For better or worse, Wear OS smartwatches have followed the same path as Android phones: Samsung and Google dominate mind share.This year, they released the Galaxy Watch 9 and Pixel Watch 5 — but which to choose? I decided to wear both.I have extensive experience with both the Galaxy Watch and Pixel Watch lineups.
For many years, I preferred and wore a Galaxy Watch.My allegiance switched to the Pixel Watch a couple of years ago, but most recently, I’ve been swapping back and forth.I took it to the next level for the past week, going through life with a smartwatch on both arms.
The photo at the top was taken specifically for this article — I did not wear the watches on the same arm.For the duration of the week, I wore the Galaxy Watch 9 on my left wrist and the Pixel Watch 5 on my right wrist.I put them on and took them off at the same time every day.
I was surprised by the Galaxy Watch 9’s design Maybe the “squircle” isn’t so bad Close One of the primary reasons why I wore a Galaxy Watch for as long as I did was design.I loved the look of round displays wrapped in a metal frame with standard watch band lugs.Samsung stuck with this tried and true design until last year — that’s when I hopped off.
I didn’t like how the Galaxy Watch 8’s rounded-square “squircle” shape looked in photos.This is the first time I’ve seen it in person.Surprisingly, I don’t mind it as much as I thought I would.
I might even it.There’s something cool about how the round, glass display sits on top of the metal body.That being said, the aspect of the design that I really appreciate is the thickness.
The Galaxy Watch 9 is nearly a full 4mm thinner than the Pixel Watch 5 — and it’s .I’ve always liked the Pixel Watch’s smooth, pebble-like shape, but it feels bulky and cumbersome compared to the Galaxy Watch 9.In the Pixel Watch 5’s defense, I was wearing it for several weeks before the Galaxy Watch 9 arrived, and I didn’t have any complaints about its size.
Regardless, I’m not sure I can go back now that I’ve experienced the sleekness of the Galaxy Watch.Have I become a squircle convert? The Pixel Watch 5’s battery life is phenomenal Google is crushing it here When Wear OS 7 was announced back in May, Google barely mentioned the power optimizations — it should have been the headlining feature.I started getting incredible battery life on my Pixel Watch 4, and it has carried over to the Pixel Watch 5.
Despite also running Wear OS 7, the Galaxy Watch 9 simply can’t keep up.For easy comparison, I used watch faces with the same complications — including battery level — on both devices.Each night at bedtime, I took screenshots.
The latest time I wore the watches was 11:37 PM, and the Pixel Watch 5 was never under 80%.Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 9 dipped below 50% on one occasion.Comparing percentages isn’t really fair, though.
The 40mm Galaxy Watch 9 has a 390 mAh battery, and the 45mm Pixel Watch 5 has a much larger 465 mAh battery.However, the 41mm Pixel Watch 5, with a smaller 332 mAh battery, is rated to last exactly as long as the 40mm Watch 9.The other thing I noticed was a difference in consistency.
Take a look at these five nightly battery readings: Close Why was the Galaxy Watch’s battery life so much worse on day four? Each day puts different demands on a watch, but the numbers don’t line up.The Pixel Watch’s lowest level was the latest night, as you would expect.Again, I was wearing both watches for exactly the same length of time.
Now, I obviously can’t say for certain, but my experience leads me to believe the Pixel Watch 5 has better battery life, regardless of size.Health and fitness tracking is comparable Premium features make a difference, though Admittedly, this was a relatively light week for me in terms of activity.It’s also difficult to compare health and fitness tracking when you don’t have “control” measurements.
That being said, my experience across the watches was relatively similar.I went for a walk one night, and it was auto-detected by both watches within a range of two minutes.The Pixel Watch 5 said I walked for 25:35, took 2,329 steps, and covered 1.08 miles.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 9 detected a 22:57 walk in 2,295 steps over 0.96 miles.Adjusting for the durations, that’s pretty darn close.Close Heart rate measurements were not as similar.
The chart below shows my daily BPM range across five full days of wearing both watches.Galaxy Watch 9 Pixel Watch 5 Sunday 52-124 57-97 Monday 54-120 68-104 Tuesday 53-142 62-103 Wednesday 55-176 67-168 Thursday 53-130 69-122 The Galaxy Watch 9’s range was considerably wider than the Pixel Watch 5.The difference in the highest reading was nearly 40 BPM on Tuesday.
However, without the benefit of a medical device, it’s hard to know which device was most accurate.That being said, according to similar tests performed by others, it does seem like the Galaxy Watch 9 tends to under- and overestimate heart rate.Google Health — formerly Fitbit — has some powerful health tracking and a new AI “coach.” The problem is the best stuff is kept behind the $10 Premium subscription.
Samsung Health, on the other hand, has plenty to offer, and it’s completely free.I’m not willing to pay a subscription for health and fitness tracking, and I don’t think many other people are, either.Google finally caught up to Samsung But it’s still not even My review of the original Pixel Watch is one of the most negative I’ve ever written.
Software played a huge role in that.The simplicity and minimalism of Google’s software just didn’t cut it, especially compared to all the niceties that Samsung includes.The good news is that the Pixel UI Watch software has vastly improved over the last few years.
Wear OS 7 is very good on the Pixel Watch 5 — but it is on the Galaxy Watch 9, too.Many of the updates are things Samsung already had or were brought over to the Watch 9 as well.That’s the problem for Google.
As good as the Pixel Watch has become, it hasn’t surpassed Samsung.Its greatest achievement is getting on the same level.The gap is closing, but the Galaxy Watch 9 still has some great exclusive features.
I can’t say the same for the Pixel Watch 5.At the end of the day, there are some key differences between the two watches, but I think they’re close enough that it comes down to personal preference.After a week with both watches, I’ve made my choice.
I love the Pixel Watch 5’s battery life and design of the software, but the sleek, thin hardware of the Galaxy Watch 9 won me over.Google Pixel Watch 5 Brand Google Heart Rate Monitor Yes The latest update to the Pixel Watch line can passively take your blood pressure and updated Gemini Intelligance features.See at Amazon Expand Collapse Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 Operating System One UI 9.0 Display Size 1.34 Inches The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 adds a much faster chip, a larger battery, and AI health features to a familiar design.
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