I’ve been using Google’s first wearable for about a month and have paired it with smartphones from Samsung, OPPO and OnePlus as well as Google’s own Pixel 7 Pro.
It does not work with iPhone; in the same way that an Apple Watch will not pair with Android devices.
And just as the new Pixel 7 Pro is the Android equivalent of iPhone in terms of the fluid user experience, I’ve found that as both the hardware and software were designed by Google, the the Pixel Watch is well on its way to becoming the Android equivalent of Apple Watch.
READ NEXT: Fitbit Sense 2 review: Excellent stress and sleep tracking but missing a few key smartwatch features
The plus points include the elegant high-end design, bright and colourful display, and the seamless integration with the likes of Google Maps and Google Assistant.
Negatives are the old-fashioned large bezel around the 1.9in OLED display, the poor battery life and the occasionally slow responses from the dated Exynos chip inside.
Pixel Watch design and build
The 41mm Pixel Watch is a rather excellent first attempt that represents a big step forward for Android smartwatches.
It looks a little like a round Apple Watch and that is meant in a compliment.
The watch is available in three colours, and I reviewed the matte black obsidian model which comes with a matching black Active band.
The band looks like the bands from Fitbit’s Sense and Versa models, but bands attach with a clever proprietary connector, so you can’t use standard watch bands.
The OLED touchscreen display is bright and colourful and the largely dark OS hides, for the most part, the dated big bezels around the screen. The refresh rate is 30Hz and the pixel resolution is 450x450.
In fairness, the bezels are only an issue if you decide to use a third-party watch face with a lighter background or if you use the Google Photos watch face.
There are two physical controls: a digital crown that acts as home button, scrolling tool and shortcut to Google Pay along with an almost hidden button that calls up your recent app list with a single tap, or your most recent app with a double tap.
A long press on this button summons Google Assistant and you can do that with your voice too.
The underside of the device is home to the usual range of health sensors.
Health and fitness
You get heart rate monitoring (that measures your pulse once a second), support for 41 different workouts and you can pair it with third party apps such as Strava and Komoot.
There’s an ECG sensor too, and the Fitbit app enables you to export the results as a PDF to share with your doctor.
The hardware to measure your blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) overnight is built in, but the functionality has yet to be enabled.
An altimeter, gyroscope and compass are on board too.
You also get Fitbit tracking and wellness features along with a free six-month sub to Fitbit Premium which includes excellent sleep tracking analysis among other detailed insights into your health and fitness.
Other features
Google Pixel Watch is running Wear OS 3.5 and pairs with a dedicated Pixel Watch app rather than the old Wear OS app.
Pairing with your phone is instant thanks to Fast Pair.
There is a great range of watch faces and each has customisable elements.
You get support for music apps such as Spotify, Amazon and YouTube Music but not Apple Music or Tidal. There is a decent 32GB of storage built-in.
And you can control smart home devices with the watch using either Google Assistant or the Google Home app.
There is a built-in speaker, and while the sound is quite poor it is sufficiently audible for Google Assistant responses.
Battery life
Pixel Watch's battery life is on a par with what you'll get out of most fully featured smartwatches such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Apple Watch Series 8. In other words, you will need to charge it every day.
Some reviewers have complained that it does not last a full day with the always on display switched on.
In my experience, the battery drains more excessively when using GPS and I have occasionally had to refuel the watch in the early evening.
The explanation seems to be that small 41mm watch frame means a smaller battery than some wearables but on the plus side Pixel Watch’s battery recharges much more quickly than most other wearables. You can go from zero to 100 per cent in about an hour.
It would have been nice to have wireless charging support though. Having to use a proprietary charger is always frustrating.
It’s also worth noting the wearable is not waterproof so you can’t use it while swimming or diving.
Pixel Watch verdict
It may need to be a bit slicker to match the Apple Watch in terms of ease of use, but Pixel Watch is already one of the best Android smartwatches out there alongside Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5.
You get high-end hardware, a striking design and a well-executed OS.
Pixel took a few attempts at its smartphones to get everything right but I don’t think that will be the case with the Watch and I’m already super excited for Pixel Watch 2.
Pricing
Google Pixel Watch costs €379 from Google Store.
Key specs
Dimensions: 41 x 41 x 12.3 mm
Weight: 36g (without band)
Display: 450x450 resolution, AMOLED, up to 1000 nits brightness, ambient light sensor, always-on display
CPU: Exynos 9110 SoC, Cortex M33 co-processor
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 32GB
Battery: 294mAh
Connectivity: 4G LTE, UMTS, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
Durability: 5ATM
Software: Wear OS 3.5
Health sensors: Optical heart rate sensor, multipurpose electrical sensor, blood oxygen sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter, compass
Audio: Built-in speaker
Mobile payments: Google Wallet
Workout detection: Yes
Colour options: Matte Black with Obsidian Active band, Polished Silver with Charcoal Active band, Polished Silver with Chalk Active band, Champagne Gold with Hazel Active band
READ NEXT:
- Garmin Forerunner 55 review: small but powerful entry-level running watch
- Garmin unveils multisport smartwatches Fenix 7 Series and Epix with AMOLED screen
- Garmin takes the wraps off Forerunner 955 and 255 series running watches
- Apple Watch 8 Series review: still the most complete combination of smartwatch and health and fitness features
Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar review: The ultimate adventure sports watch
