Pixel Watch: Google-branded smartwatch is good opening move

The Pixel Watch is finally here, the first Google-branded smartwatch under the Pixel name. But Google is effectively playing catch-up here. Not only is it behind rival Apple in making the jump to wearables under its own brand, but it is behind the other companies who have also been making smartwatches that use the Wear OS platform.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch has already adopted Wear OS, and brands such as Fossil and Michael Kors have also released smartwatches using the software. So there is a lot of competition there for Google to deal with.

But what the Pixel Watch has that the others don’t is Fitbit’s expertise. This is the first Wear OS watch that will include the health insights from Fitbit, which made a name for itself in the fitness tracker market before Google bought it last year. That means steps and activity, and even sleep will be tracked using Fitbit’s software.

The Pixel Watch follows what you’d expect: a round face, digital crown and a single button, which along with the touch screen are how you interact with the watch. Setting it up is quite easy, with the Pixel Watch app walking you through the entire process step by step. The bit I struggled most with was changing the strap.

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The watch faces are customisable too, so you can add a favourite photo or pick a watchface that tracks your progress on your activity goals, mimics analogue watches or displays your heart rate alongside the crucial information you need for the day.

The watch also has a built-in microphone and speaker, so you can make and take calls on your watch, as well as order Google Assistant to carry out tasks for you. Add in the LTE function and you need never carry your phone with you again – unless you live in one of the countries where esims are not supported, which unfortunately includes Ireland.

The addition of Fitbit’s software gives the Pixel Watch an edge. You get real-time heart rate zones, goals, 40 different workout types, and active zone minutes so you can keep an eye on your progress. Sleep monitoring also works well, although the battery life means you are less likely to want to wear this watch overnight.

Other Google services work well on your wrist too – turn-by-turn directions on Maps, for example. If you have bought into the Google Home connected smart home system, you can control that from your wrist, turning lights and plugs on and off.

The one downside to the watch? The battery life. On paper, it lasts 24 hours, which arguably is longer than the Apple Watch’s 18 hours, but it is less than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, for example. How long it actually lasts will be down to what you are using it for. Too much time spent on GPS-tracked activities will wind that battery down a lot quicker, for example. And if you use the always on watch face, prepare to lose a bit of battery life as a result. Ditto for the Google Assistant commands.

Speaking of which, there are three ways to invoke the Google Assistant on the watch: tilt to wake and say Hey Google, press and hold the side button, or tap on the watch complication.

The watch is also a good way to hook you into Google’s services. It comes with three months of YouTube Music included, allowing you to stream directly to your wrist – internet connectivity permitting. You can also download up to 500 songs to the internal storage, so you don’t need to be in wifi range. After those three months though, you’ll need to take out a subscription.

One thing to note: this is Android only. If you have an Apple device, the Pixel Watch will not work for you.

The good

Google’s first Pixel Watch looks great and is easy to use. Like the Apple Watch, it keeps things simple with a digital crown and single button as your only controls. The circular watch face makes it look more like a regular watch than a digital device, and it’s a nice addition to your wrist.

Fast charging is included, which means you get about 50 per cent of the watch’s battery charged up in half an hour.

Google services work well, from Home controls to Maps. Google has made the Pixel Watch a bit more open than rival Samsung. There are no features that are ringfenced for use with Pixel phones only – at least not yet.

The not so good

Battery life can be less than stellar, but if you are willing to sacrifice the always-on display and move to battery saver mode, you can eke a bit more out of it. Unfortunately, I was not, so was taken by surprise by a dead battery on a couple of occasions, and never really hit the promised 24 hours. That’s down to a small battery in the device, but the trade-off is in the size. Would I be prepared to wear a chunkier watch in return for a bigger battery life? Probably not.

The rest

The Fitbit link means you also get six months of Fitbit’s premium service included with the Pixel Watch. That’s enough time to figure out if you’ll actually use it before having to pay out for the service.

The verdict

As first wearables go, this is a good opening pitch from Google.