Pixel Watch 3 Vs. OnePlus Watch 3: Which Wear OS Watch Wins? [Video]

The OnePlus Watch 3 has arrived, and it’s challenging the Pixel Watch 3 as one of the best Wear OS watches. Let’s break down the key differences between these two flagship Wear OS smartwatches. This isn’t a full review (that’s coming soon!) but a focused look at what sets them apart.

In 2025, we have fewer Wear OS players than ever before. However, the loss of Fossil is tempered by the gain of more competent players in the space. Samsung returned a few years ago and Oppo and OnePlus are taking Wear OS seriously. Last year the OnePlus Watch 2 was a fantastic wearable that was easy to recommend thanks to a combination of excellent battery longevity, durable design, and much more.

Design and build

Design is where these watches diverge significantly. The OnePlus Watch 3 leans into a classic watch aesthetic with premium materials. Its stainless steel casing (available in Obsidian Black or Silver) and titanium alloy bezel, complete with numbered notches, give it a robust and stylish look. The 1.5-inch AMOLED 2D sapphire crystal display, boasting 2200 nits of brightness, is both beautiful and durable. OnePlus has even secured MIL-STD-810H certification, which ensures the watch can withstand various harsh conditions.

The Pixel Watch 3 takes a different approach with a minimalist, dome-shaped design that syncs or at least fits within the wider Made by Google lineup. Encased in aluminum and protected by Gorilla Glass 5, it’s a more modern, tech-focused look. While elegant, the dome shape makes the display more susceptible to scratches, as it lacks a protective bezel.

For what it’s worth, after five months of use, some of our Pixel Watch 3 units have accumulated scratches despite careful handling and attempts to keep the rounded glass edges away from harm. This is one of the few flaws of this clean design language. There is another bonus here that may make Google’s first-party Wear OS watch more enticing.

The Pixel Watch 3 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes, with 1.2-inch and 1.4-inch displays, respectively. Although small and low resolution compared to a smartphone panel, both AMOLED screens are excellent, with a 2000 nit max brightness level for exceptional legibility in all conditions. OnePlus doesn’t offer any other size option so you are stuck with a solo 47mm option – which might be too big for some people.

Comfort-wise, the Pixel Watch 3’s design shines, especially for sleep tracking. The smooth curves and lack of sharp edges make it more comfortable to wear for extended periods and the rounded corners prevent snagging with clothing or shirt cuffs. The glass also feels nicer against the skin than metal, a subtle but noticeable difference.

Another major variation in the Pixel Watch 3 and OnePlus Watch 3 is the watch bands each wearable uses. The OnePlus Watch 3 uses standard 22mm quick-release bands, which, in theory, should offer a greater array of customization options. The Pixel Watch 3, however, uses a proprietary connector, limiting band choices but providing a sleeker connection. While third-party options are available, the first-party bands are quite expensive, which makes your initial color choice a little more important.

Both watches feature bright and vibrant AMOLED displays, making them easily readable in sunlight. The OnePlus Watch 3 boasts a 1.5-inch display with 2200 nits of brightness, while the Pixel Watch 3 offers 1.2 or 1.4-inch options at 2000 nits. In terms of display quality, you can’t go wrong with either.

Software and features

Both watches run the latest version of Wear OS 5, but there are some different takes on how this operating system looks. OnePlus has added some extra flair and some iOS-like visuals to some menus like the app drawer, but the core experience is very similar all things considered.

Through the Fitbit and OHealth apps, you get a fairly comprehensive suite of fitness, sleep, and stress-tracking metrics. However, each watch offers unique features that you’ll need to determine which better suits your needs.

The OnePlus Watch 3 introduces vascular health monitoring, comparing your vascular condition to age-based benchmarks. It also boasts upgraded health sensors, including an 8-channel optical heart rate sensor, a 16-channel optical pulse oximeter sensor, and a new wrist temperature sensor. The 60-second health check feature allows simultaneous evaluation of various health metrics. All this data is managed within the OHealth app.

OHealth is quite a solid free app with lots of fitness tracking options that Fitbit still lacks. One of the most notable to gym-goers will be the ability to track body specific workout sessions. For example, you can time your chest or bicep workouts, something that isn’t available on the Pixel Watch 3. The smartphone app is very simple, offering ways to see all of your data and any associated analysis but very little else is provided to enhance workouts.

The Pixel Watch 3 isn’t the outright best smartwatch for tracking, but despite being fairly simple it does excels in cardio fitness tracking. You get basic coaching fucntiosn which provides verbal cues during exercise, form analysis metrics (stride, cadence, ground contact time), and a cardio load feature for personalized fitness targets. It also integrates seamlessly with other Pixel features like call screening, Pixel Recorder, and custom Pixel watch faces.

The Fitbit integration is a major plus, providing access to a wealth of health data and workout routines. Fitbit Premium unlocks even more features, including excellent coaching classes. If you have a Google One plan in some regions, this is included in the monthly fee at the 2TB tier, making it a great value-add.

Health Connect does allow you to share data between each service though if you want certain functions while wearing either smartwatch.

Beyond fitness, the OnePlus Watch 3 features a “video watch face” and a dual-engine architecture. This unique system uses the Snapdragon W5 chipset for performance-intensive tasks (like Wear OS apps) and the BES2800 efficiency chipset for background activity and daily tasks, improving both performance and battery life.

An area where the Pixel Watch 3 will surpass the OnePlus Watch 3 is in the update cadence. Google pushes updates once every 3 months for its first-party wearable. Day-one updates are also going to be available as the system evolves and Wear OS updates are made available. You will get updates on the OnePlus Watch 3, but don’t expect them to be as plentiful.

Battery and lifespan

Battery life is a key differentiator. My initial impressions of the OnePlus Watch 3, after four days of use with workouts, sleep tracking, auto-brightness on, and always-on display off, are impressive – I haven’t had to charge it yet. OnePlus claims up to five days (120 hours) in smart mode, three days with heavy use, and 16 days in power-saving mode. VOOC fast charging provides a day’s worth of battery life with just a 10-minute charge.

The Pixel Watch 3, on the other hand, is more of a daily charging device. The 45mm version, with its 420 mAh battery, might last two days with minimal usage (always-on display off, a short workout, sleep tracking, and light usage). However, it will likely need charging before the second day is over, potentially interrupting sleep tracking. The 41mm Pixel Watch 3, with a 307 mAh battery, offers about a day and a half of use. Neither watch offers wireless charging, relying instead on a pin connector.

Pixel Watch 3 or OnePlus Watch3: Which is the better wearable?

Both the OnePlus Watch 3 and the Pixel Watch 3 are excellent smartwatches, but they cater to different needs in many ways.

The OnePlus Watch 3 boasts superior build materials, exceptional battery life, and a wide range of fitness features but lacks some of the deep analysis functions. Its long battery life makes it ideal for the ultra-active wearer who does not want to worry about charging their watch on a daily or bi-daily basis.

Google’s Pixel Watch 3 feels more casual in its approach to fitness and although both are great with any Android phone, is more at home within a Pixel/Google ecosystem. The minimalistic design choices, oddly, make it a more premium package despite the OnePlus Watch 3 having high-end hardware of its own.

If you’re heavily invested in the Google ecosystem, the Pixel Watch 3 might be a better fit. However, if raw performance and battery life are priorities, the OnePlus Watch 3 is a no brainer. It goes toe-to-toe with the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra in lots of areas without the associated price-tag.

The Pixel Watch 3 starts at $349.99 for the 41mm model, while the 45mm is priced at $399. OnePlus has undercut this with the Watch 3, starting at just $329. That makes it a very solid Wear OS watch for just about any Android owner.

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