PIXEL WATCH REVIEW
Smartwatches. Not really a watch, nor that smart.
I’ve never wanted a computer on the wrist. Ok, that’s not true. I haven’t wanted a computer on my wrist in any of the existing incarnations. Apple Watch being a case in point. Whilst it’s not ugly, it’s not a classy timepiece, is generic (read common) and equates much more to a wrist computer (Apple WC?). Square watches do exist but they look more like tiny clocks, not watches. If I was going to put something on my wrist called a smart watch, I’d like it to be circular. And that’s what Google did ages ago.
I tried a Fossil Sport series 4 ages ago. It was light. Made of plastic. It lasted a couple of years. Not that it broke, I just got fed up of the battery draining when it shouldn’t, the interface being slow and the notifications became annoying. So I went back to a proper watch.
One that has a battery measured in years, not hours.
But then the Pixel Watch was teased. Teased some more. And some more. And it looked good. Here was a ‘Smartwatch’ I wouldn’t mind having on my wrist. It looked great in the pictures. And Google decided to offer them for free with a purchase of a Pixel 7 Pro. So I thought let’s give it a go, see if they are any smarter. Less annoying.
Here are my thoughts.
Physical impressions.
It has a heft that the Fossil Sport didn’t. It’s got metal in it. So it’s bound to be. But I didn’t expect it. It feels good. Smooth. They’ve taken a leaf out of the Apple Watch screen and gone with the glossy display. And it works. Interactions are smooth and responsive. I’m not getting frustrated when tapping and swiping.
The band it came with is comfortable. I haven’t tried swapping it out yet and new ones are expensive. The watch sits nicely on the wrist and doesn’t interfere with shirts and long sleeves. That domed case and fairly low profile really help with that.
The digital crown is nice and clicky and the haptics on rotate really make it feel like it’s clicking. In fact the haptics are down right impressive.
Visual impressions
It’s a sleek, pretty wrist computer that isn’t gregarious, large or ostentatious. It looks like a watch. Mostly. The high gloss screen make it obvious it isn’t a normal watch and whereas the Samsung watches really lean into the Casio styling, this is more elegant.
Because it’s fairly plain, like the Apple watch, additional bands are probably the thing to do to jazz it up.
Aural impressions
There’s not much to say really. I don’t particularly want my wrist to be beeping, chirping and playing noises much. Phone calls over the watch seem usable, but it’s not an activity I want to do regularly. And I’d rather notifications were using the haptics over sounds. But the sounds it does use are clear and pleasant.
Software
The way that WearOS worked has never really been an issue for me. It was always how long it took to work. Thankfully, that’s not the case here. The watch is zippy, smooth and lag free. In all honesty, I don’t want to be pecking and tapping on a tiny screen. A quick glance at the time or a notification is all I need.
Other than the watch faces, notifications and knowing I’ve got a phone call, I wasn’t looking to get much more out of a smart watch. However, I am now currently obsessed with sleep tracking. This is something I never had and didn’t know I needed until now. The fitbit integration that enables it seems ok, if a little slow to sync if you’re impatient. I’m using the free 6 months, but I’ve set a reminder to cancel in 5 months time.
The constant heart rate monitoring is good. Complaints of it wearing down the battery aren’t a concern to me.
Battery
Speaking of battery life. What’s the point of having a watch if you can’t tell the time, at all times. My always on display is always on. I’m using the Pilot watch face. A classic display.
This will use more power, not as much as some have made out I don’t think, and I haven’t found it be a problem.
Over the past week I have worked out a routine that works for me and hasn’t drained the battery once.
- Put the watch on in the morning.
- Wear it all day.
- Switch on sleep mode at night.
- Wake up and put it on charge whilst I get ready.
- Take the watch off fullly charged and start again.
I typically go to bed with around 47% charge left. And wake up with 25-30% charge.
As I’m not doing workouts, other than the constant heart rate monitoring and some notifcations, it’s mostly used as a watch, so the battery size isn’t an issue. It works for me and how I use a smartwach. Which isn’t a great deal.
Conclusions
This is an really good first attempt at a very good price (read free).
Would I buy one? Probably not. Have I found things I didn’t know I wanted. Yes. Would I want more bells and whistles and apps and integrations? No.
This hasn’t changed my opinion on Smartwatches. They’re not really essential for me at the minute. But if you want these things; calls, sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring and notifications, in a very nice looking case and use Android. This is the Smartwatch to buy.