Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 vs. Google Pixel Watch: Which smartwatch is right for you?

This article is part of our series?Battle of the Brands, in which we compare category-leading products to their counterparts to determine which are actually worth your money.

The Galaxy Watch 6 is Samsung’s latest smartwatch to hit the market, complete with a standard model and the resurrection of the Classic edition with a physically rotating bezel. Both have already been deemed some of the best Wear OS watches you can get, but how do they compare to the competition?

Enter the Pixel Watch, Google’s first in-house foray into the mystical world of smartwatches that launched last fall. With tight Fitbit integration, a simplistic design, clean software and timely updates, the Pixel Watch is the favored wearable by many Android users. If you’re shopping for a new Wear OS watch, chances are you’ll eventually compare the Google and Samsung offerings to see which is the best suited for your use. Fortunately, we’re here to help you do just that.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 vs. Google Pixel Watch at a glance

Quick comparison

Totally different designs

Besides the fact that they’re both round, the Galaxy Watch 6 and Pixel Watch take totally different approaches to design. Samsung’s watches are bulkier and flatter, while Google’s tries to emulate a softly curved pebble more than anything else. That helps make the Pixel Watch more discreet and less like a traditional smartwatch, whereas the Galaxy Watches are perfectly happy standing out and reminding people you have a computer on your wrist.

I definitely prefer Google’s take on smartwatch design, but I wish the watch weren’t so small. The 41mm case size of the Pixel Watch is too little for my liking and can easily get lost on your wrist if your cuff is on the larger side. Anyone with a larger wrist will want to look at the Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic, which come in 40mm/44mm and 43mm/47mm sizes, respectively.

Due to its smaller size, the Pixel Watch’s display is also much tinier than what you’ll find on Samsung’s watches. At just 1.2 inches and surrounded by thick bezels, it’s not the easiest screen to see from afar.

The smaller Watch 6 models have a bit more screen room at 1.3 inches, while the larger models have a considerably larger 1.5-inch screen. They too have thick bezels, but at least they’re useful; Samsung lets you run your finger around the Watch 6’s screen to scroll, while the Watch 6 Classic has the fan-favorite rotating bezel for scrolling.

In case you were wondering, all the screens look very good. They get bright enough to see in direct sunlight, the resolution is plenty sharp and they each use AMOLED panels for inky blacks and vibrant colors. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d choose the Galaxy Watch 6, simply because it’s easier to see, thanks to its larger size.

Both watches come with durable glass to protect their displays, with a Sapphire Crystal glass on the Watch 6 and Gorilla Glass 5 on the Pixel Watch. They share the same water resistance rating of 5 ATM, which means they’ll survive at up to 50 meters deep, making them just as deep as other popular smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series 8.

You have plenty of colors to choose from regardless of which watch you buy. The Watch 6 comes in Graphite, gold (40mm) and silver (44mm), while the Watch 6 Classic comes in Graphite and silver. Meanwhile, you can get the Pixel Watch in Champagne Gold, Polished Silver and Matte Black, all three of which look quite stunning in person. A variety of bands are also sold for each watch so you can customize the look to your liking.

TL;DR: The Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 6 look vastly different from each other, but their differences can be boiled down to this: Fashion-forward folks will like the Pixel Watch more, while those who value functionality will prefer the Watch 6 and its Classic counterpart.

The Galaxy Watch 6 has more fitness-tracking prowess, while the Pixel Watch is perfect for Fitbit fans

Samsung has a lengthy reputation in the world of fitness tracking, so it’s no wonder that its watches offer one of the most well-rounded health-tracking experiences on the market.

The Galaxy Watch 6 comes with all the same sensors as the Watch 5, including a 3-in-1 BioActive sensor that combines optical heart rate, electrical heart signal and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) sensors in a single housing, enabling features like continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring and body composition readings. The Samsung Health app lets you track over 100 different workouts, and it gives you all the data you need to keep tabs on your fitness trends, including factors such as stress and irregular heart rates — a first for Samsung watches.

With the Watch 6, Samsung also throws in more advanced sleep tracking with deeper insights into how each of your nights is spent. Over time, you’ll even get a Sleep Animal Symbol that represents what kind of sleeper you are. There’s also a new, invisible LED infrared sensor that can help track your body temperature when you sleep and during a menstrual cycle.

Meanwhile, Google keeps things a little more basic. The Pixel Watch comes with all the necessary sensors to track your health like a heart rate sensor, blood oxygen monitoring and ECG support, but it’s missing some of the fancier ones like the BIA sensor, which means you can’t measure your body composition with the watch.

That being said, it’s still perfectly applicable for tracking your fitness over time, whether you want to bring it to the gym or use it as a running watch. Not only do you get a ton of workout options and the easy-to-use Google Fit app but the watch comes with tight integration with Fitbit, which Google purchased a few years ago to carry its legacy through its new products.

For fans of Fitbit, the Pixel Watch will be right up your alley. There’s a special version of the Fitbit app preinstalled on the watch with easy access to your workouts and data, all syncing with the Fitbit app on your phone. Subscribe to Fitbit Premium (available for free for six months with every Pixel Watch purchase) and you’ll gain access to features like mindfulness tips and Stress Management Score breakdowns.

It’s not as technically savvy as the Galaxy Watch 6, but as far as fitness trackers are concerned, the Pixel Watch is one of the best, all thanks to its deep Fitbit integration.

TL;DR: Serious fitness folks will appreciate all the tech and features aboard the Galaxy Watch 6, while more casual users — and fans of Fitbit — will get lots out of the Pixel Watch’s approach to health.

Samsung watches perform better, while Google software is a lot cleaner

Comparing these watches side by side, you’ll find that the Galaxy Watch 6 tends to perform better than the Pixel Watch, at least most of the time.

The watch is powered by Samsung’s Exynos W930, a chipset designed specifically for smartwatches with improved performance and efficiency. Meanwhile, the Pixel Watch also uses a Samsung processor, the Exynos 9110. That chip isn’t nearly as capable as the W930, and in day-to-day use, you can feel it. The Galaxy Watch 6 is quicker to open apps, swipe through Tiles and fire up workouts. Granted, the Pixel Watch isn’t slow and performs well enough, but side by side, the Watch 6 feels slightly faster.

On the other hand, the Pixel Watch’s software is a lot nicer to use than the Watch 6’s. Both devices run the latest version of Wear OS 4, but they take different approaches to the UI. Samsung smothers its software in One UI, which gives you a bunch of custom iconography, transitions, animations and more. Google’s software experience, meanwhile, is very similar to the experience on its Pixel phones, keeping things a lot simpler and cleaner.

It’s another difference you have to feel side-by-side, but the Pixel Watch’s software feels more inviting and friendly to use than Samsung’s. Both are good and serve their purpose, but if we’re picking favorites, the Pixel Watch’s take on Wear OS is much more delightful to use.

You’ll also get more frequent updates on the Pixel Watch. Not only do you get the latest version of Wear OS quicker than you will on the Galaxy Watch 6 but Google likes to ship Feature Drops every few months with new capabilities. If you want your smartwatch experience to always feel good and fresh, Google’s watch is the one to get.

TL;DR: The Galaxy Watch 6’s faster processor gives it a leg up over the Pixel Watch when it comes to opening apps and tracking workouts. Meanwhile, the Pixel Watch’s software is a lot cleaner and more inviting than Samsung’s somewhat cluttered One UI.

The Galaxy Watch 6 wins big on battery life

One of the biggest complaints customers and reviewers alike have about the Pixel Watch is the battery life. Google’s first smartwatch is good, but it couldn’t quite get endurance to the place it needs to be. In our testing, the watch didn’t quite last a full day on a charge, and it got worse if you used cellular connectivity or tracked a few GPS-heavy workouts.

By comparison, the Galaxy Watch 6 is the one to buy if you value battery life. The standard model can last a full day on a charge with mixed usage, such as tracking a few different workouts, streaming music to Bluetooth headphones and using a couple of apps to manage my daily tasks. Meanwhile, the Watch 6 Classic and its larger battery can last even longer. If you’re careful enough, you can stretch the watch to two days, which is quite handy.

Both the Watch 6 and Pixel Watch use magnetic pucks to recharge, and they’re both pretty snappy: a 30-minute charge on either watch will get you from zero to 50%, with another 40 to 45 minutes needed to get to 100%. You won’t find Qi wireless charging on either watch, so you’ll want to make sure you have your puck handy if you want to juice back up.

TL;DR: While the Pixel Watch can last a day on a full charge if you’re careful, anyone who needs more than that will want to grab the Galaxy Watch 6.

Don’t have a Samsung phone? Get a Pixel Watch

Full disclosure: You don’t need a Samsung phone to use a Galaxy Watch, and you don’t need a Google Pixel phone to use a Pixel Watch. Both wearables will work with any Android device you pair them to, assuming you download the right apps to make them work.

But there is one watch that works better than the other regardless of the phone you pair it to, and that’s the Pixel Watch. It takes very little effort to get it to work with your phone: Simply download the Pixel Watch app and … that’s it. The Pixel Watch will work with your phone like it would with a native Google Pixel phone. All the features will work as normal, and as long as you also download the Fitbit app, you can take advantage of all the neat features that come with the integration.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 takes more effort to get it right. You have to download four or five apps to get everything synced with your Samsung account and the rest of your phone, and even then, you won’t be able to take advantage of all the features on the watch. For example, if you want to monitor your blood oxygen levels, record EKGs, sync your do-not-disturb settings with your watch or control your camera’s shutter button from your wrist, you have to use it with a Galaxy phone. None of those features can be carried over to a non-Samsung phone, which is kind of unfortunate.

TL;DR: If you own a Samsung phone, the best watch to buy is the Galaxy Watch 6. For everyone else, you’ll have a much easier time using the Pixel Watch.

Bottom line

The Galaxy Watch 6 and Pixel Watch are easily some of the best smartwatches you can buy, and while they share a handful of similarities on a feature level, these watches are positioned to appeal to different types of users.

If you’re a fitness guru or someone who owns a Samsung phone, the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic are an easy choice. You’ll get a solid experience from both, as well as your choice of size, color and band type. It’s also a good watch to buy if you don’t want to spend that much: the 40mm Watch 6 starts at $300, which is $50 cheaper than the Pixel Watch.

That being said, the Pixel Watch is no slouch. While it only comes in one size and doesn’t have all the fancy fitness hardware of the Galaxy Watch, it packs a punch when it comes to Fitbit integration and the overall experience of Wear OS. Plus, it’s a much prettier watch to look at, which will be important to some users.

All in all, you can’t go wrong with either of these wearables, and deciding on the one to buy boils down to what you need from your next smartwatch. If anything else, base your decision on what kind of phone you’ll be pairing it to. That way, you’ll have the most seamless experience possible.