2 Minute Review
The Pixel Watch is the antithesis of the Pixel brand that the Pixel phones have built. Pixels since 2016 have developed a brand of being industrial, minimal, and getting the important things right. Late last year the first non-phone device (excluding the earbuds as they are more of a companion device) in the Pixel line up was released: The Pixel Watch, some specs of the watch include:
A small round size measuring in at 41mm
Custom connector for watch bands
A Corning Gorilla Glass 5 domed face that is covering a 1.2 inch display
Background
As a Christmas gift I received the Champagne Gold casing, which comes with the hazel Active band.
The other options include a matte black and a polished silver casing with corresponding active bands.
You can also find 1st Party watch bands offered on Google’s store, but they are not all available yet, and are very pricey. Because of those custom band connectors there are not many options out there for 3rd party bands available at the time this is being written (the watch has been out for 3 months).
Review
-
This feels like a first gen attempt at integrating Fitbit fitness tracking and Android wear. That’s not to say it’s bad, it’s just disjointed.
That said, the level of activities on the watch to track are fantastic, and the heart rate zone UI that it displays while in a workout is one of the best in my opinion. The reason: giving you the right amount of details, and in a visually pleasing way. Other fitness watches I’ve used either give you way too much details, or are just showing them in a single list view instead of using the display.
-
It’s not good. Plain and simple
I have been able to find a charging routine that works for me to allow me to use the watch all day, and wear it for sleep tracking. Generally 15-20 minutes on the charger every morning when I get ready and every evening when I get ready for bed.
-
Here is where I’m torn:
I think it’s a great watch if it was in a vacuum; it looks beautiful, it gives me my notifications timely and confidently, and it tracks my workouts accurately.
However it goes against the brand that the Pixel phones have created over the last 6 years. Since the Original Pixel, the brand was around function over form, an industrial minimalism that got the important things right.
Verdict
The Pixel Watch’s juxtaposition of being a fragile, beautiful piece of technology is enjoyable, but has concessions (i.e. battery life). Most importantly it doesn’t fit in the brand image of the Pixel line. I would recommend waiting for the Pixel Watch 2 if you’re thinking about getting a new Android smart watch.