Last Updated on April 17, 2025 by Michael Motha
Put on OS Weekly
My weekly column focuses on the state of Put on OS, from new developments and updates to the newest apps and options we need to spotlight.
Google says that its Put on OS 5.1 replace makes the Pixel Watch 3 and former fashions significantly better at dealing with “difficult” step depend monitoring, like pushing a stroller or buying cart. I put this new system to the check.
Google’s Put on OS 5.1 neighborhood submit states that the “improved algorithm ensures your steps are counted with distinctive accuracy” in eventualities the place you are not freely swinging your wrist with every step, comparable to strolling with climbing poles or holding a telephone. That may be a problem for any smartwatch.
My Pixel Watch 3 didn’t receive the update for a month, however after the Pixel Watch workforce manually added mine to their replace record, I took it out for some monotonous step assessments. I rolled a cart by every grocery retailer aisle, hiked a path with trekking poles, and took my dad’s walker round the home — all whereas counting each precise step to match.
Then I closed issues off by conducting a simple strolling check utilizing my Garmin Fenix 8, as Garmin is nearly at all times the most accurate brand for step count. Listed here are the outcomes!
How nicely the brand new Pixel Watch 3 step depend algorithm works
In previous checks, my Fitbit or Pixel Watch fashions weren’t particularly correct for step depend, usually falling wanting the mark. So, apart from “difficult” eventualities, I needed to see if this new algorithm would catch regular steps, too.
Since many individuals purpose to walk 10,000 steps a day, I used the Pixel Watch 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 to trace 10,000 steps, tapping my easy counting app each 10 steps till I reached the 1,000 mark. I held the telephone on my Garmin facet to ensure the Pixel Watch 3 would swing naturally.
The Pixel Watch 3 ended at 9,896 (104 steps quick), whereas the Garmin Fenix 8 ended at 10,050 (50 steps further). Garmin carried out higher, as I anticipated, although frankly, it normally does a bit of higher than that.
Whereas the Pixel Watch 3 misplaced the step-count battle, my previous Pixel Watch 2 and Fitbit Sense 2 assessments have ranged from 200–300 steps off throughout 5,000 steps. Proportionally, the accuracy hole is not as extensive because it as soon as was, which you’ll probably attribute to the algorithm change.
In one other check, I walked 8,000 steps whereas holding a trekking pole on the identical facet as my Pixel Watch 3. Since you take 4–6 steps for each single movement of the strolling stick, it is simple for the step depend to fall nicely quick. I used to be curious if the algorithm may repair that.
I ended up measuring 7,857, or 143 steps quick. Funnily sufficient, as an alternative of the same old auto-detected stroll exercise, it requested me if I used to be utilizing an elliptical close to the top of the stroll, due to the constant rounded movement of my arm.
Whereas the outcomes had been barely much less correct than unimpeded strolling, I did discover that I used to be 90 steps quick after 2,000 steps, however then solely misplaced 50 steps for the remaining 6,000. I’m wondering if the Watch received higher at determining my strolling sample over time. In the meantime, my Garmin watch inflated my step depend to about 8,300, which I attribute to holding my telephone in that hand. Nonetheless, not one of the best outcome!
As for strolling with a buying cart, I had a bit of little bit of hassle conserving actual depend of my steps whereas taking a look at deal costs and stepping round different clients. However what I can inform you is that the Pixel Watch 3 was both dead-on at counting my steps… or could not detect them.
Mime strolling with a buying cart, and you will see the issue. When you transfer ahead usually, your wrists will not bend, and your arms keep mounted; there’s nothing for the algorithm to work with. So I would stroll 100 steps, look down, and see that each Fitbit and Garmin had solely caught a few dozen steps, or none in any respect.
Nevertheless, once I elevated my tempo, strolling up and down the aisles with out slowing, each watches may detect my rolling gait extra simply. After 200 steps, the Watch 3 ended up with nearly precisely that quantity added.
|
Take a look at |
Google Pixel Watch 3 |
Garmin Fenix 8 |
|---|---|---|
|
Regular strolling (10,000 steps) |
9,896 (-104) |
10,050 (+50) |
|
Trekking poles (8,000 steps) |
7,857 (-143) |
8,300 (+300) |
|
Grocery cart (about 1,200 steps) |
742 |
745 |
In the end, the Pixel Watch 3 and Fenix 8 measured 742 and 745 steps, respectively. My precise depend was a minimum of a pair hundred steps greater, however I simply appreciated that they caught something in any respect. With different manufacturers, you could solely get just a few hundred steps complete after spending an hour within the retailer.
A step in the suitable route
The brand new Put on OS 5.1 algorithm additionally contains higher wheelchair monitoring and stroller monitoring, although I could not check both.
My guess is that stroller and buying cart monitoring will likely be fairly related: When you drift alongside slowly, the Watch 3 will not catch your motion, however stroll quick and there will be sufficient refined vertical movement for the algorithm to catch.
As for wheelchair pushes, that is a big and constant movement — like strolling with a trekking pole — so I would assume the Watch 3 will catch most of them, even when it falls barely quick.
I felt awkward testing my dad’s walker for greater than a few minutes — it felt an excessive amount of like I used to be feigning a incapacity — however in that point, the Watch 3 had no hassle recognizing my steps. It won’t do as nicely if in case you have a shuffling gait, nonetheless.
General, even when I would not say the Pixel Watch 3 fairly lives as much as the “distinctive accuracy” declare in Google’s weblog submit, it does decently in eventualities the place different smartwatches would wrestle to register steps, together with Garmin. And I definitely respect the trouble!
