Alongside the Google Pixel 7 series, Google also introduced its first-ever smartwatch — the Google Pixel Watch. It’s been shrouded in controversy ever since its first unveiling thanks to rumors of outdated hardware, a large bezel, and potentially poor battery life. We got to play with it at the company’s launch event in New York City, and I have to admit that I’m a bit of a believer now.
While we can’t talk about a lot of details just yet, we got to play with these devices for a little bit, and we already have some thoughts.
Google Pixel Watch: Pricing & Availability
The Pixel Watch is available in one size only, but buyers can choose between Bluetooth/Wi-Fi and LTE variants. The Bluetooth/Wi-Fi model will retail for $349.99, while the LTE version will set you back $399.99.
- The Pixel Watch is Google's first Wear OS smartwatch featuring a unique design and support for a host of fitness tracking features.
The Pixel Watch is available for pre-order starting today, with the open sale to commence on October 13. If you’re in the market for a new smartwatch and would like to give the Pixel Watch a chance, you can pre-order it by following the link above. You can also check out other deals on the Pixel Watch.
Google Pixel Watch: Specifications
| Specification | Pixel Watch |
|---|---|
| Material & Size |
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| Dimensions & Weight |
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| Display | 1.2-inch AMOLED display |
| Processor | Exynos 9110 |
| RAM & Storage |
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| Battery & Charging |
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| Durability | 5ATM water resistance |
| Sensors |
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| OS | Wear OS 3.5 |
| Colors |
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About this hands-on: Google invited us to the Google Pixel 7 series launch event in New York. While the company provided us exclusive access alongside other media persons to devices, the company had no input into the contents of this article.
Google Pixel Watch: Design
The Google Pixel Watch is pebble-shaped with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 coating the top, and it’s probably the prettiest smartwatch currently available on the market. It’s visually stunning, and, maybe a controversial take, but I don’t really care about the bezel all that much. Black backgrounds throughout Wear OS 3 do a great job at hiding it, though it’s noticeable when the background isn’t black. I will have to say this, the Pixel Watch looks so much better in person — the leaked renders and the official marketing do not do complete justice to how great it looks.
As for any additional watch bands, there isn’t a whole lot that you can get at the moment. Google had one of the premium metal bands available (which looked really good), but I was surprised to learn that they weren’t going to be available until spring. I figured that we already had the technology for metal bands, but I guess that’s not the case when it comes to Google. For what it’s worth, these are proprietary metal bands that only Google will support, so maybe that’s related. It is indeed a bummer that we cannot tap into the already existing standard strap ecosystem with this Watch.
I also like the mature and polished approach that the Pixel Watch exudes, despite being a first-generation product. It’s aiming to be a good watch first: something small and discrete that gets the job done without attracting unnecessary attention to itself through a large body or an unconventional or rugged design. It’s something you can pair with a blazer and still maintain your look. But that does mean you lose out on some of the benefits that come along with those approaches. We’ll have to assess if the Pixel Watch maintains a happy medium.
The Google Pixel Watch is really exciting
I’m really excited about the Google Pixel Watch and, as a whole, the Google ecosystem. Fitbit integration makes this a fantastic product for a layperson, and Apple is really the only competitor in this space for people who just want to exercise casually for health rather than to compete. Other devices have a big focus on workouts or adventure, but it seems that the Pixel Watch is a lot more down-to-earth in that regard.
What’s especially interesting as well is that, unlike other devices, Google’s Pixel ecosystem is still quite open. Take the Apple Watch for example — it only really works with Apple devices, and if you switch to Android, you’re in a bad spot where you can’t use your watch anymore. However, if you get a new Android phone and move away from a Pixel, you can still use your Pixel Watch as normal. I’m a big fan of this, as it feels more like an Android ecosystem product than a Google ecosystem product. Even Samsung has this weird tie-in for its Galaxy Watches, which requires a Galaxy smartphone to access the full gamut of features, essentially locking you down to that ecosystem unless you are willing to lose out on some features. With the Pixel Watch, Google is targeting all of Android rather than a subset within, and it is refreshing.
I’m especially interested to see how things shape up with Google as it introduces more devices. We have a pretty great pair of earphones in the Pixel Buds Pro, we have a decent watch by the looks of things, we have an upcoming tablet, and we have the company’s phones, too. It’s pretty interesting and puts up a decent fight against even the likes of Samsung. Are these products as good as Samsung’s? The jury is still out, but even if they’re not as good in this generation, that doesn’t mean they won’t be in the future.
The post Google Pixel Watch hands-on: It looks so much better in person appeared first on XDA.
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