Google’s new Pixel Watch is the company’s first smartwatch, but it’s also possibly the highest-end Fitbit tracker to date. The company unveiled the Pixel Watch during an event on Thursday, cementing its expansion into the mobile device market, alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones.
The announcement comes after Google teased the Pixel Watch in May during its I/O developer conference. While Google previously revealed what the watch would look like and offered a preview of its software, it saved many of the basic details about pricing, design and functionality for Thursday’s unveiling.
Aside from making the Wear OS smartwatch software used by Samsung, Fossil and Michael Kors, Google has been largely absent from the smartwatch market. The company also owns Fitbit, which it acquired in 2021. The $350 (£339, AU$549) Pixel Watch, however, is the first smartwatch to be positioned as a Google device under its brand Pixel badge. It comes as the company has been making a renewed push in hardware to establish itself as a household name alongside Apple and Samsung in the mobile device market.
Go straight to the source of your Google Pixel Watch preorder. Prices start at $350 and the devices will start shipping on October 13.
Read our Pixel Watch for the first time.
The Pixel Watch has a sleek design that separates it from most Android-compatible smartwatches available in the market. But seven years after the launch of the original Apple Watch, it has a lot of catching up to do from an industry-wide perspective. Apple leads the smartwatch space with 29% of the global market as of Q2 2022, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung is the leader when it comes to Android-compatible smartwatches with 9% of the market, which is well behind Apple.
With its sharp looks and Fitbit’s health metrics, the Pixel Watch already looks like a promising option for Android device owners. But I could also see how the Pixel Watch could complicate how Fitbit’s own smartwatches fit into Google’s product line. The company says the Pixel Watch is for those who want Fitbit’s health tracking along with additional smartwatch features that Fitbit devices don’t have, such as optional LTE connectivity and Google Play Store apps.
The $300 Fitbit Sense 2, on the other hand, includes additional health and wellness capabilities, such as skin temperature measurements and the ability to detect potential signs of stress. If the Pixel Watch becomes a success it could be an indicator of what consumers value most in a smartwatch.
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Pixel Watch may be the best looking smartwatch yet
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Google said in May that it’s positioning the Pixel Watch as a premium smartwatch, and that focus shows in its aesthetics. The Pixel Watch has a circular domed glass design with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and a stainless steel casing that makes it look more like a regular wristwatch than most smartwatches I’ve seen.
The watch is water resistant up to 5 ATM, which means it should be able to withstand pressure equal to a depth of 50 meters. It also features an always-on display that can show the time and other information when the screen is idle, just like Apple’s flagship watches and Fitbit’s smartwatches. It will be available in four finish options: matte black with an obsidian active band, polished silver with a charcoal active band, polished silver with a chalk active band, or champagne gold with a hazelnut active band.
There will also be a variety of band styles to choose from, ranging from lightweight sports bands to breathable woven bands designed for sleep tracking to more formal leather and metal mesh options. The elastic band is surprisingly light and soft, and I could see how it would be ideal to wear to bed. It almost feels like wearing a scrunchie on your wrist.
Changing bands is relatively simple; it requires pressing a button where the band connects to the housing and then sliding the band in the same direction. It took me a couple of tries to get the hang of it, but it’s easy once you get the hang of it.
At first glance, the Pixel Watch looks like the Apple Watch’s closest competitor in terms of design, except it’s round instead of square. As a longtime Apple Watch wearer, the Pixel Watch’s use of premium materials and the look and feel of its straps gave me a bit of deja vu, but in a good way. There’s also a crown on the side of the watch that doubles as a button and scroll wheel, much like the digital crown on the Apple Watch. But the Pixel Watch’s domed glass gives it a distinguished look that sets it apart from most wearables, even the Apple Watch and high-end hybrid watches like the Withings ScanWatch Horizon.
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That said, I also noticed that the bezels that frame the display are a bit wide, although they blend in perfectly with the rest of the watch. The watch itself is also quite wide, but I’ll have to spend more time with it before I know if these factors affect the overall experience.
The Pixel Watch software is a combination of Google and Fitbit
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The Pixel Watch runs Google’s Wear OS 3.5 software and inherits some of Fitbit’s health features. In the short time I’ve had to see the Pixel Watch in person, the software looks a lot like the newly redesigned interface on the Fitbit Sense 2. It also feels fast and snappy. Compared to the Sense 2, I felt like I was sliding through the OS, while there’s sometimes a pause before launching apps on the Fitbit Sense 2.
Similar to the Sense 2, the Pixel Watch has tabs to display activity data, heart rate, the weather, exercise shortcuts, and other bits of information. Pressing the crown on the Pixel Watch takes you to your apps, just as pressing the side button on the Sense 2 opens the app list. You’ll also get Fitbit-specific metrics like Active Zone Minutes, which give you extra credit based on how high your heart rate is while exercising, and a daily readiness score.
But the software doesn’t seem to be exactly the same. Google is positioning the Pixel Watch as a full-featured smartwatch, so it includes some extras like smart home controls, access to the Google Play Store from your wrist, and optional LTE connectivity (all and that the mobile version of the watch will cost a little more). to $400). Emergency SOS, international emergency calls and mobile payments via Google Wallet will also be available, and the watch also includes a compass for navigation. From what I’ve seen, the Pixel Watch’s performance also seems faster than the Sense 2, though I’ll have to spend some time with the Pixel Watch to know for sure.
Watch faces also look like a much bigger deal on the Pixel Watch; there are 18 styles that Google says are highly customizable. For example, you can change the color of the face and dials and add complications. Again, this should all sound familiar to anyone who has used an Apple Watch.
Pixel Watch has Fitbit health tracking
From a health tracking perspective, you could almost think of the Pixel Watch as a very nice Fitbit smartwatch. All of your health data will be in the Fitbit app (though Google says it will continue to support Google Fit, too). You can add the Pixel Watch to your Fitbit app just like any other Fitbit device. This means that in addition to training and activity tracking, you’ll get Fitbit-specific metrics like your fitness score and sleep score. The Pixel Watch will also come with six months of free Fitbit Premium, Fitbit’s $10 monthly subscription that provides access to additional health metrics and training programs.
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