With some delay, Google is launching its first Pixel Watch. It is attractive and offers many features for Android users. But it also leaves a few wishes unfulfilled and could be a bit cheaper for the hardware used.
It took a long time for Google to come up with its own answer to the Apple Watch, the Pixel Watch. But in order to be able to integrate the necessary fitness and health functions, you first had to buy the specialist Fitbit, explained hardware boss Rick Osterloh “The Verve”. As early as 2019, it was decided to make $ 2.1 billion available for this, but the deal only went through in early 2021.
The fact that the hardware was largely ready earlier can only be seen on the Pixel Watch when a photo is set as the dial. Because then you can see the wide edge that the 1.2-inch AMOLED display has. Another indication is Samsung’s four-year-old Exynos processor 9110, which received a successor a year ago.
That’s not tragic. If you use other dials, the display and edge merge into black and you don’t see the “blemish”. This also applies to almost all apps. The Pixel Watch is an optical treat, with only the crown protruding from the curved Gorilla Glass. The workmanship is excellent, the watch, which weighs 36 grams without the strap, feels round and comfortable. The glass and stainless steel case merge almost seamlessly, and the watch is water-resistant.
The older processor, which can access 2 gigabytes (GB) of RAM, is even less noticeable than the edge, the Pixel Watch makes a brisk impression. Operation is fluid, and apps launch almost instantaneously after they have been loaded for the first time.
The chip should also be economical enough to achieve a runtime of at least 24 hours, according to Google. In the test, the watch lasted about as long if it was rarely used. It gets tighter with intensive use, especially when the always-on display is activated, i.e. the time and other information are always displayed.
The screen itself is very good. With a sufficiently sharp 320 pixels per inch, it delivers strong colors and contrasts and can shine bright enough to be easily read in sunlight. Its size is usually sufficient for reading information and messages or navigating in apps. Typing text on the keyboard is a bit tedious, but it is also possible with larger fingers. However, it is easier to dictate to the assistant, which you call up by long-pressing the flat button above the crown. The speech recognition works excellently.
The Pixel Watch pairs in no time with any Android smartphone running at least Android 8. Google’s own Pixel devices are not preferred. The operation is also uncomplicated, even smartwatch newcomers have internalized it quickly. Pressing the crown opens the app overview, turning it scrolls through lists and menus. Otherwise you always get back to the home screen when you press it. If you press the button above the crown, you get to the last used applications. If you do this twice, the last used app opens directly.
The selection is made using a tap on the touchscreen, which reacts quickly. Swipe to the right or left to go back or forth within applications, and from the home screen you can use the gesture to reach important information or shortcuts, called views. Seven are preset, including weather, fitness data or navigation with Google Maps, and eight more can be added. If you swipe up on the home screen, you go to incoming notifications, in the opposite direction you open the quick settings.
The Pixel Watch’s sensor equipment includes a compass, altimeter, oxygen saturation meter, heart rate monitor (optical), accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor and what is known as a multi-purpose electrical sensor. However, they are not yet fully used by the watch. You have to install a third-party app for the compass, and the oxygen saturation meter will only be activated with a future update. For the LTE models, there will be automatic accident detection in winter, which can trigger an emergency call. Currently you have to press the button of the watch five times.
However, the watch already offers many fitness and health functions. The heart rate monitor works very precisely, and if you want, you can see your current heart rate on the dial. The watch also constantly measures the steps taken quite accurately. If you move too little, you will be reminded of it.
Like the Apple Watch, the Pixel Watch can take a short-term EKG by holding your index finger on the outside of the crown for 30 seconds. The data is stored in the Fitbit app and can be shown to the doctor as a PDF in the event of an irregular heart rhythm. Unfortunately, the Pixel Watch cannot display automatic warnings in the event of abnormalities.
The heart rate is central to training, but the Fitbit app also records time, distances covered or speeds. From kickboxing to Pilates, pretty much everything you can do to keep fit is on offer. Whether it’s a common or more exotic sport, you have to select it before the workout, the Pixel Watch can’t recognize it itself. After all, the last exercise is preselected, so you don’t have to scroll through the long list every time.
As usual, you can set training goals, acquire all kinds of badges and call up a number of evaluations. The Fitbit app initially confuses newcomers with so-called active zone minutes. In principle, a distinction is made between three types of stress depending on the heart rate: fat burning, cardio and maximum performance. There is one active zone minute for one minute of fat burning and two active zone minutes for the other two categories. If you want more evaluations or instructions, you have to buy the Fitbit Premium.
You can have your sleep tracked and evaluated at no extra cost. You can then see, among other things, how much time you have spent in different sleep phases or was awake. The function seems to be quite accurate.
Although GPS is on board, it was not possible to navigate with Google Maps without a connected smartphone in the test. In order to record routes, a connection to the mobile phone is also required. However, you can listen to music without a cell phone, because the Pixel Watch has a lot of space for downloaded songs with 32 GB of flash memory. In the test, this worked without any problems with Spotify even without an activated eSIM.
Everyone has to decide for themselves whether it makes sense to spend more money on the LTE version. Among other things, you can use the watch to make calls without a smartphone, receive messages and e-mails or pay with Google Pay. It is then also possible to navigate with Komoot, but Google Maps refused to work without a smartphone even after the eSIM had been activated in the test – very strange.
In addition to Fitbit, it is mainly Google services that make the Pixel Watch strong. They are all available from the payment service to the calendar and are very well implemented. It’s also nice that you can use the watch as a remote control for the smartphone camera – but then it has to be a pixel. On the other hand, there are still no smartwatch versions of many third-party apps in the Play Store, and Apple Watch users have a much larger selection.
The bottom line is that Google has made a good entry into the smartwatch competition with the Pixel Watch. The design is chic despite the wide bezels, the Fitbit features are pretty extensive, and the sensors are very accurate. It is important that all Google services are available, which is not common with other smartwatches.
However, the endurance of the watch is moderate, there is no automatic training recognition, and the fact that you cannot navigate with Maps without a smartphone despite an activated eSIM is hopefully just a bug that an update can fix. The Pixel Watch is quite expensive at just under 380 or 430 euros (LTE). Maybe it’s better to wait for the second generation.
