But was it worth the wait or does the pixel watch fumble like most first gen products, Im currently Miranda with Android authority and in this video Im going to be reviewing the Google pixel watch Music, now weve known what the pixel watch was going to look like For years now, and now that its here its safe to say that the watch looks great, It Sports, a very modern, very Sleek, design, featuring a traditional round watch base and stainless steel construction. The watch comes in a variety of case and band color combinations, but Im particularly drawn to the champagne gold case and hazel color band combination. The watch itself measures in at 41 millimeters, which is definitely smaller than what Im used to and is more on the petite side compared to other watches on the market. Unfortunately, Google doesnt offer a larger size like Apple or Samsung does with its wearables. However, after using the watch for some time, I didnt really end up missing a bigger sized watch on the side of the watch. You have a digital Crown which has a satisfying feel when scrolling and makes it a breeze to navigate Ware OS beside the crown. You will find a back button which I and my fellow reviewer Caitlyn found to be a little hard to reach during testing, especially since the button sits flush with the side of the case. The bands on the pixel watch are, of course, replaceable. However, the mechanism used to hold and swap the straps can be a little frustrating to deal with, especially if you have sausage fingers like me.
Plus the bands are proprietary, meaning that if you want to buy additional bands, you will have to buy the ones designed specifically for the pixel watch, but once youve sorted. All of that out and finally put the watch on your wrist youll find the watch to be lightweight and comfortable at the center of the watch is the display, which is very sharp and gets plenty bright, and thanks to the AMOLED panel, true blacks, help blend the Ui with the bezels, which is great since the bezels on the pixel watch, are quite big, and this is just one of those quirks that make this product feel very first gen more on that later, the display on the watch is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, and I didnt really find myself in situations that would seriously scratch or Nick the watch, and neither did my colleague the watch seems to stand up to normal day to day bumps just fine. Also, you do have the option to have the display always on. However, Id advise against this in order to save on battery life, and why is that? Well its because the battery life on the pixel watch is not good. According to Google, the watch should last you up to 24 hours, and, to that I say the right, but just barely in the first few days it seemed like the watch was just chugging through the battery, but after it had started to learn my usage patterns and After going through all the updates and customization, the battery life started to stabilize, and I usually made it to the end of the day, with around 15 to 20 percent to spare but heres.
The problem that 15 to 20 percent is not enough to take advantage of the watchs powerful sleep tracking capabilities, since the device will be dead by the time you wake up. That being said, if you want to use the watch for sleep tracking, youre gon na need to charge the watch at least twice a day. Fortunately, the watch doesnt take too long to charge and can get you from zero to 100 in just 90 minutes. You know what else doesnt take too long, hitting the Subscribe button and letting us know in the comments what video you want to see next, but anyway, back to the watch as a smart watch, the pixel watch functions pretty well. In fact, its Smartwatch functionality is actually what differentiates the pixel watch from just any other Fitbit wear. Os 3.5 runs smooth on the watch as youd expect, and the interface is really intuitive and easy to navigate from the watch face. You can swipe down to access Quick Settings swipe up to reveal notifications and then swiping, left or right allows you to navigate between different tiles that display a variety of data and can be customized in the Watch app. You can also access the app drawer on your watch by pressing once on the crown holding down the back button summons the Google Assistant, which is really nice to have considering that the feature is missing from more recent fitbits, like the sense 2 and Versa 4.
. Although personally, my favorite feature is being able to quickly pay for things with Google Wallet using my SmartWatch, which is accessible by double pressing on the crown. The watch does support turn by turn navigation via Google maps, which can be handy for some. However, I couldnt really use it since it doesnt support directions for Transit, which is a real drawback now, while its nice to have access to At a Glance info on my wrist, I wish that Google would Implement more features to make using a pixel watch with a Pixel phone, more seamless, for example, wouldnt it be nice if your pixel phone automatically unlocks the watch instead of having to enter a passcode for each device. Also, when I turn on do not disturb on the watch, why doesnt it turn on do not disturb on my phone, its worth, noting that Apple and Samsung have both implemented. These features on their smart phones and wearables. That being said, if Google really wants to create a competitive device ecosystem, then it cant forget about these details, but hey the pixel watch is a first gen product, so hopefully the folks at Google are taking notes for round two. Of course, the pixel watch is not just a smart watch; it is a smart watch with Fitbit as printed on the box. So that begs the question: how does the pixel watch perform as a fitness tracker well were going to answer that question right after we talk about our sponsor curiosity stream.
Curiosity stream is a streaming and on demand service, where viewers of all ages can fuel their passions and explore new ones, get access to thousands of top quality documentaries, TV shows and other non fiction. Titles all for the low price of 19.99 per year, watch anywhere anytime. With instant access to award winning exclusives and original series with curiositystream, you can learn everything from ancient history to space exploration, from the comfort of your own home or while youre on the go with so many titles to choose from covering Society technology, nature, science and lifestyle. Youre bound to find whole new subjects to get curious about click, the link in the description for a full year of curiosity stream for less than some people pay every month for other streaming services. Now, as a fitness tracker, the pixel watch is quite basic, with the star of the show being the always on optical heart rate sensor from our testing. We found it to be quite reliable and on par with other wearables on the market. Thanks to the Fitbit integration, you also have the ability to take an ECG. All you have to do is launch the app follow the prompts stay seated and rest one finger on the digital crown for 30 seconds, while the heart rate sensor is good. For the most part, it does have some quirks. For starters, when I say that the heart rate sensor is always on, I mean always as in.
There is no way to turn off the heart sensor, even when you dont need it, and on top of that, the heart rate sensor will not stop. Even if you take off the watch and place it on the counter, which is a waste of power and the only way to get it to stop, is by putting the watch on charge. Also, the pixel watch doesnt offer high low heart rate notifications, now sure the pixel watch isnt exactly a certified medical device. However, the lack of these notification makes you wonder if the pixel watch is actually the right watch for keeping tabs on your heart health. Now, beyond the heart rate sensor, the GPS on the pixel watch is passable, though not at the level of wearables from Apple or Garmin. Looking at this map of my colleagues neighborhood run, she noticed that the pixel watch was able to trace her out fairly accurately. However, there are instances where the route was slightly off enough to run through some peoples backyards or show her on the wrong side of the road. The pixel watch also allows you to log exercise and manage your Fitness stats with the Fitbit Exercise. App. The app comes with 40 different workouts, ranging from traditional running to more Niche activities like canoeing and, while 40 may seem like a lot. It is worth noting that there are other smart watches with far more workout types and Sport modes to choose from such as the budget friendly, xiaomi Mi band 7.
. The Watch also lacks automatic workout detection, so be sure to set up your watch before beginning your workout. The watch allows you to personalize the data displayed to you, while youre performing your workout, although the default interface should be sufficient for most people, the interface displays color coded heart rate zones, which is a neat visual cue. When you want to see your heart rate zone mid workout, while Fitbit integration with the pixel watch is nice, it does come with one caveat and that is Fitbit premium. The monthly subscription service gives you access to a variety of additional features which well list here up on the screen. However, this does mean you are coughing up an additional 10 a month on top of the 350 dollars you already spent for the watch. Now it wouldnt be so bad if it werent for the fact that Garmin and Withings already offer some of these features for free on its wearables, so its a little bit of a salt in the wound. I must say, thankfully, though, the pixel watch does come with six months of Fitbit premium membership out of the box, but back to the main point at hand, is the Google pixel watch a good Fitness tracker Id say yes, if youre a more casual user? However, if you are looking for a fitness tracker that can provide you with a lot of training and Recovery insights, you may be better suited with a dedicated Fitness tracker from a different ecosystem such as Garmin.
But if you really want to stick to the pixel watch and really want to tap into all of fitbits, advanced tools then be prepared to pay that extra 10 a month for the premium membership. So is the pixel watch a good Smart Watch? Well, my colleague, Caitlyn put it best. The pixel watch is like a film. You cant wait to see because you really loved the book, but even after watching all the teasers and trailers leading up to the release you cant help but feel a little underwhelmed coming out of the theater. The truth is that Googles first Smartwatch is fine, but it is not exempt from the fumbles that come with being a first gen product, its battery life is below par and although its Fitness tracking is fine for casual users, like me, it doesnt have the extensive data Collection abilities that are found in more mature offerings from Apple Samsung, Garmin and even Fitbit, that is, unless youre willing to pay extra per month. On top of the 350 US dollar price tag, but looking at the device purely as a smartwatch, and not just as a fitness tracker, the pixel watch works. Well, it has a nice simple design and the software is clean and intuitive. It is, without a doubt, a good companion to the new pixel 7 and 7 Pro, and I honestly enjoyed my time using both devices. But if you ask me Id recommend that you just hold off until the second gen pixel watch comes around Im.
Sure, Google is taking notes and Im confident that the company will be able to create a sequel that brings the pixel watch to the level of the Apple watch and Samsung Galaxy watch. However, if youre someone who has waited a really long time for the Google pixel watch and really cant wait any longer, then yeah the pixel watch is more than serviceable, but Im curious. What do you guys think of the pixel watch? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Are you gon na buy it? Let us know in the comments down below also thanks again to curiositystream for sponsoring this video Im Harley Miranda with Android authority and Ill see you in the next one.8MtDJIYKfc8
