Google Pixel Watch 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Google Pixel Watch 2

1.2-inch AMOLED with the domed-glass cover, 320 PPI, always-on display. Sharp and vibrant — though small and lower-brightness compared to later Pixel Watches.

• 1.2-inch AMOLED at 320 PPI — sharp and vibrant, sitting under the signature domed glass.
• Always-on display supported — and now actually usable thanks to the Pixel Watch 2's improved battery.
• Domed-glass cover — Wired praises the domed glass + display combination; a Pixel Watch signature.
• Smaller display than later Pixel Watches — the Pixel Watch 3 added 40% more usable screen space on the 45mm.
• Lower peak brightness than the Pixel Watch 3 (2,000 nits) and Pixel Watch 4 (3,000 nits) — adequate but not class-leading.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Super AMOLED with Sapphire Crystal, ~2,000 nits peak brightness. Larger usable display thanks to the thinner bezels. Always-on display supported.

• Larger usable display — the thinner bezels grew the screen while keeping the case compact.
• Super AMOLED with ~2,000 nits peak brightness — bright and readable outdoors.
• Sapphire Crystal protection — premium scratch-resistant glass.
• Always-on display supported — though Wired noted an earlier Galaxy Watch's display 'stubbornly resisting' wake gestures; the Watch 6's raise-to-wake is improved.
• Vibrant, sharp panel — Digital Trends calls Samsung's Galaxy Watch displays 'gorgeous.'

Google Pixel Watch 2

New multi-path optical HR sensor, cEDA continuous stress tracking, skin temperature, ECG, SpO2, Fitbit-powered sleep + readiness. A notable sensor upgrade over the original Pixel Watch.

• New multi-path optical heart-rate sensor — Fitbit's improved HR tech, a meaningful accuracy upgrade over the original Pixel Watch.
• cEDA (continuous electrodermal activity) sensor — powers the Body Response feature for continuous stress tracking.
• Skin temperature sensor — overnight temperature tracking for sleep and cycle insights.
• ECG + SpO2 + Fitbit sleep tracking + Daily Readiness — the full Fitbit health suite on the wrist.
• Best Fitbit health analytics (Daily Readiness, advanced sleep insights) gated behind a Fitbit Premium subscription.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

BioActive sensor — optical HR, ECG, BIA body composition, skin temperature. Sleep tracking with coaching. Comprehensive wellness suite, though HRV accuracy drew a caveat.

• BioActive sensor — optical HR, ECG, BIA body composition, and skin temperature in one sensor array.
• Expanded wellness features — Engadget: 'Samsung focused its efforts on expanding its wellness-centric features.'
• Sleep tracking with sleep coaching — detailed sleep stages plus a multi-week coaching program.
• DC Rainmaker found Samsung's HRV metrics 'far out of alignment' with other wearables on most nights — a sensor-accuracy caveat.
• BIA body composition — on-wrist body-fat and muscle-mass estimates, a Samsung-distinctive feature.

Google Pixel Watch 2

Fitbit-powered workout tracking — heart-rate zones, Active Zone Minutes, pace + distance, auto-detection. Solid for everyday fitness; serious athletes still lean Garmin.

• Fitbit-powered workout tracking — heart-rate zones, Active Zone Minutes, pace, distance, and route mapping.
• Heart-rate-zone coaching — real-time pacing feedback during workouts via the improved HR sensor.
• Automatic workout detection — catches walks, runs, and cycling without manual start.
• Built-in GPS — standalone outdoor activity tracking without the phone.
• 5 ATM water resistance — pool + open-water swim tracking supported.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

100+ workout modes, personalized HR zones, custom workouts, auto-detection. Samsung Health analytics. Solid for everyday fitness; serious athletes still lean Garmin.

• 100+ workout modes — broad activity coverage through Samsung Health.
• Personalized heart-rate zones + custom workouts — tailored training guidance.
• Automatic workout detection — catches walks, runs, and cycling without manual start.
• GPS with GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou — multi-constellation tracking for outdoor activities.
• 5 ATM water resistance — pool + open-water swim tracking supported.

Google Pixel Watch 2

A full 24 hours with the always-on display on — the fix for the original Pixel Watch's defining flaw. Fast charging. Still requires daily charging.

• 24 hours with the always-on display enabled — the headline fix; the original Pixel Watch couldn't reliably last a day with AOD on.
• Android Authority's retrospective on the original Pixel Watch: battery was 'my biggest issue' — the Pixel Watch 2 directly addresses it.
• Snapdragon W5 chip — the efficiency gain that made the 24-hour battery possible.
• Fast charging — a quick top-up before bed enables overnight sleep tracking.
• Still requires daily charging — a real improvement over the original Pixel Watch, but far from Garmin's multi-week endurance.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

300mAh (40mm) / 425mAh (44mm). ~30 hours typical use, slightly improved over the Watch 5. Wireless fast charging. Daily-ish charging required.

• ~30 hours typical use — Engadget notes Samsung 'extended battery life' over the Watch 5, though daily-ish charging remains.
• 425mAh battery (44mm) / 300mAh (40mm) — the larger model lasts noticeably longer.
• Wireless fast charging — Notebookcheck confirms 'wireless charging, fast charging / Quickcharge.'
• Battery still trails Garmin by a wide margin — ~30 hours vs Garmin's multi-week endurance.
• AOD on cuts battery noticeably — AOD off is the way to comfortably reach the full-day rating.

Google Pixel Watch 2

Wear OS with Fitbit integration, Google Assistant, Google Wallet, Google Maps, full Play Store. Tight Pixel-phone integration. Android-only.

• Wear OS — full Play Store, Google Wallet, Google Maps, Spotify; the most complete Wear OS experience at launch.
• Deep Fitbit integration — Fitbit health tracking is the Pixel Watch's analytics backbone.
• Google Assistant on the wrist — voice queries, reminders, smart-home control.
• Tight integration with Pixel phones — the Pixel Watch 2 is best paired with a Pixel, though it works with any Android phone.
• Android-only — no iOS compatibility.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Wear OS 4 + One UI 5 Watch. Samsung Health, Samsung Pay + Google Wallet, Google Play Store. Best inside the Samsung phone ecosystem. Android-only.

• Wear OS 4 + One UI 5 Watch — a complete, polished Wear OS experience with the full Google Play Store.
• Samsung Health — the analytics backbone; some features (BIA, ECG) are tied to a Samsung phone.
• Samsung Pay + Google Wallet — both contactless payment options supported.
• Best inside the Samsung ecosystem — works with any Android phone, but BIA + ECG need a Samsung phone.
• Android-only — no iOS compatibility.

Google Pixel Watch 2

5 ATM (50m) water resistance + IP68 dust/water. Gorilla Glass 5 domed cover (no sapphire). Recycled-aluminum case. Durable for everyday wear.

• 5 ATM (50m static) water resistance + IP68 dust/water rating — pool + open-water swim rated.
• Gorilla Glass 5 domed cover — no sapphire crystal; standard scratch resistance for the price.
• Recycled-aluminum case — durable and light for everyday wear.
• Sealed case — not repairable like the later Pixel Watch 4; a damaged unit means a replacement.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

5 ATM (50m) water resistance + IP68 + MIL-STD-810H. Sapphire Crystal display + aluminum case. Ruggedized for everyday wear.

• 5 ATM + IP68 + MIL-STD-810H — Notebookcheck confirms the full Galaxy Watch durability ratings.
• Sapphire Crystal display protection — premium scratch resistance.
• Aluminum case — durable and lightweight for everyday wear (the Classic uses stainless steel).
• Ruggedized + waterproof — built to take everyday and workout abuse.

Google Pixel Watch 2

Built-in GPS, optional LTE, NFC for Google Wallet, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi. No multi-band GPS, no satellite messaging.

• Built-in GPS — standalone outdoor tracking; single-frequency (multi-band arrived on later Pixel Watches).
• Optional LTE — standalone calls, texts, and music streaming without the phone.
• NFC for Google Wallet — contactless payments.
• Bluetooth 5.0 + Wi-Fi — standard Wear OS connectivity stack.
• No satellite messaging — that arrived on the Pixel Watch 4.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Multi-constellation GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou), optional LTE, NFC for Samsung Pay + Google Wallet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi.

• Multi-constellation GPS — GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou for accurate outdoor tracking.
• Optional LTE — standalone calls, texts, and music streaming without the phone.
• NFC for Samsung Pay + Google Wallet — both contactless options.
• Bluetooth + Wi-Fi — full Wear OS connectivity stack.
• Single-band GPS — accurate for everyday use, but not the multi-band precision of higher-tier sports watches.

Google Pixel Watch 2

$349 launch (41mm). Now superseded by the Pixel Watch 3 + 4 — a strong value if discounted. Competes with the Galaxy Watch and (for iOS) the Apple Watch Series 9.

• $349 launch price (41mm) — standard premium-Android-smartwatch pricing.
• Now superseded by the Pixel Watch 3 (bigger screen) and Pixel Watch 4 (repairable, 3,000 nits) — a strong value if discounted.
• vs Apple Watch Series 9: different platforms — the Pixel Watch 2 is the Android flagship, the Series 9 the iOS one.
• vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: both run Wear OS; Samsung offers more sizes, Pixel offers tighter Fitbit + Pixel-phone integration.
• Best for: Android users (especially Pixel-phone owners) who want the Pixel Watch design with a battery that lasts the day — and find the Pixel Watch 2 discounted now that newer models exist.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

$299 (40mm) / $329 (44mm) launch. Now superseded by the Galaxy Watch 7 + 8 — a strong value if discounted. Competes with the Pixel Watch and (for iOS) the Apple Watch.

• $299 (40mm) / $329 (44mm) launch — Engadget calls it 'a fair price point' for a flagship Wear OS watch.
• Now superseded by the Galaxy Watch 7 + 8 — Digital Trends notes the Watch 7's 'display and specs are similar.' The Watch 6 is a strong value if discounted.
• vs Galaxy Watch 6 Classic: the Classic adds the physical rotating bezel + stainless steel for more money.
• vs Pixel Watch 2: both run Wear OS; Samsung offers more sizes + BIA body composition, Pixel offers tighter Fitbit integration.
• Best for: Samsung phone owners who want a complete Wear OS smartwatch with a great display and full health suite — and find the Watch 6 discounted now that newer models exist.