Key Takeaways
- Google announced its new Pixel Watch 3 hardware at a hardware keynote in July.
- We now have confirmation that the Pixel Watch 3 will receive software support until 2027.
- Interestingly, Samsung Galaxy smartwatches offer an additional year of software support over that of the Pixel Watch 3.
Along with the announcements of both brand-new Pixel 9 hardware and the Pixel Buds Pro 2, Google launched the long-awaited Pixel Watch 3 at its big hardware keynote last month.
It wasn’t immediately clear during the event, but we now know exactly how many years of software support the Pixel Watch 3 will receive from Google. The new smartwatch is “guaranteed software updates until at least October 2027,” according to the company’s official support website.
“Google Pixel Watch will get updates for at least three years from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US. Software updates include Google Pixel Watch security updates, and may include feature drops and other software updates,” says Google.
In other words, the search giant’s latest-and-greatest smartwatch will benefit from a modest helping of software update support, but not nearly to the same extent as its recent Pixel smartphones. For reference, the entire Pixel 9 series will receive 7 years of support, including both feature updates and security patches.
Pixel Watch 3 impressions are mostly positive,
But is the device good enough to tempt users away from other smartwatches?
Google’s third-generation Android smartwatch looks to be a solid-if-iterative upgrade over the existing Pixel Watch 2 hardware. The new display is twice as bright as before, and new health-focused tools and smart home integrations make the Watch 3 a better-integrated product within Google’s hardware portfolio.
That being said, competition from the likes of Samsung is fierce.
Perhaps more importantly, the Pixel Watch 3 marks the first time Google will offer its smartwatch in two distinct sizes — 41 mm and 45 mm. This vastly increases its potential appeal among consumers who felt previous Pixel Watches were simply too small to be used comfortably. In fact, Google’s decision to offer the Pixel Watch 3 in a larger size is one of the changes Pocket-lint’s Steve Vegvari came out most excited during his hands-on last month. “I’ve never given the Pixel Watch more than a second thought. The ceiling on Google’s smartwatch has always felt so low due to the company’s insistence on only offering a 41mm option,” he wrote.
The Android Wear OS market is currently dominated by Samsung
The Galaxy Watch still reigns supreme
That being said, competition from the likes of Samsung is fierce. The newly-launched Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra are both compelling in their own right, and Samsung is promising 4 years of software updates across the board.
The Pixel Watch 3’s software support of 3 years isn’t terrible, but it’s disappointing that the maker of both Android and Wear OS isn’t leading the charge with its update cadence. It’s unclear whether long-term support plays a big role in consumer choice when it comes to purchasing a smartwatch, but we’ll keep an eye out to see how well the Pixel Watch 3 performs on the market. Once Pocket-lint has had a chance to review the Pixel Watch 3, we’ll update this article with additional guidance.
Google Pixel Watch 3
The Google Pixel Watch 3 builds on the previous model, introducing a new 45mm size along with the original 41mm watch. Both options feature a larger display with double the brightness. It offers plenty of runner-centric features along with more connectivity with Google’s ecosystem.
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