The Pixel Watch is finally here, and for all the hype that it once generated, the final product seems way off the bullseye. But make no mistake; this is definitely a Pixel smartwatch, complemented by a standout curvy design and a generous serving of neat software perks.
Google has fitted a 2018-era Exynos processor inside the Pixel Watch and paired it with a co-processor. Is the processor terrible? No. At least it wasn’t slow inside the Galaxy Watch 3 Classic, which I rocked on my wrist for about a year. Look, the Pixel Watch is not a terrible hardware deal. It’s just that the rivals are doing it better at a smaller premium. Plus, all those tiny Pixel-style Wear OS 3.5 enhancements are not worth $350, or more. But that’s not the ending for the fable of Pixel Watch let-downs.
More importantly, the ECG app won’t be available in all countries, likely due to medical clearance hassles. Plus, the ECG feature is only fit for users above the age of 22 years. Talking about the Fitbit app, a premium subscription will be required to access some of the core fitness-centric functionalities such as sleep term dashboards.
Google could’ve redeemed some of the failures by offering a few standout perks on the software side of things, especially considering the fact that it now owns Fitbit. By that extension, Google is also the master of Fitbit Premium, arguably the best rival in the Android ecosystem against Apple’s well-received Fitness+ service. But alas, Google missed this opportunity, as well!