Google Pixel Watch 2 Review: A Better Smartwatch, But Not The Best
Google's Pixel Watch 2 is truly a better smartwatch than the original Pixel Watch, which was a first-generation product.
Pixel Watch 2 is lighter. Wear OS 4 is more responsive; Battery life lasts almost 24 hours on a single charge and the screen is always on . The new multi-function heart rate sensor is more accurate.
Seems like an easy purchase if you're using an Android phone, right? Google Pixel owners finally got a real Apple Watch, right?
Not true.
You see, even though Google has made plenty of improvements, my experience with the Pixel Watch 2 over the past few weeks has been far from smooth. Every day I encounter so many small random errors and problems that I feel like Google has missed the forest for the trees.
Minimalistic and convenient
To be honest, I didn't really like the look of the Pixel Watch 2, but after a few days I started to like it. It is elegant and understated and can be paired perfectly with both tops and bottoms. What I don't like is the small 1.2-inch AMOLED screen; It was small and very thick on all sides. There never seems to be enough space to display buttons and information.
If only Google had made the screen a little bigger and trimmed the bezels; In comparison, the 1.7-inch screen of the Apple Watch Series 9 and the 1.9-inch screen of the Apple Watch Ultra are quite spacious. I also had difficulty seeing the screen due to reflections. God, did that thing attack them often, especially outside?
I asked Google why they didn't release a second, larger Pixel Watch 2 with a larger screen. Both Apple and Samsung offer different sizes of their smartwatches. I'm told they're focused on fixing the Pixel Watch's shortcomings. This is important, but nearly a decade of Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy watches have proven that everyone's wrists are different sizes; "One size fits all" smartwatches are leaving money on the table, and customers with larger wrists are looking for something different.
Design aside, the Pixel Watch 2 is a very comfortable smartwatch and I found it easier to wear while sleeping than the Apple Watch. Perhaps it's the round design or its light weight (31 grams, compared to 42.3 grams for the 41mm Apple Watch and 51.5 grams for the 44mm Apple Watch), but I never found the Zs to be difficult to hold him in his hands.
I think the bracelet connection mechanism is still complicated, as we discussed in our Pixel Watch review. Personally, I don't like that active fluoroelastomer bands have two rings (the design of the band sticks to the wrist and takes longer to put on), but that's just me being stupid.
My experience was disappointing
It's one thing to read about changes, but another to see how they work together. The Pixel Watch 2 is great when everything works as advertised. Emphasize when, because half the time he seems to have a mind of his own.
Even though the Pixel Watch 2 felt securely on my wrist, I missed a lot of notifications due to their unpleasant feel. Tactile sensations, which are also unpleasant for me; the sound is more like a lifeless buzz than a melodic vibration. Apple has really improved the openness of the Apple Watch. It's a subtle, organic engine hum that you won't mind hearing on your wrist.
One of the new features compatible with Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch 5 is workout detection. When the Pixel Watch 2 detects one of seven different exercise types, it will send a notification. I like to walk after work. I always see an automatic workout notification on my Apple Watch after a certain block. With the Pixel Watch 2, I almost always missed automatic workout notifications because the touch—vibration set to its strongest setting—was too weak.
When I see a notification in the middle of the road or at home, it's too late; The Pixel Watch 2 doesn't register most of these things. I got steps data, but didn't get other data like distance walked or calories burned.
Another place where you'll see a less than stellar start is in the Fitbit Relax app, Breathe's sister app on the Apple Watch. Here you inhale and exhale for a certain period of time, and then you can record your mood. Honestly, the atmosphere is so robotic that I feel more stressed than relaxed when using it.
Or random shutdowns occur. Every now and then, my review unit, the Pixel Watch 2, randomly turns off. Why? I have no idea. As far as I know, the battery is not weak. Sometimes I just look to check the time and the screen goes blank. I have to press the side button and handle to reload. Last weekend, I deep-cleaned my bathroom, grabbed a sponge and a bottle of cleaning foam, and asked Google Assistant to start a five-minute timer. Not only was it wrong, but when I looked to see what was wrong, I saw the "Start..." loading screen. I ended up yelling at Alexa through the Echo Dot.
Speaking of Google Assistant, there is a 50/50 chance that it will hear my voice command “Hey Google”. Yes, this feature is enabled and configured correctly on the paired Pixel 8. But for some unknown reason, it activates whenever it wants. It's even worse on the highway, there's more noise there. Basically, something goes wrong when you say something directly to the Pixel Watch 2 on your wrist in a normal voice, but the Nest Hub Assistant activates multiple times within 20 meters.
Unless there's an accidental shutdown, your Pixel Watch 2 will be locked forever. I usually wear the Pixel Watch 2 with the sixth Active Band slot. This hole may be a little narrow, but the smartwatch's new universal heart rate sensor provided a solid connection to my wrist. Sometimes the sixth hole feels too tight and I loosen it to the seventh hole which is not too tight but still safe. But here, for certain reasons, problems arise. It seems like whenever the Pixel Watch 2 isn't in contact with your wrist, it thinks you've taken it off and then turns itself off for security reasons. Several times I fell asleep thinking there was nothing wrong with the Pixel Watch 2, only to wake up to see a PIN screen and not collect any sleep tracking data. I've never had this problem with my Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch.
While I was showering (yes, I wear my smartwatch in the shower), the Pixel Watch 2's screen was unusable. Every drop of water makes sliding impossible. I didn't have this problem with my Apple Watch Series 4 . I can touch and swipe the screen even if the screen is wet.
Also, I'm aware of Analog Arc and Adventure watch faces that directly display additional information, but has anyone seen watch faces available on the Play Store? Ninety-nine percent of them look terrible. It's no surprise that Apple refuses to allow third-party developers to create and sell their own software. This is truly an amateur watch. Even paid ones are no good.
The best smartwatch, but not the best
Look, maybe I have a lemon. I do a factory reset, random shutdowns and restarts happen less often, but I don't think that will solve all my problems. Google put a faster chip in the Pixel Watch 2, and Wear OS 4 isn't as slow as the old Pixel Watch, but it doesn't even match the flexibility of the Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch. I'm confident that the Pixel Watch 2 will run Wear OS 5 or OS 6 without any problems.
At least the battery life is very good. Google claims it can provide up to 24 hours of continuous TV viewing on a single charge. This is almost what I get every day. This watch works at midnight and at the same time the next day with 100 percent battery. Chargers now use Pogo pins; The magnets make them easy to attach to the Pixel Watch 2, but I had to fiddle with them more than I'd like just to get the fit right. Do you know which smartwatch I don't need to charge? Apple watch.
I also can't complain about the fitness tracking with Fitbit integration. Thanks to the universal heart rate sensor, everything seems to work better and more accurately than before (if there are no problems). From what I can tell, the Pixel Watch 2's fitness and health tracking is pretty accurate compared to the latest Apple Watch.
There are other useful features like Safety Check (tells friends or family where they are at any given time) and Emergency Share (shares location or medical information with emergency contacts) that also work without a phone. However, you will need an LTE model and a Fitbit Premium subscription to use it.
Tracking stress has little effect on me. Every now and then I get a notification that the smartwatch has “detected possible signs of stress or emotion” and whether I want to record my mood or not. I trimmed it a little, but didn't get much benefit. It happens very randomly and never seems to bother me when I realize I'm stressed.
My point is that fitness and health tracking, notifications and voice commands are the core features of a smartwatch. The fact that I've received so many complaints about using the Pixel Watch 2 shows just how far behind Google the Apple Watch is. Even an Apple Watch from 3-4 years ago works better.
Like Google's Pixel phones, the Pixel Watch 2 is also quite capable. It has plenty of improvements and covers the basics, but the second-generation model still has a lot in common with smartwatches from Apple and Samsung. If you have a Pixel phone and can play games, the Pixel Watch 2 will do the trick. But if you want the best Android smartwatch, it's still the Galaxy Watch 5. iPhone users... just get the Apple Watch.
Photo by Raymond Wong.
