Pixel Watch 5's strength training feature could replace my lifting app - and Gemini logs every rep

I have been a paying subscriber to Strong, the popular strength-training app, for four years, and I assumed I would be forever. The Pixel Watch 5, which I picked up at the Made by Google event on August 12, has me seriously reconsidering that subscription - and after three weeks of head-to-head testing, I'm closer to canceling than I ever thought I'd be. The Pixel Watch 5's built-in strength training feature, powered by the watch's improved motion sensors and Gemini 3.7 Flash running on the paired Pixel 11 Pro, is the first wrist-based lifting tracker I've used that genuinely rivals a dedicated app, and in some ways it's better. The setup is simple: open the Fitbit app on the watch, select Strength, choose or auto-detect your exercise, and start lifting. The watch uses its accelerometer and gyroscope to detect rep counts, estimates your form quality, and tracks rest intervals - all without your phone nearby, which is the feature that finally makes it a credible Strong replacement. In my testing across twelve workouts covering deadlifts, squats, bench press, rows, and a smattering of accessory work, the Pixel Watch 5's rep detection was accurate within one rep on compound lifts and essentially perfect on isolation movements - comparable to Strong's manual entry, which I'd been doing religiously for years. Where the Pixel Watch 5 pulls ahead is the Gemini integration. After each workout, Gemini 3.7 Flash on the Pixel 11 Pro analyzes the session - exercise selection, rep ranges, rest times, heart rate zones - and produces a brief insight: this week you favored pushing movements over pulling, your rest intervals crept up 15% on deadlifts, your heart rate on the final squat set suggests you could increase weight next session. These insights are genuinely useful, not the generic platitudes most fitness apps generate, and they've already changed how I program my workouts. The watch's GPS, which beats the Apple Watch Ultra 3 in city environments, also means outdoor runs between lifting sessions are tracked with the same precision. The trade-off: the Fitbit app's exercise library is smaller than Strong's, custom exercise creation is clunkier, and there's no web app for reviewing progress on a big screen. But for $399 with no subscription fee, the Pixel Watch 5 delivers 85% of Strong's functionality plus Gemini-powered insights that Strong simply can't match. In 2026, the best lifting app might be the watch on your wrist.