With its sleek design and suite of Fitbit health tracking tools, the Pixel Watch has the potential to become the best Android smartwatch. But at its core, the Pixel Watch still largely feels like an answer to the Apple Watch and other popular smartwatches.
It meets, and in some ways surpasses, expectations for a smartwatch of its price. Yet, it doesn’t necessarily do much to push the smartwatch industry forward, nor does it overwhelmingly convince you to side with the Pixel over a cheaper Samsung or Fitbit watch.
The Pixel Watch is essentially Fitbit software wrapped in a more attractive, Google-designed package. But with the Pixel Watch 2, which debuts on Oct. 4, I want to see Google’s smartwatch assume its own identity. That’s critical for Google now that ancillary gadgets like watches and earbuds are a bigger part of Android’s future direction.
Google should imitate its Pixel phone strategy
There are plenty of things the Pixel Watch gets right, from its elegant curved edges to its easy-to-use software and comprehensive exercise tracking. But for the wearable to really stand out, Google should take a page from its Pixel phone playbook.
As I’ve written in the past, I’d like to see Google develop clever features for the Pixel Watch that solve real inconveniences. Pixel phones, for example, have phone calling tools for letting Google’s virtual assistant wait on hold for you. They also have interesting photo editing features, like the ability to sharpen old photos that may be out of focus. Google is clearly concentrating on two of the most basic tasks people use their phones for: making calls and taking photos. It’s these features combined with the Pixel’s great camera that make it stand out.
Apple is said to be working on more health tools for the Apple Watch, which would give Google and Fitbit tougher competition.
Health monitoring aside, I’d like to see additional features that make the Pixel Watch a more crucial part of the Android ecosystem. Given Google’s progress with the Google Assistant, I had hoped Google’s virtual helper would play a bigger role in the Pixel Watch. Yes, you can do all the basic things you’d expect, like make calls, start timers, play music and control smart home devices with your voice.
But I’d like to see new features that feel more specific to the Pixel Watch. Since smartwatches aren’t ideal for long touchscreen interactions, there’s a big opportunity for Google to use the Google Assistant to surface contextual information in new ways. Hopefully we’ll see more of that in the future as Google deepens its artificial intelligence push.
