Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Pixel Watch 4 XL — I walked 6,000 steps, and the winner is clear

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Pixel Watch 4 XL

Price

$799

$399

OS compatibility

iOS

Android

Battery life (tested)

42 hours

60 hours

Water resistance

100 meters

50 meters

Speaker/mic

Yes

Yes

Cellular

Yes

Optional

Unlike Apple and Samsung, Google doesn’t offer an ‘Ultra’ model in the brand’s current smartwatch lineup. This means that the Pixel Watch 4 XL (45mm), with superior battery life but a higher price tag than its smaller (41mm) sibling, is Google’s most capable and exspensive model.

Starting at $399 for the non-cellular model or $449 for LTE connectivity, the Pixel Watch 4 is notably cheaper than the $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3. Despite this, you get better battery performance from the Google option, along with support for Google’s AI-powered virtual assistant Gemini, while Ultra 3 owners are stuck with a dated, non-AI version of Siri.

That said, the Ultra 3 is a tougher-built device, with 100 meters of water resistance and a titanium case, compared to 50 meters and aluminum. Ultimately, though, none of these differences should impact either model’s ability to count my steps accurately.

With that, on to the walk test!

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(Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom’s Guide)

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Pixel Watch 4 XL

Control

Step count

5,896 steps

6,016 steps

6,000 steps (manual count)

Distance

3.2 miles

3.2 miles

3.24 miles (Strava)

Elevation gain

356 feet

370 feet

305 feet (Strava)

Average pace

17 mins 18 secs per mile

17 mins 47 secs per mile

16 mins 50 secs per mile (Strava)

Average heart rate

119 bpm

112 bpm

n/a

Max heart rate

148 bpm

144 bpm

n/a

Total calories burned

439 calories

459 calories

n/a

Device battery usage

2%

1%

n/a

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 undercounted my efforts by a mere 104 steps, an impressive result and certainly within a reasonable margin for error. However, the Pixel Watch 4 was even closer, with a tally that’s just 16 steps over my actual count. Strava, for what it’s worth, noted an even closer total of 6,012 steps.

All three tracking methods measure a distance of roughly 3.2 miles, but both Apple and Google noted greater elevation gain than Strava. Assuming, for a moment, that Strava’s climb data is correct (the app tends to be on the money in this regard), Apple overcalculated by 51 feet, and Google inflated the climb by 65 feet; neither being an insignificant amount.

Moving on to pace, Strava registered a faster overall speed, but this is likely due to the app’s aggressive tendency to pause tracking during even very short breaks in movement. Apple and Google also autopause during stoppages, just less often than Strava.

In terms of heart rate, Apple measured a slightly more elevated average and max compared to Google, but the Pixel Watch 4 noted a tad more calories burned than the Ultra 3. Finally, the Apple Watch used 2% battery to track my roughly 55-minute walk compared to 1% for the Pixel Watch.

(Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom’s Guide)

As is often the case with these walk tests, this showdown was a close one. Ultimately, I’m impressed anytime a watch’s step count is within a few hundred steps of my actual count, as was the case for both the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Pixel Watch 4 XL here.

However, let’s give credit where due: With a step count total of 6,016 — well within a reasonable margin for error — the Google Pixel Watch 4 wins this fitness tracking accuracy showdown.

Does this make the Pixel Watch 4 a better fitness tracker than the Apple Watch Ultra 3? Certainly not! I’ve tested both of these devices countless times against their peers, and can say with confidence that both are extremely accurate and dependable at monitoring not just your workouts, but your sleep and fitness recovery, too.

Which smartwatches should I test head-to-head next? Let me know in the comments below.