Key Takeaways
- Google’s rumored new Pixel Watch may come in a larger 45mm size to address complaints about the small 41mm current version.
- The fitness-oriented design of the current Pixel Watch models may lead to battery drain issues with Wear OS features.
- Google may be addressing the need for Fitbit Premium features on the Pixel Watch, aiming to make it a top choice for Android users.
We have been receiving exciting rumors regarding Google’s new smartwatch, and it seems that this new iteration would solve everything we don’t necessarily love about the current versions.
One of the most important upgrades would include a larger variant, finally giving us a 45mm version, which would also mean more room for better internals and a larger battery. The current model comes with a 41mm case, which makes it just too small for anyone with large hands, so a second, larger alternative would take care of one of the biggest complaints people have about the Pixel Watch.
Indeed, this possible change gets us excited since it makes us believe that Google is listening to its customers and making the necessary adjustments to please its fans. However, that’s not the only issue Google has to tackle, as there are other wrinkles the company needs to iron out to make the Pixel Watch 3 a worthy contender in the smartwatch segment.
The current versions of the Pixel Watch aren’t bad, but it seems that Google aimed to create a fitness-oriented smartwatch based on everything that was offered by Fitbit. This easily explains the compact design found on the first and second-generation Pixel Watch. That’s not entirely a bad thing, as this means that you get excellent fitness tracking sensors and Daily Readiness Score to assess whether you can train until you drop or if you should consider taking it easy for a while and recovering. You also enjoy excellent sleep tracking and other cool fitness-oriented features, since Fitbit understands what fitness enthusiasts need.
Unfortunately, there are two problems with Fitbit features in the Pixel Watch
Google Pixel Watch 2, Jaime Rivera / Pocketnow
The first one comes with the fact that Wear OS isn’t known for being battery efficient, and the small battery on the Pixel Watch and the Pixel Watch 2 gets drained excessively fast when you’re using your device in regular smartwatch mode. Now, try to imagine how activity sensors, sleep tracking, and other features will affect your battery. Of course, this isn’t an issue with any Fitbit wearable because they don’t run on Wear OS, so your battery will last for days.
The Pixel Watch remains the best fitness-oriented Wear OS smartwatch on the market
The second problem pops up when you want to use all the goodies and features that come with the Fitbit app, as these features are only available when you pay for Fitbit Premium, which is $10 each month, or $80 when you pay for the year in advance. Now, recent information suggests that Google will soon address this last issue, as the company has already included Fitbit Premium & Nest Aware with Google One Premium plans in the UK, meaning that we could also see the same happen in other countries, but we will have to wait.
That being said, the Pixel Watch remains the best fitness-oriented Wear OS smartwatch on the market, and we really hope that a more significant footprint will also give us a larger battery to make the Pixel Watch 3 the perfect smartwatch for Android users.
