Pixel Watch In-Depth Review: It's a Promising Start!

Here's your complete in-depth review of the Google Pixel watch, complete with how well it integrates into the Fitbit ecosystem, what it lacks compared to a Fitbit Sense 2, and how the accuracy looks.

0:00 Hardware Overview
2:30 Smartwatch Basics
4:24 Fitbit Related Metrics
7:38 Workout & Sports Usage
10:16 WearOS App Bits
11:54 Gaps and Missing Features
12:51 GPS & HR Accuracy
14:06 Final Recommendations

After many years of rumors, hints, acquisitions, and probably a few false starts – the Pixel watch is finally here. The end resultant is largely what you’d expect in a first-generation watch from a major company: Something that appeals as broadly as possible, without being overly complex, and without catering to as many niches as some of their competitors. In both discussions with Google, and simply testing the device, it’s clear that this was the starting point. They’ve got lots of future ideas, both hardware and software, but this first Pixel Watch is essentially aimed at being both the best Fitbit ever, as well as a very strong Wear OS demonstrator.

Of course, defining what’s the ‘Best Fitbit ever” is a trick duck, as you’ll see. In terms of the smartwatch aspects (like 3rd party apps), its use of Wear OS means that it instantly gets access to the entire Wear OS app store, including apps like Strava, Spotify (with offline music access), and tons more apps. It means far better Google services integration with features like Google Wallet, Google Maps, Google Assistant, and more. And of course, it means a (mostly) integrated Fitbit experience. But it’s not quite the ‘fullest’ Fitbit experience. It lacks a handful of features that have become default on Fitbit watches, like continuous Afib detection, skin temperature, and exact SpO2 readings. Some of these may come later in a software update, but they aren’t there today.

Still, as you’ll see in this review, while Google has made some tradeoffs, for the most part, they’re on the right path. This watch won’t appeal to everyone, especially on the size front (or if they don’t have an Android phone). But for those that it does fit, the actual experience is reasonably good.

#GooglePixelWatch #PixelWatch

[DaveStern]

Always great videos Ray. Regarding Sense 2 vs. Pixel Watch, I don't think they intended to make Sense 2 bad, that's just how it ended up. I'm guessing it was slow removal of features one at a time after the acquisition, and they decided to release the watch anyway as an homage to whoever worked on it. But they never stopped to ask if they should release it, objectively, vs. Sense 1. I think my Pixel watch pre-order is going to have to go back unopened and I'll keep my sense 1 for another year. I'll miss out on all the google goodness for sure, and the design is really nice. But, the gap on fitbit features vs. sense 1, no temp sensor, and for an LTE version where I use AOD and track a workout day, I think battery life will be half a day rather than a full day and that just won't work. Will wait on more reviews but that's my guess. Too bad for me, I really wanted to go with the PIxel Watch. Hoping there's a V2 with lower battery consumption (=newer processor), temp senor, fitbit feature gap smaller and if they do a larger size, that will get a bigger battery too, enough to support AOD + GPS tracking + LTE for a day. Keep up the great work!!

[seanphillips]

Excellent Reveiew, as always! Pleasantly surprised how good accurate GPS is. Looking forward to it arriving

[willsherman]

Beautiful looking watch and a good start, but it feels like a rough draft. Personally, I've tried Samsung, Fitbit, and Polar. Unless you need a smartwatch for notifications, which most of us really don't, a few jobs like nurses do since they can't take their cell phones on the floor - but a lot of them are just glorified heart rate monitors. I've actually gone to putting a little Polar heart rate monitor on the underside of my NATO strap with my traditional Swiss watch. I always find it faster and more efficient, although not as cool, to just pull my cell phone out of my pocket for texting and searching. And of course photos!

Excellent review!

[angusgibbins]

This is out of scope of the video, but the thing that gets me about Fitbit is the lack of dark mode in the mobile app, espeically since they offer sleep meditations as part of Fitbit Premium, so when you open the app to do a sleep meditation you're instantly blasted by a screen of white light.

[PaulHo]

Thank you for showcasing the use case without the Premium subscription. I'm really curious how Google Fit will play out more. We've all been waiting on this Pixel Watch for so long, but I'm curious how Fossil Gen 6 or 7 will adapt Wear OS and Fit now.

[MichielVanhoudt]

Some mixed feelings here.
It's good that the Premium subscription benefits are very limited and do not seem like a added benefit, however I could see that maybe any new features (if and when they come) could be added in the subscription instead of the base application.

The bands are proprietary and annoying. Garmin and Polar offer just regular 20-22mm bands which are a watch industry standard for years and years. However, i am happy to see they did not use any proprietary charger like Fitbit does and where each model Fitbit has a different charger.

GPS accuracy is much better than I expected, but I wonder how sleep tracking will be. I'm hoping the Quantified Scientist will do an in depth review of this.
Accessories not being able to pair, I expected as it's a smartwatch and activity tracker first, a sport watch second. However the Garmin Venu 2 series does support this flawlessly so maybe the Pixel Watch 2 will improve on it.

Did you test afib and ECG or coming later? I'm wondering if it works well.

About filling the gaps you mentioned... Always buy tech for what it is now, not for what it can be with an update later on. We never know for sure, we don't know if it will be free, and we don't know if Google even will continue developing watches. they have a bad track record of killing of services they said they were committed to (Stadia being the latest victim)

EDIT: apparently the wireless charging is not Qi compatible and thus some proprietary charging, sadly.
Scientific reciew is also up

[paolaroblesgil]

We need multiple device support for Fitbit!

[adamsoft]

You mention restlessness isn't done by competitors, but it is in the Garmin app if you tap a button. It sort of just shows restless periods and is kinda useless, not sure if the Pixel Watch presents this better, but it's there for free.

[kawaquackygreen]

It is so annoying that companies are now thinking it’s ok to make you pay a monthly subscription to use core functionalities of the device you just paid a premium for.
Oura ring and now google?!
If I had to pay £780 for my garmin to then have to pay £12pm just to get the data, no thanks.
And if they ever start doing that then it will be coming straight off my wrist into ebay.

These companies should work off the whoop business model or at least heavily subsidise the hardware if you have to pay to use the software.
Makes it a little more manageable to swallow, not that I would probably ever do that as it’s exactly what put me off the whoop system in the first place.

People really need to vote with their wallets and make it obvious to these guys that this type of business models aren’t ok.

It’s worked in the gaming world.

[theajayieffect]

An excellent review! I honestly love the silhouette of this watch. All of the others are the same - big and bulky. I'm not bothered that this watch is smaller. It's sleek and functional. I've ordered mine!

[imarchit]

The latch I feel is not a problem and should be fine if it stays. Seen many who have no problem in getting used to it. Looking forward to Gen 2, Feature Drops and Updates should improve it.

[lennyvalentin]

Being an Apple dork myself I'm not going to buy this watch, but as a fan of technology and cool gadgets in general I gotta say this thing looks gorgeous. Very nice to see more competition in the smart watch space, that's good for everyone.

[Shrinidhihv]

Thanks for doing review without the the premium subscription. Always wanted to understand this part.

[sir_vp]

Great review. I'll be getting my Pixel Watch today, and I'm now satisfied I made the right choice.

[raaah]

I don't understand why everybody's complaining about the band. If you had to change your band every time you had to charge your watch then it would be an issue. But I buy a watch I then change the band 6 months later I decide to change the band again what's the big deal yes it's a difficult process every 6 months every 3 months maybe but to complain like it's every time you had to charge the watch you have to take the band off it's preposterous

[rushlmp]

Very excited for mine to arrive. I've had a Samsung watch and I've had many Fitbit watches. This will be the best of both for me. I don't need the extra features that this lacks, it seems to have everything I am looking for. Thanks for the great review.

[CyberOakEMpiRE]

For those missing the FitBit ECG App and sleep data & chart, you need to update all your app from your goole play from your watch

[areyouarobotz]

My order arrived yesterday and haven't stopped playing with it

[pankajmdahal]

I hope that they combine the Fitbit and Google fit app sooner. I don't like having 2 apps with the same work.

[rozm]

based on this review & another, while i so was looking forward to this watch, i've decided to wait for gen2 of the pixel smart watch for 3 reasons: 1. battery life too short; 2. bezel too big; and 3. apparent difficulty changing the watch bands. THANK YOU.