Pixel Watch 2 Review: Google Refines The Smartwatch
Apart from the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, Google unveiled its second portable Pixel at its Made By Google event this month. The Pixel Watch 2 builds on last year's Pixel Watch and tweaks its weak points to improve its design. Has Google done enough?
The variety of options in the world of smartwatches and wearables helps determine what kind of smartwatch you're buying. With the Pixel Watch 2, you get a watch that focuses on providing detailed fitness and workout profiles, tons of health tracking options, and the best possible integration with your phone.
All of these place high demands on clock size and power consumption. You get a relatively heavy watch with limited battery life. The Pixel Watch 2 is in the same room as the Apple Watch 9 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6.
This makes the Pixel Watch 2 an active watch for me. You must actively use the watch as it needs to be charged daily. If you forget to plug in the charger during the day, put your flat watch on before bed. Fortunately, Google has extended the battery life of the first Pixel Watch and you can only use this watch for 24 hours. There is no need to charge the watch throughout the day, as was the case with watches last year.
Google has switched from Qi charging to a magnetic pen. I had a hard time using a charger other than the one that came with the first Pixel Watch. This is why I always take a charging cable with me when I travel. Switching to a Pogo pin charger won't affect how I use my phone. Charging time is usually around 45 minutes since I rarely wait for the Watch 2 to run out of battery. A full cycle from empty to 100 percent in about an hour and a half.
There are other improvements to the Pixel Watch 2, but the improved battery life is probably the most important for getting past the one-day barrier.
Pixel Watch 2 uses the Fitbit platform to track, measure and record your exercise and health data. Everything syncs automatically between your watch and the Fitbit app on your phone, and then to your Fitbit account in the cloud. If you rarely use the sports tracking features, automatic workout tracking will prompt you to start recording when it detects that you've done something worthwhile. I had to remind myself once or twice an hour to do my daily walk, which saved me from missing a trip to the record books.
Pixel Watch 2 gives you as much relevant information as possible during your workout. For example, with four on-screen "heart rate zones" you can adjust your training load to your desired range; You can also get notifications when you reach a certain zone, so you don't have to constantly look at your wrist while exercising. My main goal is to "pace" walking, jogging and adjusting the frequency of jogging to suit my needs.
Those numbers are more accurate than the previous Pixel Watch, thanks in large part to the watch's new sensors, along with updated software and hardware compared to last year's model. The most important addition is the reusable heart rate monitor. Basically, it uses points on the bottom of the watch to measure heart rate, and multiple signals can be combined at different angles and ranges to provide a more accurate measurement than a single sensor.
The heart rate sensor is one of many that collects data throughout the day. Google sees the Pixel Watch 2 as a device that helps you manage your overall health, stress, crash logs and your mood. It's not entirely accurate, but it's certainly on par with other devices in this price range.
I believe the Pixel Watch 2 is aimed at consumers who want something that will help them stay in touch with their body, track exercise and daily routines, rather than provide a ridiculous amount of data. Other smartwatches and tracking apps give you a detailed look at your body. Pixel Watch 2 is the touchstone that tells you important stories. For most people, I think that's enough.
The Pixel Watch 2 runs Wear OS, updated to version 4. Many of the interfaces and controls introduced in Wear OS 3 on the first Pixel Watch have been carried over to the latest version. Expanded app support (like WhatsApp Instant support now available on your wrist).
I love the convenience of security checks. You can quickly turn on this feature and after a predetermined time, the watch will prompt you to log in with a notification on the screen. If there is no response, the app alerts a predefined list of contacts. This is a nice feature for several reasons, but it's worth it in the right circumstances.
The biggest change in the Pixel Watch 2 is the move to Qualcomm's W5 Gen 1 chipset. Everything seems a little smarter, a little faster and a little less slow than the first time. Two new proprietary apps have been included that provide dedicated support for Gmail and Google Calendar on the watch. With a small screen and limited capabilities (a small touchscreen for typing and a digital crown for scrolling), it's essentially a "let's just control things" rather than a full PDA-style app.
There are a number of improvements in quality of life. At least for those who switch phones frequently, I'd like to highlight the Pixel Watch 2's ability to back up the Pixel Watch to the cloud, making it easier to move phones and carry wearables with you.
There is additional support for apps beyond Google Apps. I wonder how many of these highly valuable articles are here because the audience grew or Google kindly asked them to support the project?
Pixel Watch 2 is the companion for you and your smartphone. It keeps track of what's happening on your phone and provides enough detail to manage notifications and pick out the most important information It tracks your body and lets you know what's right and what's wrong without going into ridiculous detail.
For me, this is how it should be for a portable device. When you need it, you'll be reminded it's there; If this is not done, it will fade into the background. Therefore, pushing the first Pixel Watch's battery life past the "24 hour activity" limit was the most important update that needed to be made.
Sure, I'd love a week's worth of battery life to compete with fitness bands on the market, but the Pixel Watch 2's capabilities are much more than a wearable, meaning you'll have to compromise on battery life. Charging the Pixel Watch 2 once a day for half a day would take it from last year's "uncomfortable" level to "as expected."
I keep coming back to the idea that this isn't the second Pixel Watch, but the Pixel Watch 1.5. It's essentially the same watch as last year, with the same unified offering, strap, controls, companion app and interface. All changes address issues that have arisen over the past year or improve the accuracy of information collected on the Wearable Fitness page.
Based on last year's final draft, I'd say this is the final product. Google wanted to show the Android world what it thought a smartwatch should be. This is.
Now let's see if the market wants it.
The Pixel 8 Pro was launched alongside the Pixel Watch. Read my review here…
