5 reasons why I'm glad I upgraded to the Pixel Watch 3

I've been using the Pixel Watch since the first iteration. Although I've been mostly satisfied with the experience, there have been issues that left something to be desired with versions 1 and 2. The latest iteration, however, has solved those issues and has finally proved that the Pixel Watch is a contender in the smartwatch market.

If you're unsure about upgrading to the Pixel Watch 3, let me offer five reasons why I'm glad I made the jump from the Pixel Watch 2.

1. Battery life

Battery life on the Pixel Watch 2 wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't great. I was lucky to get 24 hours from a single charge, and that's with the watch going into bedtime mode from 9:30 PM to 7:30 AM. By the time morning arrived, the battery would often have between 10% to 15% left... and that's only if I'd gone for a short run on the previous day. On Saturdays, I do a 13-mile run and inevitably the battery would be dead sometime before Sunday morning.

Also: Google Pixel Watch 3: Key specs, features, price, and everything else you need to know

Since I opted for the larger version of the Pixel Watch 3, I can now wake up with nearly 50% of my battery remaining (on short-run days) and between 20% to 30% on long-run days. That's a huge change. Although I don't wake up with an alarm (other than one of my cats being vocal), I always check my watch to see what time it is. If the watch battery dies in the middle of the night, I'm out of luck.

Thank you, Google.

2. Bigger display

My eyes aren't what they used to be, and the Pixel Watch 2's small display has been getting harder and harder to see without my glasses. When on a run, I'd have to squint to just barely be able to see my pace and heart rate.

With the 45mm Pixel Watch 3, that's no longer the case. Although I do still have to squint a bit to read notifications, it's still not nearly as bad as it was with the previous iteration.

There are some watch faces that aren't exactly friendly to aging eyes, but most of them are a vast improvement over the previous takes (especially with the 45mm version). Of course, the bigger screen also allows for more information to be displayed, but how much, of course, depends on the watch face you use.

3. Running splits

Back when I used a Samsung watch, one of my favorite features was the running splits. Essentially, the watch would call out times for each mile run. Although my times are getting slower and slower with each passing year, I still like to see where I am at.

This is especially helpful during my 13-mile runs, so I can pace myself. Running a too-fast pace on a longer outing can make for a painful end, but now that the Pixel Watch includes splits, I don't have to worry about it. It also helps me clock miles if I'm running an unfamiliar route. Every time the watch vibrates, I know another mile has passed. The Pixel Watch 2 did not include this feature, and it was greatly missed.

4. Smoother animations

One of my issues with the previous Pixel Watches was that the animations were bad. Swiping from tile to tile or scrolling through notifications was often a jumpy, jarring experience. Given the cost of those devices, you'd think Google would have ensured the UI worked as smoothly as possible. This is especially so, given how smooth the Apple Watch animations are.

Well, the third time's the charm, and the Pixel Watch 3 animations are buttery smooth.

5. Better performance

I'd become used to the sluggish performance of the Pixel Watch 2, to the point that when I first started using the Pixel Watch 3, I was shocked at how much better it performed. My first thought was, "This is how the Pixel Watch should have performed all along!" The days of poorly performing Google smartwatches are over, and the Pixel Watch 3 has (once again) made me a believer.

Also: Hands-on with the Pixel Watch 3: The three features Google got right

I will say, however, that the 45mm Pixel Watch does have a leg ahead over the 41mm watch. The latest Pixel Watch features the same CPU and coprocessor as the Pixel 2. Also, it includes the same amount of RAM and storage. Part of the reason for the improved performance is that the Pixel Watch 3 has a dynamic refresh rate (from 1Hz to 60Hz), whereas the Pixel Watch 2 had a fixed 60Hz refresh rate. My guess is that WearOS 5 also helps.

Whatever Google has done, I find the difference between the Pixel Watch 2 and the Pixel Watch 3 to be clear. Some might not find the difference to be all that obvious, but for those who really look for such things, it's there, thanks to the sum total of all the constituent pieces that come together to make the best watch Google has produced to date.

You can purchase a Pixel Watch 3 from the official Google Store. The 41mm version runs $350 and the 45mm version runs $400.