Google Pixel Watch was unveiled on 6th October and goes on sale from 13th October in nine countries. How does it compare with Apple Watch 8, the latest flagship Apple watch model?
In this comparison guide, we discuss Apple Watch 8 and Google Pixel watch in terms of multiple features, functions, and factors below.
iOS vs Android
Google Pixel Watch is based on the Wear OS 3.5. It can work with Android version 8 or higher devices. Pixel Watch is incompatible with iOS and cannot work with iPhones.
On a similar note, Apple Watch 8 is based on Apple’s Watch OS 9. It can only work with the iOS devices. An Apple Watch cannot work with Android mobile operating system.
Pixel Watch and Apple Watch 8 are mutually exclusive in terms of mobile operating system support for iOS and Android.
Heart and Health Monitoring
Significant differences exist between Google Pixel Watch and Apple Watch 8 for heart health monitoring and tracking.
Apple Watch 8 has a third generation optical sensor and an electrical sensor that can help in taking spot ECG readings. Apple Watch 8 can also send in high and low heart rate alerts. Apple Watches have always been very good in detecting and alerting AFib or Atrial Fibrillation conditions.
Google Pixel Watch has an ECG app and can track heart rate on a perpetual basis. But, it cannot alert you about AFib or Atrial Fibrillation. Pixel Watch is unable to send in high or low heart rate alerts.
The image of the rear side of the Google Pixel Watch below shows the sensors on the watch. These sensors are used to take health metrics through wrist-based monitoring.
SpO2 monitoring or blood oxygenation tracking is part of Apple Watch 8’s features. Pixel Watch does not track blood oxygen levels as of writing this. SpO2 tracking may be enabled at a later date on the Pixel Watch because Google does mention about SpO2 tracking on the specifications page.
The rear image of the Apple Watch 8 shows that the watch has a higher number of sensors that are laid out in a uniform pattern on the rear body of the watch.
Display and Casing
Pixel Watch comes in a single size of 41 mm. Google Pixel Watch has a steel casing while Apple Watch 8 has aluminum and stainless steel casing options.
Pixel Watch has an AMOLED display with 1000 nits screen brightness and a pixel density of 320 ppi. The display lens is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Pixel watch does support ‘AOD’ or ‘Always-on-Display’. The image below shows the display screen appearance of the Google Pixel Watch.
A point worth noting is the rounded edge of the screen. The bezel is almost non-existent on the Google Pixel watch.
Apple Watch 8 comes in 41 mm and 45 mm sizes and has OLED display. It supports ‘Always on Display’ or AOD. The image of the display screen of the Apple Watch 8 shows that not much has changed between Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch 8.
GPS
Apple Watch 8 supports GPS satellite systems of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS. Pixel Watch supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. QZSS is a Japanese satellite system that is not supported on Pixel Watch as of writing this.
Both watches support L1 GPS and do not have multi-band GPS capabilities.
LTE Connectivity
Apple Watch 8 and Google Pixel Watch support cellular connectivity through the LTE variants. Both watches have a 4G LTE chip and a wideband UMTS chip for cellular connectivity through the watch.
To avail cellular connectivity, you will need to have wireless subscription services from the telecom provider. On Google Pixel Watch, the watch and paired smartphone need to use the same wireless service provider.
Wireless Connectivity
Pixel Watch supports Bluetooth 5 and 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz while Apple Watch 8 supports Bluetooth 5.3 and 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Both watches do not support the wireless connectivity protocol of ANT+.
Bluetooth 5.3 promises more secured data transfer over the Bluetooth 5. Wi-Fi 5 GHz is much faster than the Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz. Apple Watch 8’s wireless connectivity is ahead of the Pixel Watch.
Fall Detection and Crash Detection
Apple Watch 8 supports fall detection and crash detection feature. Fall detection has been part of the Apple Watch specifications for quite sometime now. Upon detecting a fall, Apple Watches can send emergency notifications to the designated emergency contacts. The watch can also call the emergency services in supported countries.
Pixel Watch also comes with the fall detection feature.
Additionally, Apple Watch 8 comes with a much more accurate and robust accelerometer that can tracking force changes of up to 256g forces. This enables the Apple Watch 8 to detect car crash. The feature has been named crash detection.
If Apple Watch 8 detects a car crash, it can notify the designated emergency contacts and even call the emergency services in supported countries.
Crash detection is the newest feature for the smartwatches and as of writing this, only Apple Watch 8 and Apple Watch SE 2 (2022 edition) have this feature.
Quick reference table of comparison
You can checkout the main features of Apple Watch 8 and Google Pixel Watch in the quick reference comparison table below.
| Features | Apple Watch 8 | Google Pixel Watch |
|---|---|---|
| iOS | Yes | No |
| Android | No | Yes |
| Display | OLED | AMOLED |
| Always on Display | Yes | Yes |
| Physical Size | 41 mm and 45 mm | 41 mm |
| Physical Case | Aluminum and Steel | Steel |
| Display Lens | Apple Proprietary Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Water Rating | 50 meters (equivalent to 5 ATM) | 5 ATM |
| Dust Protection | IP68 | Unavailable |
| ECG | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Oxygen Tracking | Yes | No (as of now, not enabled) |
| LTE Connectivity | 4G LTE and UMTS | 4G LTE and UMTS |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou |
| Google Apps (in-built) | Not Available | GMail, Google Assistant, Google Wallet, Google Play Store, Google Home and Google Maps |
| Operating System | Watch OS 9 | Wear OS 3.5 |
| Fall Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Crash Detection | Yes | Yes |
Availability
Apple Watch 8 is available all over the world through a well organized retail and online market places. Google Pixel Watch is currently limited to availability in only nine countries. Google Pixel Watch is available in US, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Japan, Australia and Taiwan.
Closing thoughts
Apple Watch 8 is getting a competition with the launch of the Google Pixel Watch. In our opinion, Android users have reasons to cheer as Pixel Watch may emerge as one of the more credible Android smartwatches in the near future.
In our opinion, the iPhone users will continue to work with Apple Watches as the Apple eco-system offers more value for money wearable experience for the iPhone users.
Keep reading more content related to Google Pixel watches below:
- Does Google Pixel Watch work with iPhone?
- Google Pixel Watch LTE vs Fitbit Sense 2
- Google Pixel Watch vs Apple Watch SE 2
Helen Kurt is a geeky nerd who loves to cover the wearables space. She has over 5 years of experience in the smartwatch domain. You can reach her on email at [email protected].