Google Pixel Watch Vs. Apple Watch Series 8: Which Smartwatch Is For You?

After years of Google's "is it or not," the company has finally released a Pixel-branded smartwatch that aims to compete with the best smartwatches and fitness trackers out there. We gave the $349 Pixel Watch a very positive review thanks to its close integration with Fitbit, beautiful design, and great Wear OS 3 experience.

But can the $399 Apple Watch Series 8 compete with the best smartwatches you can buy? Ultimately, the Apple Watch is one of the best out there, with amazing performance, tons of supported apps, great activity tracking features, and all-day battery life.

Let's see how these two clocks work.


Compatibility	android	iOS
Show options	41 mm	45 mm, 41 mm
Weight	1.26 oz	1.36 to 1.49 oz
Water resistant	50 metres	50 metres
battery life (nominal)	24 hours	18 hours
Important health and safety features	Full integration with Fitbit, optical heart rate sensor and blood oxygen sensor	Blood oxygen, ECG, temperature measurement, cycle monitoring, fault detection
Color options	Champagne gold, matte black, shiny silver	midnight, starlight, silver, red (aluminum); Graphite, silver, gold (stainless steel)
price	$350	$399

Also, the Pixel Watch is definitely a more attractive watch. The simple pebbled aesthetic and finish feel smooth and elegant, while the Apple Watch Series 8 looks like the same curved rectangle we've seen since 2015. It's by no means a bad design, but Google clearly let it down in terms of looks.

The Pixel Watch is available in three colors: matte black, shiny silver, and champagne gold. Apple Watch Series 8 is available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Product Red colors, as well as a variety of stainless steel finishes such as graphite, space black, and gold. All of these colors and finishes look great, so no matter which watch you choose, you're sure to find something to suit your style.

Where the Apple Watch appears at the top is the size. The Series 8 is available in 41mm and 45mm, while the Pixel Watch is one size fits all, the same size as the 41mm Apple Watch. If you prefer big watches with big screens, you won't find it on the Pixel Watch.

Here's another thing: Apple Watch screens are much larger than Pixel Watch screens. Both watches use OLED panels and are incredibly bright, but that means how much content you can actually see.

I'm not talking about the 45mm model's 1.9-inch panel, but the 41mm model's 1.7-inch screen puts the Pixel Watch's 1.2-inch screen in comparison. That's quite a drop in usable screen real estate, and it's a shame the watch is already small compared to your phone.

There is a large bezel around the Pixel Watch's screen, which makes it look dated. This may not be a big deal for some people, but coming from an Apple Watch with some of the thinnest bezels on the smartwatch market, I was definitely impressed when I went through it.

Differences aside, there are some similarities between the Pixel Watch and the Apple Watch Series 8. They both have a digital crown and a side button, complete with nearly identical-looking silicone bands and similar band-locking mechanisms. Speaking of bands, there have been a lot of Apple Watch options since the Pixel Watch just came out, but some solid third-party options are emerging.

In addition, both models are water resistant up to 5 ATM, which means they can withstand submersion in water up to 50 meters deep for 30 minutes. If you plan to do water sports, any of these watches are great.

TL; DR : If looks are what you're after, the Pixel Watch is the way to go. However, if you are looking for versatility and a larger screen, the Apple Watch Series 8 will better suit your needs.

Many say the Apple Watch Series 8 is a better fitness tracker than the Pixel Watch. On paper this is true. It has all the usual health monitoring tools you'd look for in a modern smartwatch (heart rate, blood oxygen, electrical recording, and EKG to name a few), plus a new skin temperature sensor and better ovulation tracking. . It's also one of the best sleep trackers out there, with the ability to analyze your sleep patterns in depth and even track temperature changes during the night. Logging workouts and other fitness data with the watch's apps is also a great experience.

But the Pixel Watch isn't far behind. In fact, it's almost on par, at least in terms of the overall experience. You get a heart rate sensor, blood oxygen monitoring, EKG support, sleep tracking, and more, basically anything but a temperature sensor. The Pixel Watch's usability is second to none on the Apple Watch with close integration with Fitbit, the fitness tracking app that has one of the tech world's most devoted fans.

The Pixel Watch has Google's custom Fitbit app that connects to the Android Fitbit app and comes with all the exercise and tracking tools you need. Subscribe to Fitbit Premium (free for six months when you buy a Pixel Watch) and get mindfulness tips, in-depth analysis of your stress management activities, and more. All of this data is synced to your Fitbit account, and you'll feel right at home if you've used Fitbit products before.

The Fitbit brand lives on thanks to the Pixel Watch, and if you miss those days when you opened the Fitbit app to check your step count or heart rate, you'll be amazed at what the Google Watch has to offer.

TL; DR : The Apple Watch Series 8 is technically better when it comes to fitness tracking and the experience is superior. But if you want something different or want to cap off your Fitbit days, the Pixel watch is perfect for you.

While the Pixel Watch is pretty good at everyday tasks, the Apple Watch Series 8 shines when it comes to performance and battery life.

The S8 processor in the 8 Series is much more powerful than the Exynos 9110 in the Pixel Watch. Apps open faster, notifications respond faster to swipes, and watch faces on the Apple Watch change faster. Browsing recent apps is also faster on the Series 8 despite having less RAM than the Pixel Watch (1GB vs. 2GB).

When fully charged, the Series 8 lasts much longer than the Pixel Watch. Google says its clock can last up to 24 hours, but in my experience it only lasts 14 or 15 hours before it dies despite always being on after turning off the screen and mobile data. Now the Apple Watch can easily work 16-17 hours a day with 20-30% remaining in the tank. This equals Apple's battery life of 18 hours.

If the Pixel Watch wins anywhere in this category, it's loaded. Charging the Series 8 can take one and a half to two hours once fully charged, while the Pixel Watch takes about 80 minutes.

In short, if you want your smartwatch to be fast and last all day, then buy the Apple Watch Series 8.

With the release of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Google has finally turned its attention to Wear OS. Since then, the company has taken its time creating something to rival Apple's WearOS, and the Pixel watch is perfect proof of that.

On the Pixel Watch, Wear OS 3 finally feels like a complete operating system. The watch faces are versatile and beautiful to look at, the Google Quick Tiles interface is ideal for instantly displaying data like step count or the weather, notifications are easy to manage, and there are plenty of third-party apps available on the Play Store. Pregnancy . Spotty performance aside, Wear OS finally seems to be something I can count on to get my day through.

Of course, WearOS 9 on the Apple Watch Series 8 is still the best OS you'll find in a smartwatch. Not only is it smoother than Wear OS, the app selection is higher quality, more responsive, and the user interface feels easier to navigate, especially for first-time smartwatch buyers.

Still, it's nice that Google's (which it later admitted) renewed commitment to Wear OS paid off, allowing it to be compared to WearOS without criticism. This is progress.

TL; DR: Apple still has a great WearOS operating system, but the Pixel Watch is a lot closer to Wear OS 3 than you might expect.

Yes guys, this guide has been very helpful in deciding which watch is best for you. What you buy ultimately depends on the phone you're using. Google does not offer iOS support on the Pixel Watch, and the Apple Watch Series 8 cannot pair with Android. I hate to be blunt and dry, but it's true.

Sure, you can buy a new phone with the watch you want, but unless you're ready to upgrade (or have cash burning in your pocket), it just doesn't make sense, especially since you're going to outgrow it. Simple smart watch.

TL; DR : The Pixel Watch only supports Android, while the Apple Watch Series 8 only supports iOS. If you're thinking of buying one of these watches, check your phone in your pocket.

The Pixel Watch compares very well with the Apple Watch Series 8. Is it the most powerful smartwatch in the world? No. Can it last until the Apple Watch is fully charged? Not right. But is it exciting to look into the future of Wear OS? at all.

For some people this will be enough. But for everyone else who wants a reliable, durable, and powerful smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 8 is your best bet.