The Pixel Watch 3 is my first smartwatch ever - and so far just a glorified Fitbit

Smartwatches have been around for years, but I never found them particularly interesting. I rarely go anywhere without my phone and everything it can do, so I’ve never really understood why I would pay a few hundred dollars for a device that offers an inferior version of it.

The closest I ever came was buying Fitbit watches, which, while smarter than an analog watch, aren’t as versatile as the best smartwatches.

But that has recently changed. Fitbit’s hardware days seem numbered, and during a recent vacation I had the opportunity to snag a Google Pixel Watch 3 at an exceptionally good price. So I decided to upgrade from my Fitbit Versa 4, which I bought instead of the original Pixel Watch, and buy my very first smartwatch. The only problem is that I’m having trouble actually using it as more than just another Fitbit.

Smartwatches have never appealed to me

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

Back in the distant days of early 2009, when my most modern device was a (pre-classic) iPod, I would never be seen dead without a watch. I liked knowing what time it was, especially since I went to a school that didn’t really believe in wall clocks. But leaving school and buying an iPhone 3GS changed that.

Unlike the sliding Samsung phone I had before, which was a used phone, this phone was actually capable of doing things – and I got into the habit of checking my phone instead of my wrist. My manager didn’t really like that I did that, but she didn’t really like me either and nothing I did would change her mind. It wasn’t long before I gave up on the watch and went about my business bare-wristed for the first time in years.

Four years later, I had switched to Android phones and the first smartwatches came onto the market. We were still before the launch of the Apple Watch, but models like Pebble and Samsung Galaxy Gear hit the market, ushering in a whole new era of “smart” devices. Just not for me.

At the time, I thought smartwatches were stupid and that the idea of having a bulky, rectangular wrist computer was pretty unnecessary compared to just using a phone. Especially since these early smartwatches needed to be connected to a nearby phone to realize their potential.

Things have changed over the years, especially as LTE smartwatches become more common. Assuming you’re willing to pay the extra price, a smartwatch is more of a standalone device. Fitness trackers have now evolved into functionally “lightweight” smartwatches that offer a range of basic smart functions – but nowhere near as many as a smartwatch.

For example, my Fitbit Versa 4 had Google Wallet, Alexa, Google Maps, YouTube Music, phone call support, and the usual Fitbit features. It simply didn’t give you the ability to expand on these basics or even disable the apps you don’t need. Which was very frustrating for me because every time I tried to exercise and watch YouTube on my phone I had to decline YouTube Music prompts. But I digress.

It’s also worth noting that smartwatch manufacturers have tried to specialize their devices more and take advantage of the constant physical connection to the wearer. Cell phones cannot monitor blood oxygen levels, fall detection, or heart health because they are not attached to your body throughout the day.

I guess they’re useful things to have. I’m not sure, I’ve never really used them. But it shows that smartwatch makers have realized that they need to offer more than just a smaller, worse version of a smartphone that you wear on your wrist.

I forgot that my Pixel Watch 3 does more than a Fitbit

The Google Pixel Watch 3 on a user's wrist shows the live feed from a Nest camera

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve only owned a Pixel Watch 3 for a few weeks and am still trying to get used to a wearable that can do more than just record my moments throughout the day – which is pretty much all my old Fitbit was good for . I more or less just wear it on my wrist until it needs to be charged, which is usually about once a day.

I’ve set up all the health-focused features I can, like the ability to do ECG scans, fall detection, or pulse loss alerts, but from a user perspective, these are pretty passive features. These aren’t really features that require a lot of user input. Loss of pulse detection and fall detection are completely passive and only turn on when needed. That’s really the whole point: getting you help when you can’t summon it yourself.

The main problem is that I’m having a hard time getting used to using apps on my wrist, especially when many of the apps I use on my phone aren’t available on Wear OS 5. This doesn’t apply to all of my smart home products. I set them up with Google Home and since they can’t be downloaded directly to my Pixel Watch 3, I still have to rely on my phone to get things done. Switching to new services or finally connecting things through Google Home is a transition in itself.

It definitely doesn’t help that I opted for the Wi-Fi version of the Pixel Watch 3. Since I had never bought a real smartwatch before, it didn’t seem reasonable to me to incur the expense of buying an LTE watch – and paying for it on top of my phone plan. The fact that the watch is at its strongest when connected to my phone means I can’t really separate the two for long. It takes a lot longer than a few weeks to reprogram the habits formed over 15 years of smartphone ownership.

However, I’m slowly getting there and have seen some changes. A great example is using wrist navigation when I got lost in Japan because it meant I didn’t have to leave my phone outside all the time. Japan may be a fairly safe country when it comes to petty crimes like phone theft, but the same cannot be said about the UK. Android 15’s phone theft detection can only go so far, and the less I have to move around with my phone in view of potential thieves, the better.

The same goes for setting my alarm in the morning and navigating my house in the dark. It’s much easier to turn on the flashlight feature on the Pixel Watch 3 when I’m wearing it on my wrist than to turn on the camera flash on my phone. The phone’s flashlight may be brighter, but it also runs the risk of waking my sleeping girlfriend and blinding my dogs while I move around the house.

Conclusion

The Google Pixel Watch 3 and 3 XL in the palm of a user

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve been so reliant on using my smartphone for things over the last decade and a half that it will take some time before I can change my daily routine. The fact is, I’ve never really had a device that could replace my phone, even with limited capacity. Over time, I’m sure I can convince my brain that sometimes it’s okay to do more things on a watch – than on a phone.

It will certainly help if I find more ways to access my apps on my watch, even if that means I have to switch up the type of software I use. But like John McClane, old habits die hard and I just have to be patient and allow the new routine to form.

Luckily, I can buy the Pixel Watch 3 for a very good price, and probably a lot less than I would have paid if I had waited for the Black Friday sales. This means I don’t get quite as frustrated because I didn’t learn the new, wrist-based habits right away.

The Pixel Watch 3 is my first smartwatch ever – and so far just a glorified Fitbit

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