The Google Pixel Watch 3 launched last month but if you were expecting some kind of drastic upgrade, this wasn’t the year for it. The Pixel Watch 3 is nearly physically indistinguishable from its predecessors but the magic is in the software, where it brings several new features — many AI-based, unsurprisingly.
The Google Pixel 9 series matches the best options in the smartphone space with a promise of seven years of software updates. However, if you were expecting similarly good fortune to find its way to the Pixel Watch 3, you’re going to end up rather disappointed.
The Google Pixel Watch 3, Despite A Heavy Software Focus, Will Only Get Three Years Of Updates
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is the newest smartwatch in town from a major manufacturer, and if the original Pixel Watch or the Pixel Watch 2 didn’t exist, the Pixel Watch 3 would shine a lot brighter. However, it is almost unchanged hardware-wise compared to its predecessors, which is certainly disappointing for people who have chosen to pitch their smart device tent with Google.
Instead, the tech giant decided that it was going to set the Pixel Watch 3 apart from its ancestors through the magic of its software (similar to the approach that it seemed to take with the Pixel 9 phones — though those saw a few more hardware improvements). Credit where credit is due though, as the new Loss of Pulse Detection feature is the first of its kind. Most people won’t need it, but it could be a lifesaver for those who do.
With all of that software magic brewing around in the brand-new Google Pixel Watch 3 — and with the promise of 7 years of software updates on the new Pixel 9 series — it’d be natural to expect that your Pixel Watch 3 will be able to share in that promise for software longevity. That’s unfortunately not the case. The Pixel Watch 3 is only going to have software support for 3 years.
This isn’t only disappointing because the smartphones are getting more than twice the duration in support, but because it is entirely unchanged from the software support window that the other Pixel Watch models have. This means you’ll get updates until October 2027 with the Pixel Watch 3.
Maybe Google Won’t Stretch Itself On Software Support Because Its Smartwatches Won’t Last As Long
If you have a Google Pixel 9 smartphone, you’re going to be getting software updates all the way to 2031, which is quite incredible when you think about it (especially because 2031 still seems miles away). That’s the joint best that you can get in the smartphone world, matched by Samsung’s 2024 flagship devices. It’s nice to see Android finally doing better in software updates than Apple.
With such amazing care for smartphones, I wish Google wouldn’t treat its smartwatches like they’re less important. However, I realize that might be because Google really doesn’t expect anyone to have a Pixel Watch 3 going strong after three years.
After all, the watches are unrepairable and after three years, your battery would likely need a replacement. But since you can’t open a Pixel Watch 3 without destroying it, perhaps Google realized there’s no point in expecting anyone to have a Pixel Watch 3 that still works reliably after so long. Not quite a vote of confidence in themselves, but it makes sense.
