Google hasn’t exactly sat on the sidelines of the smartwatch market.
Its operating system for smartwatches – WearOS – is already eight years old. In late 2019, it also announced its acquisition of wearable specialist FitBit (the deal completed in early 2021).
Until now, though, Google has been happy to let other brands take the lead in the category – with Google offering its software expertise alone.
That's changed with the arrival of the Google Pixel Watch.
Its sleek, rounded form – which is available in a gold, black or polished silver finish – makes it look reasonably like a 'dumb' watch, and is reminiscent of Samsung’s own wearable range.
It manages to feel relatively slim and light on the wrist – even though it’s slightly thicker than some of its peers – and Google has also done a good job of making the wristbands link seamlessly with the watch-face.
Inside that face is a beautifully crisp display – while a crown and secondary button on the side make navigating the device easy.
WearOS looks good, too, and feels responsive as you make your way through the features.
Some apps are a bit slow to start up – but one of the smarter features of the watch is the ability to put certain apps a swipe away, meaning you'll likely have quick access to everything you need at all times.
Google has also clearly leveraged its acquisition of FitBit here, outsourcing all of the health features to that app (which raises questions about the future of the standalone Google Fit app).
But despite this expertise, it's the fitness features where the Pixel Watch hits its first snag.
The Pixel Watch doesn't offer automatic workout detection, for example. That's something that many FitBit-branded devices are already capable of, as well as other WearOS devices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.
When a workout is running, the watch also lacks simple features - like tapping your wrist to tell you when you've managed another kilometre on your route.
The heart rate sensor in the Pixel also takes a measurement every second by default – and there’s no clear way to change that setting. This makes for more accurate and responsive heart rate readings than what others can manage, but it also serves as a massive drain on the battery.
That makes it difficult to get through the day on a single charge – and means that users will be charging the device twice a day if they want to avail of its sleep tracking features.
The Pixel Watch also fails to properly leverage its connection to the Google ecosystem – in the same way that the Apple Watch compliments the iPhone.
For example; when you activate 'do not disturb’ mode on the watch, it does not activate it on your phone, and vice versa. That’s the case even if you’re using a Google Pixel phone too.
These kinds of things could, in theory, be fixed with a software update.
But some other short-comings are baked into the device.
That includes the fact that the screen comes with a fairly thick bezel. It’s hard to notice with the default black background, but it does ultimately limit the amount of information that can be crammed onto the screen.
The built-in speaker is lacklustre too – phone calls sound low and tinny even at full blast.
Meanwhile the magnetic charging puck isn’t quite strong enough – making it far too easy to unwittingly knock the watch off the charger. (In its defence, when it is in place charging is extremely quick).
Ultimately the Google Pixel Watch represents a promising first attempt, and a good foundation for a serious rival to Apple, Samsung and Garmin. But only if they manage to iron out some of the most significant creases in the second generation.
