When you wear a connected watch every day, the "better" does not exist. There is the one who marries your use, your phone, your look. Google Pixel Watch 3 vs Garmin Venu 3: two very successful visions of the same promise - health, sport, utility - but two characters. One, urban-tech, deeply Android.

The other, enduring, well-being and sport tour, compatible iOS and Android. Here is the connected watch comparison that contrasts without posture.

Why this duel counts

• You hesitate between Wear OS and the Garmin/Connect IQ ecosystem.
• You want to know if ECG, sleep monitoring or autonomy will make the difference.
• You have an iPhone ... or a pixel ... and software integration weighs in the choice.

Key specifications (useful summary)

Pixel Watch 3: Two sizes (41/45 mm), 24 hours of autonomy with Always-On, UWB, Optional LTE, Complete Health Sensors (ECG, SPO2, Skutaneous temperature, CEDA/Stress), detection of pulse loss. Android only. Price France from € 399 (Wi-Fi 41 mm), € 449 (Wi-Fi 45 mm), +1200 € in 4G.

See Pixel Watch 3 and Amazon reviews

Garmin Venu 3: a size (45 mm), up to 14 days of autonomy, ECG (activated in the EU since January 2025), Sleep Coach and naps, Body Battery, Micro/Laughter, Garmin Pay payments. Android and iOS compatible. Public price € 499.99.

See the Garmin Venu 3 and the opinions on Amazon

Specs comparison table

Sources: Google Store, Garmin (sheet and press release), Frandroid, Garmin Owner's Manual.

Design and comfort: two temperaments

• Pixel Watch 3: 3D bulging glass Gorilla Glass 5, recycled aluminum case, very soft lines, almost jewelry. The attachment system is owner; There are two families of bracelets (41 and 45 mm) not interchangeable, to know if you already have a collection.
• Coming 3: more classic dial, steel telescope, reinforced fiber reinforced polymer housing. Standard 22 mm with fast clearance (infinitely practical to vary the styles: silicone, leather, nylon).

What it changes on the wrist

• Pixel Watch 3 inserts better under a shirt, very discreet in 41 mm; The 45 mm is better to balance the screen and the battery.
• Coming 3 assumes a sport-lifestyle side. More readable outside, lighter by the week (because it is recharged less).

Autonomy: the real rocking point

• Pixel Watch 3: A full day with Always-on screen, 36 h in eco mode. It is the Wear OS compromise: a superb screen, rich apps, regular recharge.
• Coming 3: up to 14 days in watch mode, and from 20 to 26 hours depending on the GPS. Clearly: we recharge it once or twice… per week. For those short or hike, it's freedom.

Health and safety: What profile is talking to you

• ECG: Present on both. Venu 3 saw the ECG application activated in the EU in January 2025; The Watch 3 Pixel has had the ECG Fitbit app since its launch.
• Sleep: Garmin pushes the "Sleep Coach" analysis further (need for sleep of the day, naps detected and integrated). Pixel offers a morning brief, but Garmin structures daily recovery.
• Stress/skin: The Pixel Watch 3 incorporates an CEDA sensor (electrodermal response) and the skin temperature to better qualify the "bodily responses".
• Safety: the striking novelty on the Google side is the detection of pulse loss. If you do not answer, the watch triggers an emergency call automatically (autonomous lte; in Wi-Fi, via the smartphone). Available in France.
• Body/energy: Garmin remains very educational with Body Battery, HRV, morning/evening reports. Less of techno "wow", more lifestyle.

Sport and training: two ways to accompany

• Pixel Watch 3: Wear OS and Fitbit give access to the apps and racing metrics that rise in power (eg new efforts of effort and daily recommendations). It is comfortable for the Google, Strava & Co universe.
• Coming 3: 30+ Activity profiles, animated training, Garmin Coach plans, bicycle follow -up (power with sensor), and now wrist calls to keep the line with professional life. DNA revolves around regularity and progression.

Connectivity and payments

• Pixel Watch 3: Optional LTE, Wi-Fi 6/AX, UWB for proximity interactions, Google Wallet, Google Maps, assistant. The Wear OS package closest to Google services.
• Coming 3: Bluetooth/Ant+/Wi-Fi, Garmin Pay, on-board music (Spotify/Deezer/Amazon Music), calls and dictation via smartphone. No LTE.

Software integration: Android vs neutrality

• Android Only VS Multi-platform: The Pixel Watch 3 requires Android 10+ and the dedicated app. Incompatible iPhone. Venu 3 works with Android and iOS. If you are on iPhone, the match is folded: Garmin.
• Exclusive functions Pixel: Synchronization Do not disturb/bedtime, Watch Unlock, Pixel camera control, Nest integrations… Some functions remain deeper with a pixel smartphone.
• SMS answers: On Garmin, the quick response to the wrist is reserved for Android; On iOS, we read/acknowledge reception. To know if your professional use goes through iMessage.

Prices and positioning

• Pixel Watch 3 in France: € 399 (41 mm Wi-Fi), € 449 (45 mm Wi-Fi), +1200 € for 4G. It is competitive if you live on the Android/Google side.
• Coming 3: 499.99 € Public price. It is often found around € 380–420 in brands, but the value of the product is mainly due to Android/iOS autonomy and neutrality.

Concrete uses: Who goes

For the sportsman who wants to forget the charger

• Coming 3. You go on weekends, you run 2–3 times, you sleep with the watch to optimize the recovery: autonomy you release the plug, the Sleep Coach adjusts the sleep lens, the GPS keeps the distance.

For the health + safety user, very Android

• Pixel Watch 3. ECG + CEDA + temperature + Pulse loss detection, morning brief, Google Wallet, Maps, Assistant. If your phone is a pixel, the whole is fluid and automatisms (DND/Bedtime, Watch Unlock) save time.

For the iPhone user who wants a "neutral" watch

• Coming 3. Solid health follow -up, ECG activated in the EU, wrist calls via iPhone, Garmin Pay, without changing ecosystem. You lose the SMS responses, but the heart of the experience remains complete.

For elegant design under a shirt

• Pixel Watch 3. The glass/aluminum dome passes everywhere; Simply beware of bracelets: owner mechanism, and the 41/45 mm versions do not share all the bracelets.

For versatility "sport-bureau"

• Coming 3. Readable display, autonomy, 22 mm standard bracelets, micro/HP, and a Garmin Connect app that holds the bar on a daily basis.

Advantages / disadvantages by profile

Google Pixel Watch 3

• Benefits
  • Advanced health: ECG, CEDA, temperature, and above all detection of loss of pulse (France included).
  • Google ecosystem: wallet, maps, assistant, UWB, LTE optional.
  • Two sizes, jewel finish.
• Boundaries
  • Autonomy of a day: it is necessary to ritualize the recharging.
  • Android only; Some richer functions with a pixel.
  • Owner bracelets (and different compatibility between 41 and 45 mm).

Garmin Venu 3

• Benefits
  • Reference autonomy: up to 14 days, 26 h in GPS alone.
  • Health/Recover: ECG (EU), Sleep Coach, naps, Body Battery; daily pedagogy.
  • Android and iOS compatible; Standard 22 mm bracelets; Garmin Pay + Offline Music.
• Boundaries
  • No LTE; "Smartphone" functions sometimes less successful (response SMS iOS not supported).
  • Apps ecosystem smaller than Wear OS (but essential for the main).

Android and iOS integration: the real decision filter

• With Android in general: Pixel Watch 3 or Venu 3 work well. Do you want Maps, assistant, Nest control and an apps supplied? Pixel. Do you favor battery, readability and sporting simplicity? Come.
• With a pixel: the most coherent experience on Pixel Watch 3 (Watch Unlock, Synchros System, Pixel Camera).
• With iPhone: Garmin Venu 3, unambiguous.

Usage advice (real, concrete)

• Refills: Pixel Watch 3 loads quickly (≈60–80 min depending on size). Place it during the shower + breakfast and before sleeping if you follow sleep.
• Sleep: short naps (20–30 min) well integrated on Venu 3; The coach adjusts the following night. Practical for dense weeks.
• Bracelets: If you like to vary often, advantage that came 3 (22 mm standard). On Pixel, check the 41/45 mm compatibility before buying a new bracelet.

Our verdict

• Choose the Google Pixel Watch 3 If: you live on Android (ideally Pixel), you want to integrate Google and the latest generation health functions, including detection of pulse loss. You accept daily recharge.
• Choose the Garmin Venu 3 If: you want a connected watch that takes the week, serious recovery tools, and compatibility without drama with iOS as Android. It is the "sustainable" watch for everyday life.

Rapid summary

• Android pure and new safety functions? Pixel Watch 3.
• iPhone or autonomy XL? Come 3.
• ECG: Present on both (coming 3 activated in the EU since January 2025).
• Leisure sport, recovery and pedagogy? Come 3.
• Apps, Google, UWB, LTE Possible? Pixel Watch 3.
• Bracelets: standard 22 mm (coming 3) vs owner (Pixel Watch 3).

Purchasing experience (practice)

• Try the sizes: 41 mm (fine wrists) VS 45 mm. Daily weight is played out a few grams, but reading and autonomy gain with large size (45 mm pixel, coming 3,45 mm unique).
• Check phone compatibility above all: Pixel Watch 3 requires Android 10+. If you are on iPhone, go to Garmin.
• Budget: Pixel Watch 3 starts at € 399; Coming 3 around € 499.99 public prices (often stored). Take into account the cost of bracelets (owners at Google) and, if necessary, the LTE option.
• In store: Test the screen lighting (exterior/interior), the ergonomics of the buttons, and, on the garmin side, the quality of the calls with your own smartphone (the results vary depending on the model).

Note on updates and sustainability

• Pixel Watch 3: 3 years of minimum safety/OS updates. Garmin: Different cadence (features via Garmin Connect, regular updates), without comparable bone commitment because the architecture is owner-in both cases, the watches remain functional far beyond.

This comparison explodes the logic of the two watches. If your priority is autonomy and discipline well-being, the 3rd is essential. If you live on Google side and want the best of Wear OS with a real health safety layer, the Pixel Watch 3 is the most convincing.

We compared the Garmin who came 3 to its competitors: