Google Pixel Watch Vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 5: Which Is The Wear OS Champ?
Google has unveiled the long-awaited Pixel Watch, ushering in a new era for Wear OS devices and the company's growing Pixel ecosystem. Along with the new Pixel tablet, it's the perfect companion to the new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro announced at Google's event this week.
While the prospect of multiple Wear OS smartwatches is encouraging, the real question is whether Google's first smartwatch offers enough to displace the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, which has become the gold standard for Wear OS devices. To answer that question, read how we compare their features and specifications.
characteristics
| Google Pixel watch | Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| screen size | 41mm: 1.61 inches | 40mm: 1.2 inches 44mm: 1.4 inches |
| body size | 41 x 41 x 12.3 mm (1.61 x 1.61 x 0.48 in) | 40mm: 39.3 x 40.4 x 9.8mm 44mm: 43.3 x 44.4 x 9.8mm |
| weight | 36 grams | 40mm: 28.7g 44mm: 33.5g |
| Resolution in pixels | 320 pixels per inch (ppi) | 40mm: 396 x 396 44mm: 450 x 450 |
| touch screen | AMOLED is always displayed | 40mm: Super AMOLED display always on 44mm: Super AMOLED display always on |
| storage | 32 GB | 16 GB |
| Wireless interface | Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4, NFC, LTE | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 + 5 GHz, NFC, LTE |
| depth | 12.3 mm | 9.8 mm |
| Blood oxygen sensor | yes | yes |
| Accelerometer | yes | yes |
| Gyroscope | yes | yes |
| Ambient light sensor | yes | yes |
| Heart rate sensor | yes | yes |
| thermometer | no | yes |
| Blood pressure sensor | no | yes |
| Altimeter | yes | yes |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou | A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |
| compass | yes | yes |
| Resistant to water and dust | Yes (5 atm, ISO 22810:2010) | Yes (5 ATM + IP68) |
| battery life | 294 mAh up to 24 hours | 40mm: 284mAh 44mm: 410mAh Up to 50 hours (based on Samsung lab measurements) |
| the price | From 350 dollars | From $280 |
| the presence | Samsung | |
| Visualization | authority | 4 out of 5 |
Design and display
For its first smartwatch, Google chose a modern and minimal design. The round domed face blends easily with the brim with just the crown and a small button on the side. While the Pixel Watch is definitely a Wear OS device, it has a certain elegance that belies its role as a smartwatch.
While taste is of course subjective, the design of the Pixel Watch makes Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 a bit more usable. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's fair to say that each one is unique enough to attract a different type of customer.
That's a good thing, as both smartwatches offer similar functionality in many other areas, starting with display technology. Both the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 5 have always-on AMOLED displays, and while Google hasn't provided exact details about the display, it offers a pixel density of 320 pixels per inch (ppi), on par with Samsung. Two Galaxy Watch 5s. Models are available in 321 ppi and 330 ppi. This is not a difference that can be seen with the naked eye.
Similarly, the Galaxy Watch 5 this year got a tempered sapphire glass screen for scratch resistance, while the Pixel Watch uses 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which offers similar impact and scratch protection. Another advantage of Google smartwatches is the use of a stainless steel body, which is generally better than other smartwatch manufacturers. Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 is made entirely of aluminum. Both the Pixel Watch and the Galaxy Watch 5 offer water resistance up to five atmospheres (5 atm), although Samsung also has an IP68 dust resistance certification.
The Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 5 also differ in terms of hardware controls, with Google's smartwatch having a single rotating crown, while Samsung's has two physical buttons and a capacitive ring for using gestures. Both watches have touchscreens and are available in a variety of bands and colors.
While aesthetics are a matter of personal taste, we think the Galaxy Watch 5 has gained a significant advantage by offering two size options and a wider variety of bands and accessories.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Battery life and charging
Google promises that the Pixel Watch can provide up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge, while Samsung claims an astonishing 50 hours for the Galaxy Watch 5. We'll have to wait and see how well the Pixel Watch actually holds up. -worldwide timelines, but we can already tell you that the Galaxy Watch 5 doesn't come close to the 50 hours advertised by Samsung.
So it's fair to say that both watches should touch the charger at least once every 24 hours. Fortunately, they also have a fast reload speed; The Pixel Watch can go up to 50% after about 30 minutes of charging, while the Galaxy Watch 5 reaches at least 45% in the same time. This fast charging speed doesn't matter if you don't wear the watch to bed, but it's useful if you want to take advantage of the sleep tracking features that both smartwatches offer.
Winner: Tie
Fitness and health tracking feature
The Pixel Watch has all the usual health sensors, including an optical heart rate sensor and a "multipurpose electrical sensor." It's essential for any modern smartwatch, and there's nothing particularly revolutionary or exciting about the sensor's hardware. If anything, the Pixel Watch is a bit lacking. It technically has a blood oxygen sensor, but it's not currently available for use, and there's no ETA on when that will change.
In comparison, the Galaxy Watch 5 includes Samsung's advanced BioActive sensor, which combines a bioelectrical impedance (BIA) heart rate sensor, electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG). The Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 5 have an EKG app to monitor for signs of atrial fibrillation.
The Galaxy Watch 5 can measure blood pressure and display pulse temperature, at least in theory; The temperature sensor has not yet been unlocked by third-party developers, and the blood pressure monitoring is only available in countries where Samsung has received regulatory approval, and the US is not yet among them. So while the Galaxy Watch 5's sensors may offer more in their specs, these aren't the features that many Galaxy Watch 5 owners will benefit from.
Perhaps the most notable benefit of the Pixel Watch comes from Google's acquisition of Fitbit in 2019, making it an advanced Fitbit smartwatch. The smartwatch may be new, but it packs a solid set of health and fitness features that Google engineers have perfected.
For example, Google notes that machine learning teams have worked with Fitbit's expertise to develop an innovative approach that provides more accurate heart rate tracking. This data is also fed into metrics like Active Zone Minutes and Daily Fitness to help optimize the workout and sleep tracking features. The health and fitness features should be familiar to anyone who has used a Fitbit device. The Pixel Watch also works with a Fitbit Premium subscription, which Google offers free to new buyers for the first six months.
Of course, Samsung has its own health and fitness suite that has evolved over several generations of the Galaxy Watch. It also includes many built-in learning features, including sleep training, to provide a customized regimen to improve sleep quality. The Pixel Watch offers a sleep score to give you an idea of your sleep patterns, but you'll need an ongoing Fitbit Premium subscription to get a more advanced sleep profile.
Likewise, the Galaxy Watch 5 has 100 different types of exercises compared to the Pixel Watch's 40. This includes all the usual exercise types, so that should be enough for most people, but Pixel Watch users can add more than 1,000 exercises add with a Fitbit Premium subscription.
As a result, while the Galaxy Watch 5 offers advanced health, fitness and exercise features, the Pixel Watch's best features are effectively locked at a premium. New owners get six months of Fitbit Premium for free, but if you want to take advantage of Samsung's exercise and health metrics at no extra cost, you'll need to start paying monthly.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Software and Features
Both the Pixel Watch and the Galaxy Watch 5 run Wear OS 3.5, the latest version of Google's wearable operating system. However, Samsung is adding One UI Watch 4.5, which offers more user interface settings and features that people with Samsung smartphones will be more familiar with.
Apart from the difference in the single user interface, both smartwatches have wearable versions of Google Maps, Google Wallet, Google Assistant, YouTube Music and Messages, while the Galaxy Watch 5 of course adds Samsung Pay and Samsung Health. Since they both run Wear OS 3.5 under the hood, they should be able to run the same apps. Keep in mind, though, that the Wear OS app ecosystem is still a vast landscape, especially if you go beyond fitness apps like Strava, Adidas Running, and MyFitnessPal.
Emergency SOS is supported on both portable devices, so you can quickly call emergency services. The Galaxy Watch 5 also supports standard fall detection, which the Pixel Watch didn't have at launch; Google promises that it will arrive early next year with the winter update of Wear OS.
Winner: Tie
Price and availability
The Galaxy Watch 5 is available from Samsung and most retailers starting at $280 for the 40mm Bluetooth version and $330 if you want to add LTE support. The larger 44mm model adds $30, pushing the price up to $310 and $360 for the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi versions, respectively.
Pricing for the Pixel Watch starts at $350 for the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi model or $400 for the 4G/LTE cellular version at Google's online store. Made of stainless steel, it is available in one size and four color combinations and bands.
The absolute winner: the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Google has done an impressive job with the Pixel Watch, but it's still a first-generation device. So it's hard to compete with Samsung's more mature Galaxy Watch platform.
First, the Galaxy Watch 5 offers more advanced health sensors, and some of them are still not fully unlocked, at least the hardware is there. Additionally, Samsung's advanced health and fitness and exercise tracking features are available at no extra cost, while Google only offers Fitbit's basic service and keeps all of its best features for a subscription fee.
Still, Google should be commended for a good first attempt, and it will be interesting to see where it ends up with the next generations of the Pixel Watch. At this point, we think it will only appeal to a select few groups: owners of Google Pixel phones, people firmly entrenched in the Fitbit ecosystem, or those who just like the design and aesthetics. For everyone, we recommend the Galaxy Watch 5 smartwatch.