Google Pixel Watch 3 leak hints at the 4 upgrades that could make it the Wear OS king

Google Pixel Watch 2 from the front, on a wrist
The Pixel Watch 2 is getting a successor (Image credit: Future)

Google has a launch event scheduled for Tuesday, August 13, and alongside the Google Pixel 9 we might well see the Google Pixel Watch 3 as well. Now a new leak has revealed some of the key upgrades that might be on the way with the new wearable.

An inside source speaking to Android Authority suggests the 2024 smartwatch upgrade is going to shrink the size of the bezels around the display, which addresses one of the main complaints we had in our Google Pixel Watch 2 review. They'll apparently shrink down from 5.5mm to 4.5mm.

Then there's brightness: a maximum of 2,000 nits is mentioned in the software for the Pixel Watch 3 apparently, though Android Authority says this might not be the final figure that Google uses in its marketing. The Pixel Watch 2 topped out at 1,000 nits, so we're talking about a major increase.

Another upgrade predicted here, which is one we've heard before, is that the Pixel Watch 3 is going to have ultra-wideband (UWB) tech included. This means better accuracy for location tracking, and improved close-range communication.

Colors and sizes

We're going to get new colors for the Pixel Watch 3 too, it would seem. The smaller 41mm model is set to come with a silver case and rose quartz band option, alongside the case and strap options we saw last time: those were black and obsidian, gold and hazel, and silver and porcelain.

As for the larger 45mm size, we'll apparently see the black/obsidian and silver/porcelain combinations, as well as a hazel case and hazel band configuration. This is going to be the first time the Pixel Watch will come in two sizes, and there's talk that the larger one will be called the Google Pixel Watch 3 XL.

Android Authority has also managed to access a Pixel Watch 3 animation, which will be shown on the wearable in retail stores. It doesn't really tell us anything new about the device, but it looks quite cool.

We will of course be covering all the news and announcements that come out of Google's show on August 13. Before that, we should get a couple of new smartwatches at Samsung's Unpacked event today: the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

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David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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