After launching Android Wear (now the Wear OS) in 2014, it took Google 8 years to create the first smartwatch to use the software. Thankfully, it was worth the wait: both the original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch2 are excellent wearables, which really shows what Wear OS can do with the right hand — and why the latter is our choice for the best smartwatch for Pixel owners. 

So what does Google do with the figurative sleeve (and the literal one, given what we're talking about) of the pixel Watch3? The hardware side details are limited, but with Google I/O2024 in the rearview mirror, there's some concrete insight into what's going on on the OS side. 

There is also a wish list. 

The two pixel watches we had so far have both been launched in May after appearing at Google's annual fall event. 

With only 2 data points, it's too early to determine if Google intends to make the Pixel Watch update annual, but if it does have a Pixel Watch2 in 2024, it's almost certain that it will land on May 10, about the same time as Google launches its pixel9 smartphone.

This is a similar story about the pricing of a potential Pixel Watch3. Previous Pixel watches have both been launched on the LTE349 and LTE399 (depending on whether LTE is required or not), so given the recent inflation of the Pixel flagship, a slight rise in price isn't out of the question.

As you read in a moment, this could be the first year that Google has multiple size options too. Google can take a leaf out of Garmin's book with the Venu3 and keep the price the same for both big and small models, but both Apple and Samsung charge more for smartwatches with larger displays.

So far, rumors about the upcoming Pixel Watch3, especially its design, have been minimal. However, there are some things worth noting. 

An internal source reportedly told the Pixel Watch3 that there are 2 different sizes on the 9to5Google. This article does not include size details, but it means that the 2nd frame will be larger than the 41mm frame currently in use.

From a market research perspective, it makes perfect sense. The Apple Watch Series9 (41mm and 45mm), the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 (40mm and 44mm) and the Garmin Venu3 (41mm and 45mm) all have 4mm between models, so when the larger Pixel Watch3 arrives the 45mm mark

other possible pixel watch 3 rumors have always been a response to the company's impending hardware move. It comes from the dark world of patent-watching, which is not a reliable guide to patent-watching. (Just because a company patents something does not guarantee that it will wind up in a future product.

Google has filed a patent for a smartwatch that runs purely with gestures without any buttons. This simplifies the appearance of the smartwatch, reduces the complexity of manufacturing and makes it easier to waterproof.

The pending image has a round face like the current Pixel Watch, but the patent is not always implemented, and even if it is implemented, it is not always implemented immediately. File this under "Suspicious" on your Pixel Watch3.

On the other hand, it's a real possibility that Google's upcoming smartwatch will feature at least some form of improved gesture control on Google I/O2024, sneaking into some of the Os3-wearing features expected to debut on either the PIXEL Watch3 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch5. I tried to do it.

In addition to improved battery performance, the Wear OS5 boasts additional fitness statistics for runners, including grounding time, stride length, vertical vibration and vertical ratio. (Apple Watch users got these metrics in 2022 with WatchOS9.)

Fitness tracking has also been adjusted, flooding users with fewer unnecessary alerts. Better yet, monitoring any kind of physical activity should be less of a battery drain with the new operating system.

More specifically, Google claims that users tracking marathons on the Pixel Watch will have 5% longer battery life at the end of the event if they are running Wear OS 4 and 20% longer. 

Finally, Watch OS5 features a further degree of watch face customization. 

On the hardware side, the Pixel Watch3 may include ultra-wideband (UWB) connectivity, as reported by 9to5Google. This nifty piece of technology improves the unlock function of the watch, which allows users to unlock their Android smartphone from a distance, and it can also open up more possibilities when it comes to gesture control. 

Watch Unlock is working well now, but with UWB connections it should work more reliably and at greater distances. Currently, Watch Unlock relies on Bluetooth connectivity and may continue to be used in countries where UWB is banned. 

We're still a few months from the estimated Pixel Watch3 launch date, but I hope Google is watching...

Thinner bezel

The Pixel Watch is a nice-looking wearable, but the bezel is thicker by the smartwatch standard as well. 

To be fair to Google, this is most often not noticeable thanks to the black background of most apps and watch faces. But this is ultimately a visual trick, and if Google can make things thinner, it will open the watch to more colorful watch faces and apps in the future.

Better battery life.

The first generation Pixel Watch struggles to get over 1 day of use and, to Google's credit, the Pixel Watch2 has fixed this. 

But it still only promised 24 hours, and it would be nice if Google could push it further, perhaps by taking a leaf off the Fitbit line of long-lasting wearables at some sacrifice.

Alternatively, the rumored larger models can pack larger cells to give consumers longer-term options. At least, given Google's promise, we know that Wear OS5 will play its part for battery life.

One Charger

Speaking of Fitbit, before being purchased by Google, the company certainly loved its bespoke chargers and nearly every fitness tracker had its own unique designed cable that is incompatible with others in the range.

Worryingly, Google seems to follow this on the Pixel Watch: the 2 models released so far have different chargers that don't work with each other. 

This is because the first one was wireless, while the second one used the pogo pin for faster charging. I don't care which path Google will choose for the next generation, but I hope it will stick to 1 type in the future.

From the sound of things, the Google Pixel Watch3 seems more than a repetitive update. With possibilities such as multiple sizes, improved battery performance, better fitness tracking, and improved gesture control, it may very well be worth the upgrade from 2.

The real problem is that all this will be enough to compete with Samsung's new Galaxy Y2024smartwatches, which will be launched 1-2 months ago at the Galaxy Unpacked Summer7 event. And how will these devices compare to the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra3, which is also scheduled for the fall? 

As with all things tech and watch-related, time will tell.