Both watches have check-in features (Google’s is called Safety Check, and Apple’s is Check In), as well as fall detection and crash detection. It’s worth noting here that I did take a pretty hard fall while testing the Pixel Watch 4, which is not something that I’m able to do for every fitness tracker I test. It did not detect my fall or start the countdown timer for help.
The Watch Ultra 3 does have more mics and algorithms to reduce wind noise during calls. However, the one feature that I missed on the Pixel Watch 4, surprisingly, was Apple’s gestures. If you’d told me beforehand that I’d miss being able to flick my wrist to dismiss incoming calls, I wouldn’t have believed you. As it is, it’s actually really annoying to be biking or picking up dog poop and have to sit there and let it ring for a bit until I get my other hand free.
WINNER: A tie, surprisingly!
The Verdict
In most ways, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is obviously the better adventure watch. You can send normal texts via satellite, and it works in different countries. It’s hardier and can be banged up on a rock while climbing or diving deep into the ocean. It turns on the water lock automatically when it’s submerged under 10 centimeters of water, while the Pixel Watch 4 has to be submerged under a foot. (Incidentally, I may have damaged my tester while trying to trigger this feature, so I suggest being scrupulous about putting the water lock on manually on your own watch.)
But the health features on the Pixel Watch 4 are better and more useful because of Fitbit (with the notable exception of hypertension notifications). And I haven’t even gotten to use the new AI-enabled health coach yet. All these factors that make the Watch Ultra 3 a better watch pale in comparison to the fact that the Pixel Watch 4 is only $399 for the 45-mm version ($349 for the 41-mm case).
When it comes to great-looking, usable outdoor watches, your pickings under $500 are slim indeed. Not even Garmin offers a watch that has satellite communications for under $500. The battery life lasts a few days, doesn’t look too technical, works with my phone, has great sleep tracking, and can let me call for help when I need it, like Overwatch X Rescue—sign me up. It’s impossible not to think that the Pixel Watch 4 is the watch that the Watch Series 11 could’ve been, had Apple chosen not to silo its features so distinctly, but there’s always next year.
Updated October 9, 2025: 1:40pm: A previous version of this story stated that you need an active carrier plan to access satellite communications. You can access Emergency SOS on both watches without a carrier plan. The copy has been updated to reflect this.
