My wearable dreams may come true with a larger Pixel Watch 3 option

While I’ve made the jump largely to Samsung phones over the last year (9 months or so with the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the past month with the Galaxy Z Fold 5), my feelings for both their watch and their earbuds are quite a bit more tepid. The latest Galaxy Buds2 Pro are just alright and are easily bested by both the Pixel Buds Pro and AirPods Pro. And their Galaxy Watch 5 is in a similar boat in most ways.

What Google has done with Wear OS on the Pixel Watch is nothing short of awesome, and even though the Galaxy Watch 5 does pair up and work quite well with my Samsung phones, I sorely miss the way that the Pixel Watch does everything better from a software perspective. And that sentiment is even more true with the Pixel Watch 2 and its faster processor and better battery life.

The Pixel Watch Achilles Heel

But there’s simply no software fix available for the fact that I’m a bigger guy and the single-size-only Pixel Watch (and Pixel Watch 2 as they are the same size) looks a bit silly on my wrist. I wore it for a while and just overlooked it, but once I donned the Galaxy Watch 5 and the 44mm size for the first time, I knew I couldn’t go back. It just looks so much better all around.

And that’s a big part of any wearable. Even if a device is really functional, if it looks goofy on your body, it’s a pretty big turn off. I was really hoping Google would surprise us all with a larger size in the Pixel Watch 2, but that announcement came and went without as much as a whisper about the strangeness of the fact that even 2 years in, Google still sells their watch in just one size.

Google is finally reading the room

If you look at the more successful watch makers in this space, you quickly learn that you need at least two size options. Apple now has 3 with the Apple Watch Ultra, and there’s a good reason for it. Smartwatches are digital aids just like our phones, but unlike our phones, these devices serve far more of a fashion role than most of our other electronics we carry with us. While your laptop or phone only win so many points for style, your watch is a much bigger consideration in this area.

And that’s why I’m so glad to see Google getting on board and prepping what looks to be a larger option for the Pixel Watch 3. Seriously, the only reason I don’t have a Pixel Watch on my arm is the size of the device. And I know for some that makes me sound vain, but with watches, this stuff really does matter.

According to sources close to 9to5 Google, it looks like two sizes should be on the way this fall with Pixel Watch 3, and I’ll be keeping a very close eye on this development for 2024. In my non-laptop tech, I’ve really gone back to being a bit more agnostic, and I’ll be 100% comfortable with carrying a Chromebook, a folding Samsung phone, my AirPods Pro, and maybe a Pixel Watch by year’s end. And who knows? Maybe with another year under the belt, the Pixel Fold 2 will win me over as well.