Google Pixel Watch review: Not the Apple Watch of Android (yet)

professionals and cons

Execs

• Pretty AMOLED show and primary design
• Easy, refined person expertise
• Fitbit ecosystem nicely supported
• Inexpensive band choices
• Moderately priced

Cons

• Restricted battery life
• Some apps usually are not totally practical
• Questionable sturdiness

The Pixel Watch is Google’s first try at its personal branded smartwatch. It is easy and chic by design, with a sufficiently small footprint to go well with most wrists. The true kicker, although, is the Google-owned Fitbit integration which brings a number of health and well being monitoring options. 

Nonetheless, it’s best to know that the Pixel Watch isn’t going to interchange a Garmin or rugged sports activities look ahead to out of doors actions. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Professional remains to be the higher alternative for that concentrate on viewers. The Pixel Watch can also be not going to fulfill energy customers who need week-long battery life and superior sports activities features. As a substitute, it is striving to be the “go-to” smartwatch for Android customers, very similar to the Apple Watch is for the iPhone.

Extra: The Pixel Watch is a giant deal. However taking over the Apple Watch is an enormous problem | Pixel Watch vs Galaxy Watch 5 Professional

Clearly made by Google

At first look, the Google Pixel Watch seems to be an all-display accent, with the spherical domed Gorilla Glass 5 AMOLED display screen transitioning into the recycled chrome steel casing. The entrance appears beautiful and makes for fairly the style assertion, however I do fear about its potential to resist bumps and bruises in case you bang it on a wall or floor whereas carrying it. There may be nothing to guard that show from affect so I might by no means put on it in a Powerful Mudder occasion or out of doors journey.

The show is fairly small on condition that the watch is barely 41mm in diameter, and the black bezel across the show that everybody had feedback about in the course of the launch may be very a lot current. You do not actually discover the bezel, although, particularly in case you apply a dark-themed watch face, and all of the content material is concentrated on the middle of the show.

Extra: Fitbit’s Sense 2 gave me only a style of the Google Pixel Watch

The appropriate button and rotating crown button work flawlessly and the rotation of the crown is simple with the ridges reduce into the dial. The rounded again with the guts charge sensor suits comfortably on the wrist, too. On the whole, Google curved the Pixel Watch simply sufficient for consolation and usefulness, which producers do not all the time get proper. 

On the Made by Google occasion, I had bother getting the bands on and off the watch, so a little bit of follow is required in case you’re the sort that actively swaps out bands. The hot button is to press the band into that launch button when reattaching it and little or no rotation is required when detaching. Google says the mechanism was impressed by how digicam lenses snap on and off. Like that of a digicam lens, the watch band suits securely as soon as it is buckled into the bottom. I examined the Pixel Watch with the Lively band, however there are woven, leather-based, and steel band choices obtainable, too. 

A well-recognized Put on OS expertise

The Google Pixel Watch has the identical person interface because the latest Fitbit Sense 2 and was designed that can assist you navigate rapidly and simply to key areas of the watch. Fast entry toggles, viewing notifications, and shifting between “Tiles” will be completed with a swipe, and the rotating crown is useful for triggering the app launcher and Google Pockets.

As a Put on OS smartwatch, you may obtain from a bounty of third-party apps and providers by way of the Play retailer. Simply remember that extra Tiles will seem in your carousel as you obtain them, and never all apps have devoted Tiles.

There stays work to be completed, even with Google branded apps, as there are limits to how a lot seem on the watch. For instance, the Google Residence app simply reveals that you’ve got a digicam in an area, however then it’s a must to go to your smartphone to view something streaming from that digicam. On my Apple Watch Extremely, screenshots from the digicam seem when a zone notification is distributed. Too typically the phrases “open on telephone” seem on the Pixel Watch.

The Pixel Watch smartphone software, to not be mistaken with the Google Put on OS app, is used to handle your wearable’s settings. This consists of watch face customization, Tile administration, cell community connectivity, and different settings to personalize the Pixel Watch to your liking.

Extra: Finest smartwatches you should buy

Fitbit written throughout it

The Fitbit integration is integral to the Google Pixel Watch expertise, and the entire features seen within the Fitbit Sense 2 are current, except for EDA scanning and pores and skin temperature sensing. Oxygen saturation can also be presently not being measured, however assist for this needs to be obtainable with a future software program replace.

Lively Zone Minutes, flooring, steps, coronary heart charge, sleep phases, and objectives are all current, so that you get a whole Fitbit expertise by way of the Pixel Watch. GPS can also be built-in into the watch so to monitor out of doors actions and actually have a few primary customized metrics to trace whereas understanding. As I discussed earlier, the captured information isn’t as strong and detailed as, say, a Garmin or Amazfit, but it surely’s adequate sufficient in case you simply need a snapshot abstract.

When working, you may select to see 4 metrics on the show with choices together with distance, elapsed time, coronary heart charge, tempo, elevation, and Lively Zone Minutes. The Pixel Watch serves as a really primary GPS sports activities watch — the identical as different Fitbit wearables — but it surely ought to meet the wants of informal athletes and non-athletes seeking to monitor the fundamentals of their exercises.

Extra: What’s the finest sports activities look ahead to the outside?

Fitbit’s integration is extra evident within the 24/7 information that the Pixel Watch captures and the Fitbit Premium experiences that embrace exercises, wellness studies, and mindfulness classes. The Pixel Watch comes with a free 6-month subscription to Fitbit Premium, however you may must pay the $10 monthly fee afterward.

Usually, it’s good to see stable assist for Fitbit and Google’s host of providers like Assistant and Pockets. Different Pixel Watch software program has room for enchancment, like Google Maps which is restricted to displaying navigations on the related telephone solely. Google Residence performance can also be very primary, with no assist for Google’s cameras and restricted standing states for different units.

Extra: High health trackers for enhancing your well being

Battery life

Google advertises the Pixel Watch’s battery life as 24 hours, with the idea that you do not have the always-on show enabled. In my week’s expertise, I’m seeing about 2% battery drain per hour whereas sleeping, 4% per hour for indoor exercises, and 20% per hour for out of doors GPS/coronary heart charge monitoring. The Pixel Watch clearly doesn’t have the week-long battery we see on Fitbit wearables and even the 2 to three-day endurance we see on the most recent Samsung or Apple watches. To be honest, the Pixel Watch does cost in a short time, however lively battery administration might matter extra in case you’re taking the watch on the go.

Must you think about the Pixel Watch? 

As you think about the Pixel Watch and different watches appropriate with Android smartphones, permit me to supply the next to your consideration. Word the Apple Watch is not included as a result of that requires a change to a different smartphone platform and is not related to this comparability.

You can purchase the Pixel Watch if…

• You need the most recent and biggest tech from Google, particularly in case you personal a Pixel telephone
• You need a Fitbit that provides a real smartwatch expertise, too
• You need a small watch that’s comfy to put on 24/7

You must think about alternate options if…

• You need longer battery life
• Superior exercise metrics are essential to you
• You take part in out of doors adventures and need a watch that may take successful   

Backside line

We now have heard rumors of a Pixel Look ahead to years. Now, Google is able to stake its declare within the wearables market. The Fitbit integration is a key aspect in making the watch extra compelling, however there may be nonetheless work reduce out for Google to simplify the smartwatch expertise. Notably, Google Match, separate from Fitbit’s service, is somewhat horrible. Google ought to as an alternative focus all of its well being and health promoting on Fitbit and think about closing the guide on its branded various. 

The Pixel Watch measurement is nice for individuals with smaller wrists and that makes the watch extra accessible than the bigger, extra intimidating wearables in the marketplace. Since I am within the latter camp that prefers the rugged, bulkier watches, the Pixel Watch will not be staying on my wrist after this overview interval aside from restricted testing. If Google decides to launch a “Professional” variant sooner or later, like Samsung and Apple, with larger endurance and a design that caters to harder environments, then I will think about making the change. 

Alternate options to think about

The Google Pixel Watch isn’t the one Google Put on OS choice obtainable for Android customers, and if you do not need such a small, trendy watch, you could wish to try these choices.