3 Reasons to Buy Google Pixel Watch and 4 Reasons to Not?

The first smartwatch from Google and it’s not perfect even after acquiring Fitbit. So let’s see some of the reasons to buy a Google Pixel Watch and reasons to not but before that, here is the price of the Pixel Watch.

Google Pixel Watch Price

Pixel Watch is priced at $349.99 for Bluetooth/Wi-Fi version while the 4G LTE version is available at $399.99. The watch is available in Matte Black, Polished Silver, and Champagne Gold color options.

Reasons to Buy Google Pixel Watch

The watch is not perfect but it does have some exclusive features that might attract you to Pixel Watch from Fitbit Integration and solid software. So let’s see some of the reasons to buy a Pixel Watch.

WearOS with Fitbit Magic

Google owns the Fitbit and it makes more sense to integrate the Fitbit tech and that’s what Google has done with the newly launched Pixel Watch.

The Watch runs on WearOS 3.5, in short, the software is from Google which means, you can install almost all the Google apps and some third-party apps too.

The magic happens when you see, the Fitbit App.

When you first set up the Pixel watch, it will tell you to download the Fitbit app and not the Google Fit app. If you want, you can also use the Google Fit app and Fitbit app at the same time to see the heart rate data and even sleep data.

Or you can use only the Fitbit app and that’s what Google Recommends.

I have never used an Android smartwatch that looks and feels as smooth as Pixel Watch, it’s even better than Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro when it comes to the software side of things.

Overall, you’re getting a solid combination of software and tech.

Healthy Data

Fitbit was always focused on the fitness side of things and the same has been added to the Pixel Watch. You will get accurate health data compared to any other Android smartwatch, that’s the statement…

Now, as this is 1st smartwatch from Google, they did mess up with one thing which we will talk about in movement.

The Pixel watch has also sensors from Accelerometer, gyro, heart rate, altimeter, compass, and ECG. All the sensor works great and provides close to accurate data, especially the heart rate sensor.

Fast Charging

WearOS is a heavy software and it has its cons and to deal with that Google has added fast charging which will help a lot, I mean, a lot…

It will take 15 minutes to charge from 10% to 40% while 0% to 100% will only take 1 hour.

This might not seem too fast when we compared it with smartphones but its sufficient enough for 1st generation smartwatch.

Reasons to Not Buy Google Pixel Watch

Now that you know the reasons to buy Pixel Watch, it makes more sense to know the reasons to not buy it, so let’s talk about it…

Battery Life

You know how Google messed up with one thing, that was battery life…

When we buy a smartwatch, we will use almost all the feature and that’s why it is called a smartwatch.

So if you use all the features from heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and even Bluetooth calling then expect the battery life to be around 18 hours.

Not even 24 hours battery as Google has promised. In short, you will have to charge the smartwatch in the morning and again in the afternoon, if you want to wear the watch all night.

Now, if you want the battery to last for 24 hours then just use Smartwatch as Watch to see time and you will get more than 24 hours of battery.

So yes, battery life is pathetic in Google Pixel Watch and the fact is, Google has only launched a 40mm variant, no other variant is available.

By the way, Google Pixel Watch has a 294mAh battery, now the battery life is not small because the watch is also small.

Design

Why I’m talking about design, it looks amazing but the thing is,

Google is marketing this watch as a fitness watch and people do all kinds of exercise whether it’s running, hiking, and or even swimming.

The problem with the design is, the watch has a curved display which will stretch very easily if you use it for hiking or even if you’re wearing it while cleaning a home.

In short, it’s a solid smartwatch for office use but it’s not the best option for rough exercise.

Price

I thought Google will be competitive because we have tons of better smartwatches when we go above the $300 price mark, so yes, the Pixel watch is pricey, no doubt about that…

For comparison,

The Galaxy Watch 5 (review) starts at $279 while Apple Watch 8 starts at $399.

Galaxy Watch 5 also runs on WearOS and Samsung has added a few extra features on top as they’re using OneUI on top of WearOS.

While Apple Watch 8 is the best watch for iPhones and still, it starts at $399.

The pricing of the Pixel Watch is not good at all.

Display

The Google Pixel Watch comes with a 1.20-inches AMOLED display with a resolution of 450 x 450 pixels and a pick brightness of 1000 nits.

Now, you already know that it has big bezels, I mean, you can’t ignore it but as Google has used a black UI, you won’t notice it in day-to-day usage unless and until you choose to use a brighter wallpaper or theme.

Personally, I hate those bezels, I have paid $349,99 and yet, I have to compromise in design. Again, the design depends on a user by user, so if you’re someone who don’t care about it then you will love the design or even the display.

I know this is the first smartwatch from Google but they have acquired the Fitbit while it’s not like Pixel Watch is the first smartwatch in the world, we have Apple Watches, Galaxy Watches, and many others.

So they should have just bought some of the watches to get an idea, of how other brands are making smartwatches.

They can’t just get away because this is their first smartwatch, so why not make a good one?

Verdict

Google Pixel Watch has solid software, well-integrated Fitbit tech, and faster-charging support but the design is not suitable for everyone, the display has big fat bezels, and poor battery life and still, Google is changing $349 which is not justifiable at all.

Still, confused, do read my in-depth review of the Google Pixel Watch.

Google Pixel Watch Full Specifications

Display	1.20-Inches AMOLED Display, 1000 nits brightness, Always-on display, Round Design, 450 x 450 pixels, 320 PPI Density
Build	Front Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Plastic Back Stainless Steel Frame
Dimensions	41 x 41 x 12.3 mm Weight: 36 grams
eSIM	Yes
Bluetooth Version	5.0
Processor	Chipset: Exynos 9110 (10 nm) CPU: Exynos 9110 (10 nm) GPU: Mali-T720
OS	Android Wear OS 3.5
Storage	1GB RAM 32GB Storage (eMMC)
Microphone & Speaker	Microphone: Yes Speaker: Yes
Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, heart rate, altimeter, compass, ECG, and SpO2
GPS	Yes
System Requirement	Android 5.1+ iOS 11+
Battery	294mAh Battery (Magnetic Charger) 10% to 40% in 15 Minutes 0% to 100% in 1hours Up to 24 hours of battery life (Full Use) 20 hours of battery life (Normal Use)
Other Features	50m/5ATM water resistant (IP68), ECG certified, NFC Supported,
Colors	Matte Black, Polished Silver, Champagne Gold
Model Number	GQF4C, GBZ4S, GWT9R
Application	Google Fit Fitbit
Price	Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: $349.99 4G LTE: $399.99

Images by Tech Spurt