’s also the same storage for apps and notifications.
The watch is not built for fitness purposes, so you won’t find the specs you’d expect to see on fitness watches but it sure has GPS and a heart rate tracker for outdoor activities. You can’t even take it for swimming. However, beginners at exercises will find the fitness apps on the TicWatch Pro helpful.
Battery life
The battery life of the TicWatch Pro is one of the biggest reasons to consider the smartwatch as it can for up to 30 days if you stick to the essential mode. But if you’re looking to use it as a smartwatch, you will get around 2 days of usage.
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Stylish design
- Competitively priced
Cons
- Limited fitness tracking options
- Performance lag
- Heavy
4. Huawei Watch GT 2018
The Huawei Watch GT 2018 is the first smartwatch from the company to run its own OS. If you’re a minimalist, you will find the simple OS refreshing as it sports only a handful of features. It, however, boasts an unprecedented battery life at an affordable price.
Key specifications
- Display: 1.39-inch 454 x 454 pixels OLED capacitive touchscreen
- Processor: ARM Cortex-M4
- Operating system: LiteOS
- RAM: 16MB
- Storage: 128MB
- Battery: 420 mAh
Design
It can be hard to tell if the Huawei Watch GT is actually a watch or a fitness tracker as it looks like the former, having a circular stainless-steel body of 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.6mm. In fact, you could say it has a similar design to its forebear, the Watch 2 except that it’s slightly slimmer.
The watch is notably light and feels good on the wrist. If you don’t like the strap that comes with the one you buy, you can always get any that suits you from the offerings available such as Graphite Black, a Saddle Brown leather option, Glacier Grey and Fluorescent Green. There are two buttons on the side to interact with the watch. The top button wakes the watch and takes you to the main menu while the second is a programmable key that allows you to assign any app to it.
Display
Huawei seldom gets it wrong with their displays and that of the Watch GT is commendable too. It’s a 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen that acts as a primary means to interact with the watch as well as to display all your stats.
It packs a resolution of 454 x 454 pixels (326ppi) that ensures that texts and icons are uniformly readable. The display might not be the best on the market but it will easily make it to the list of best displays. You can crank up the brightness if you desire but the battery life will bear the brunt.
Performance
The Watch GT is powered by an ARM Cortex-M4 processor which keeps things running smoothly. It also packs some exciting features like GPS, GLONASS and Galileo, suggesting that the smartwatch is a top performer when it comes to location and distance tracking. There’s also a host of sensors that validate the device’s status as a fitness tracker such as accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate monitor, gyroscope, barometer and so on.
A drawback to the performance is the company’s use of its own LiteOS software resulting in a dearth of third-party apps. The software isn’t particularly faulty but the lack of support for third-party apps is unlikely to appeal to anyone.
There are also limitations for music as there’s no onboard music storage or ability to download streaming apps like Pandora and Spotify. As per fitness, the Watch GT performs above average in its accuracy but the sleep tracking isn’t quite reliable as it sometimes reads when you’ve been sitting still for some time even if you were awake.
Battery life
The battery life of the Watch GT is one of its biggest attractions as Huawei announced that the battery can last up to 14 days on a single charge. That is quite impressive and way better than what other smartwatches offer.
Pros
- Amazing battery life
- Comfortable and stylish
- Affordable
Cons
- Limited third-party support
- Sleep tracking is patchy
- Not built for contactless payment
- Limited phone apps
5. Ticwatch C2
The Ticwatch C2 is an improvement on its predecessor, the Ticwatch E, but it doesn’t do so well in terms of innovative features like the Ticwatch Pro. It is a great choice for those who desire to own a smartwatch but are on a budget.
Key specifications
- Display: 1.3-inch, 328 PPI, AMOLED screen
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100
- Operating system: Wear OS
- RAM: 512MB
- Storage: 4GB
- Battery: 400 mAh
Design
The Ticwatch C2 sports a minimalist design that straddles the line between stylish accessory and a functional wristwatch. It comes in three color options: black, platinum and rose gold. Although the watch is made of the steel, the underside is plastic and it blends in well into the design. The heart rate sensor protrudes a little more than necessary and might leave a slight mark on the skin.
On the right edge of the watch are two watches for controls with the microphone for Google Assistant voice commands. You can access the menu by pressing the top button while the second button can be customized to launch the app of your choice. There’s no speaker like the Ticwatch Pro, meaning you will have to hear responses coming from your phone instead.
Display
Since the C2 is a budget smartwatch, it’s little surprise that the screen is smaller than the Ticwatch Po, measuring 1.3 inches. The AMOLED display features a 360 x 360 resolution, which is unimpressive as it can be hard to see in bright situations. It’s also disappointing that the watch doesn’t sport the dual-display technology we saw in the Ticwatch Pro.
Performance
Another disappointment here is that the Ticwatch C2 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100, which is an outdated chipset. Thankfully, the latest wear OS software is onboard here, which makes navigation easier and neatly presents your notifications.
Moving on to the fitness tracking department, the watch can log a limited range of activities which include outdoor running and walking, cycling and indoor running. Don’t expect the C2 to be a perfect fitness wearable as it was originally pitched as a catch-all smartwatch, which is just exactly what it is.
Battery life
The C2 is powered by a 400mAh stack of battery cells, which is able to last for 1-2 days. However, you can get more out of the battery by toggling on the battery saver but will limit the normal functionalities of the watch.
Pros
- Sleek, classy design
- Fair price point
- Integrated GPS and NFC
Cons
- Outdated hardware
- Limited strap selection
6. Vapor 2
The Vapor 2 is one of the latest smartwatches joining the product line of Misfit, and it does everything a smartwatch should do but not enough to make it stand out from the pack. It’s the perfect choice for people who want a simple smartwatch that’s comfortable to wear and that has all the important features.
Key specifications
- Display: 1.29-inch for 41mm and 1.39 inch for 46mm, 328 PPI AMOLED
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100
- Operating system: Wear OS
- RAM: 512MB
- Storage: 4GB
- Battery: 300mAh for 41mm and 330mAh for 46mm
Design
The Misfit Vapor 2 doesn’t deviate too far from the design of its predecessors but the minor changes have a noticeable impact on its look. There are two sizes of the watch to fit those with big and smaller wrists, but both options are thin, light and are made almost entirely of plastic. They also come with a silicone strap that will fit any clothes you put on.
Beneath the watch is a heart rate sensor made of glass while on its side, you will find a single button you can use to access the menu as well as trigger Google Assistant by holding it down. It also functions as a dial so you can scroll through notifications.
Display
The screen of the Vapor 2 is quite fantastic, but the screen size depends on the model you buy. The 46mm model comes with a 1.39-inch AMOLED while the 41mm size comes with a 1.19-inch AMOLED screen. With 328 pixels per inch, the display resolution is bright, detailed and sharp.
Performance
Managing the operations of the Vapor 2 is Snapdragon Wear 2100, which is supported by 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. The hardware essentials make it hard to use the smartwatch as it lags and it doesn’t play well with iOS.
Speaking of its fitness capabilities, the Vapor 2 packs all the sensors you will expect to find on any smartwatch including accelerometer, gyroscope and optical heart rate sensor. As an improvement to its predecessor, the Vapor 2 features a built-in GPS as well as NFC for Google Pay. On the software front, the wearable is running the latest version of Wear OS.
Battery life
The 41mm Vapor 2 has a 300mAh capacity battery while the 46mm version features a 330mAh. Misfit claims the battery can deliver enough juice to last the entire day and that’s what you will get. If you want to conserve power, you will need to toggle on the battery saver or wait for it to automatically turn on when the battery hits 9%.
Pros
- Affordable
- Beautiful design
- Built-in GPS and NFC
- Bright display
Cons
- Kind of flimsy
- Doesn’t play well with iOS
- Outdated hardware
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