Pixel Watch review: Google and Fitbit’s imperfect marriage

Years. A few of us within the business have been ready near ten years for the long-rumored Pixel Watch. Now that it’s right here, expectations are naturally excessive. In any case, Google had all that point to finetune its first smartwatch, and everybody’s been anxious to see if this may very well be the product that rivals the Apple Watch. The Pixel Watch doesn’t simply have an attention-grabbing design, however the software program additionally appears promising. Put on OS has been a multitude, however by collaborating with Samsung and eventually integrating Fitbit’s health-tracking options, Google might have lastly addressed its best weaknesses.

Design

Of all of the issues in regards to the Pixel Watch, Google was most eager to show off its design. And rightly so. The Pixel Watch’s case is a factor of magnificence. In photos, it’s nearly nondescript — only a plain spherical face with what seem like thick bezels. In individual, although, the Pixel Watch catches mild at some angles in a method that makes it look elegant and, pardon the cliché, like jewellery.

Extra importantly, for an individual who’s into tactile sensations like me, the Pixel Watch simply feels so good. I really like flipping it time and again in my palm prefer it’s a clean, shiny pebble, however I additionally simply take pleasure in stroking the display. There’s one thing in regards to the domed form and shiny end of the display that makes swiping throughout the interface really feel luxurious.

On the suitable edge sits a dial that nearly twinkles within the solar, together with a button above it that pulls up latest apps. In my few days with the Pixel Watch, I’ve used this latter button precisely as soon as. I don’t know if it’s the position or that I haven’t wanted to drag up latest apps a lot, however the one time I pressed this was to verify it was there once I was penning this a part of the evaluate. It requires extra drive to depress than its counterpart on the Apple Watch, which sits beneath the Digital Crown and is extra apparent. I not often used Apple’s button, too, so this isn’t a ding on Google.

In contrast to most different Android watches, the Pixel Watch doesn’t have lugs. As an alternative, straps connect on to the case through a mechanism that Google describes as just like the lens locking system on DSLR cameras. To attach a band, you push one finish of it right into a button on the backside to the groove and slide it in.

To take away, you push the catch on the aspect and twist it off. It took a little bit of getting used to and I nonetheless can’t say I’ve nailed the method, however I additionally haven’t swapped bands but. I’m certain every time I obtain completely different straps, just like the beautiful steel mesh or the cozy stretch possibility, that I’ll be performing this variation loads.

I’m fairly impressed by the bands that Google has made. Certain, they’re mainly variations of choices that Apple presents, just like the Milanese loop or solo loop. However paired with Google’s spherical case, these appear like standard watches and wouldn’t appear misplaced at formal, fashion-forward occasions.

The fundamental sport strap that I acquired with my evaluate unit makes use of a peg-and-hole closure system that doesn’t supply match for me, sadly. I both felt just like the watch was too free or that the case was strapped too oppressively on my wrist. That is a straightforward downside to repair, not less than, by getting a unique strap. However I’d have to purchase one in every of Google’s personal choices due to the proprietary attachment system, they usually begin at $50 for the Energetic band. The stretch band that I like costs $60, and all the pieces else is not less than $80.

Whereas the 41mm case sits properly on my comparatively petite wrist, I want Google had made a bigger model. I feel the Pixel Watch seems to be good on most arms, however there are individuals who want an even bigger display. Relating to one thing as private as a wearable, one measurement doesn’t match all.

Put on OS 3.5

Whereas it looks like Google might have just about nailed the {hardware}, one of many largest issues plaguing Put on OS watches prior to now was their namesake — Put on OS. Google’s software program was criticized for all the pieces from its overly swipe-heavy navigation to being too primary. It additionally was very power-hungry, regardless of not working lots of background well being monitoring. Put on OS watches notoriously delivered day-long battery life at greatest, whereas the competitors pushed nicely previous 24 hours and into multi-day runtimes.

When the corporate teamed up with Samsung to co-engineer Put on OS 3 final 12 months, it was in a position to deliver efficiency and energy consumption enhancements. That laid the groundwork for it so as to add a extra strong well being and exercise monitoring system with Fitbit, which it accomplished its buy of in January final 12 months.

The result’s Put on OS 3.5 — Google’s personal expression of its smartwatch software program. This interface could be very acquainted in some ways. It’s not an enormous departure from the Tizen-esque platform that we noticed on the Galaxy Watch 5. You may obtain music to stream offline from the Pixel Watch, get flip by flip Maps instructions, remotely management your digicam and ask the Assistant to set timers or inform you the climate. You may as well management your Google Dwelling units out of your wrist. The principle variations are Google’s new watch faces and the Fitbit integrations.

I want the Fitbit options have been higher meshed into Put on OS. It seems like a missed alternative, or some kind of reluctance to surrender the Fitbit brand and branding. The method of launching a exercise session on the Pixel Watch isn’t that completely different from Samsung and Apple watches. You continue to have to enter their respective apps to start out the exercise, although on the Pixel Watch that is known as “Fitbit Train”. If you wish to see your progress, you possibly can go into Health on Apple’s watches or Samsung Well being. On the Pixel Watch, it’s “Fitbit In the present day.” The excellence is in your face — for Fitbit followers this is likely to be acquainted and welcome. For these anticipating a pure Google expertise, it may be jarring.

Whereas the fixed presence of Fitbit branding all through the system makes the health and well being monitoring options really feel disjointed, it was good to see Put on OS lastly ship stand reminders. As of December 2020, Wear OS fans on Reddit nonetheless needed to search for third-party apps to ship the alerts that got here baked into watchOS and Tizen. Throughout my testing, the Pixel Watch and the Apple Watch Extremely usually jogged my memory at the very same time that I wanted to get off my butt and stroll round to satisfy my motion objectives.

It was additionally good to see issues that Fitbit units by no means had, like notifications for messages from mainly any app in your cellphone, in addition to the power to answer to messages utilizing a keyboard, dictation, emojis or prompt responses.

Google didn’t simply embed Fitbit options into Put on OS, it additionally added new watch faces, a few of that are acquainted as a result of they’re fairly just like Apple’s. As a narcissist, my favourite is the Photographs possibility, which helps you to choose as much as 30 photos from Google Photographs to set as your background. You may then select a clock model and set a single complication. Simply as you’d should on watchOS, you’ll want to make use of your cellphone to pick the photographs to your wallpaper.

I additionally benefit from the complication-heavy faces, like Utility and Index, which allow you to mainly encompass the clock with as much as 5 fields. As a result of most of those use a black background, they have a tendency to mix properly into the bezel, making the borders appear invisible. However the Photographs face makes the thick edges painfully apparent. One of many photos I picked is so cramped that the highest of my buddies’ faces are reduce off and we glance additional squished collectively. In contrast to the Apple Watch, the Pixel doesn’t allow you to transfer and scale your photos.

Since I principally use a non-Photographs face, the thick bezels don’t trouble me an excessive amount of. Each bit of data I need to see is simple to learn, and the colourful textual content on black background is nice for readability. I typically want fonts have been larger or thicker, however by and enormous I didn’t have bother.

Google likes to take potshots at Apple for copying its concepts like crash detection and always-on show, however is comfortable to imitate watchOS options itself. The brand new watch faces with issues on them are ripped proper off an Apple Watch, whereas the side-swiping navigation is mainly Samsung’s Tizen interface. There’s nothing flawed with incorporating nice concepts into your product — simply don’t be a pot calling the kettle black.

That mentioned, organising your Pixel Watch and monitoring your information by your cellphone is similar to the expertise on Samsung and Apple units. On all three, you may have a separate app to do issues like customise watch faces, set up the order of your tiles and select which apps can ship notifications to your wrist. To view your train or sleep information, you’d have to enter every firm’s respective Well being app (or within the Pixel Watch’s case, Fitbit). These are all fairly typical, apart from Google’s app not being named Google Well being.