Google Pixel Watch and second generation Apple Watch SE are priced aggressively. Both watches should make up for good smartwatch options. We look at some key aspects of Google Pixel Watch and Apple Watch SE 2. These watches have been released in 2022. Apple Watch SE 2 was released in September 2022 and Google Pixel Watch was unveiled in October.
For your ready reference, we list the main points of difference between the Google Pixel Watch and the Apple Watch SE 2022 edition below.
- Apple Watch SE 2 is compatible with iOS 16 or higher devices only. Apple Watch SE 2 cannot work with an Android device.
- Google Pixel Watch is compatible with Android 8 or higher devices only. It cannot work with iOS devices.
- Apple Watch SE 2 is made of 100% recycled aluminum. The Google Pixel watch’s case is made of 80% recycled stainless steel.
- Apple Watch SE 2 has a contemporary box or rectangular shape. Google Pixel watch, however, has a round shape. The image below shows the round screen of the Google Pixel watch.
- Apple Watch SE 2 cannot track blood oxygenation levels. It does not come with a Pulse oxygenation sensor to track oxygen levels in the blood. Google Pixel watch does have a pulse oxygenation sensor. As of writing this, the sensor has not been activated to record blood oxygenation levels.
- Apple Watch SE 2 does not have an ECG app. Google Pixel Watch does have an ECG app.
- Apple Watch SE 2 has a much improved accelerometer. This allows the Apple Watch SE 2 to detect car crash incidents and take follow-up action. The feature is called crash detection. Crash detection is unavailable on the Google Pixel watch.
- Google Pixel watch has ‘Always on display’ while Apple Watch SE 2 has a retina display only. Apple Watch SE 2 does not support AOD or Always on display.
- Apple Watch SE 2 uses Apple’s S8 chip while the Google Pixel Watch is based on the Exynos 9110 SoC processor of Samsung. In more ways than one, you will find quite a few similarities between the Google Pixel Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.
We look at both watches in a table of comparison of essential features below. This is a quick way to find similarities and differences between the Google Pixel Watch and Apple Watch SE 2.
Table of comparison – Google Pixel Watch vs Apple Watch SE 2
| Feature | Google Pixel Watch | Apple Watch SE 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | 6th October 2022 | 7th September 2022 |
| Processor | Exynos 9110 SoC | S8 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor |
| Android Support | Yes (Android version 8 or higher devices) | No |
| iPhone or iOS support | No | Yes (iPhone 8 or newer models, iOS 16 or higher iOS) |
| Operating System | wear OS (version 3.5) | watch OS 8.5 |
| Watch storage | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Watch size | 41 mm | 40 mm and 44 mm |
| Watch body | Watch body made of 80% recycled stainless steel | 100% recycled aluminum |
| Weight | 36 g | 27 g and 33 g for 40 mm and 44 mm size with LTE support. |
| Screen size | 1.2″ | 1.78″ |
| Display Screen shape | Round | Box or rectangular |
| Display screen | Corning Gorilla Glass 3D | OLED |
| Thickness | 12.3 mm | 10.7 mm |
| Display resolution | 40 mm – 324 by 394 pixels 44 mm – 368 by 448 pixels | 450 x 450 pixels |
| Always on display | Supported, Yes | No (Retina display only) |
| Screen brightness | 1000 nits | 1000 nits |
| Water rating | 5 ATM equivalent to 50 meters under water | 50 meters |
| Swim-proof | Yes | Yes |
| In-built speaker | Yes | Yes |
| In-built microphone | Yes | Yes |
| NFC Payments | Supported through Google Pay | Supported through Apple Pay |
| ECG app for heart rhythm | Yes | No |
| Blood oxygenation sensor | Yes, but not yet activated in the software | No |
| High-low heart rate alerts | No | Yes |
| Irregular heart rhythm notifications | No | Yes |
| Menstrual health tracking | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Supported GPS platforms | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS |
| LTE or cellular connectivity | Available in LTE variant | Available in LTE variant |
| LTE chip | 4G LTE and UMTS | 4G LTE and UMTS |
| Emergency SOS | Yes (requires network connectivity) | Yes (requires network connectivity) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Wi-fi | 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz | 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz |
| Fall detection | Yes | Yes |
| Crash detection | No | Yes |
| Sensors | Optical heart rate sensor | 2nd generation optical heart rate sensor |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life | 1 day | 18 hours |
| Price | $299.99 and above | $249.99 and above |
Closing thoughts
Apple Watch SE 2 and Google Pixel Watch are mutually exclusive as these work with different mobile operating systems. This is one of the most significant decision points when making a purchase of a smartwatch. Apart from this, both watches are identical in core features.
Google Pixel Watch does have a better health tracking feature set. But, the fact that there is limited availability of Google Pixel tends to push me towards an 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].