I Walked a Mile with the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Pixel Watch 3. Here Are the Unexpected Results.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is presented as one of the favorite wearable devices for offering a larger screen and a slimmer design than any previous model from the brand. Despite its battery life being shorter than that of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Google Pixel Watch 3, it is still considered the best Apple Watch on the market. This device offers a wide range of features for tracking physical activity, such as automatic detection of different types of exercises, although the accuracy in recording vital signs leaves something to be desired.

In contrast, the Pixel Watch 3 stands out for its exceptional accuracy in heart rate tracking, although it has fewer training options compared to the Apple Watch, and its automatic detection is less effective. Both smartwatches are only compatible with one mobile platform, raising the question: which one to choose if there is no preference for a specific platform for health tracking? To address this concern, tests were conducted during a walk in Dubai.

The first attempt to walk to a shopping mall (approximately 0.8 miles according to Google Maps) failed, as neither watch detected the start of the walk until 0.2 miles. This was surprising, especially for the Apple Watch, which is known for its quicker detection. Upon arriving at the shopping mall, the walking profile was manually activated on both devices. It is important to mention that the Pixel Watch 3 has only one exercise option for walking, while the Apple Watch Series 10 offers options for both indoor and outdoor walks. While traversing the mall, the recorded distance was 0.6 miles according to the pedometer, with the Apple Watch marking only 0.49 miles and the Pixel Watch 3 recording 0.74 miles.

Throughout the test, discrepancies in distance continued; the Pixel Watch 3 frequently measures a greater distance while the Apple Watch tends to underestimate. The final results showed a total distance of 1.02 miles, with the Pixel Watch 3 indicating 1.16 miles and the Apple Watch Series 10 at 0.95 miles. Although the Apple Watch proved to be more accurate in terms of distance, the Pixel Watch seems to have overcompensated for small movements. A significant difference was also observed in the supposedly burned calories, with the Pixel Watch reporting 245 calories and the Apple Watch recording less than 100. Based on personal experience during the walk, the Apple Watch Series 10 appeared to be more precise in its data.

Regarding heart rate, the Pixel Watch 3 showed greater reliability in its readings, with fluctuations between 90 and 105 bpm, compared to the Apple Watch, which recorded an average of 101 bpm. The Pixel Watch does not provide an average heart rate in its results, focusing instead on its cardiovascular load factor, while the Apple Watch provides both the estimated effort score and the average heart rate. It is worth noting that the Pixel Watch 3 measures heart rate every second throughout the day, even at rest, while the Apple Watch updates every five minutes, except in exercise mode.

In addition to heart rate, other aspects emerged during this test. When performing both indoor and outdoor workouts, the Pixel Watch 3 is advantageous with its unique profile since starting an indoor walk with the Apple Watch does not activate GPS. However, the Apple Watch presents information in a more accessible and straightforward manner than the Fitbit app. The latter takes longer to update data, and its interface may be confusing for new users.

Both devices offer a large volume of data, although the way they present it varies significantly. While the Fitbit app is complicated for accessing raw data, it proves friendly for the average user, whereas Apple Health provides more intuitive access to information. Despite the promising accuracy of the Pixel Watch 3 in heart rate and its cardiovascular load feature, the lack of granular details leads to a preference for the Apple Watch Series 10 for comprehensive activity tracking.