Google’s Pixel Watch remains to be the most effective trying smartwatches available on the market, with glorious Fitbit integration and a clear Put on OS pores and skin. With the Pixel Watch 2 and onto the Pixel Watch 3, Google additionally made a constructive change to Qualcomm’s latest wearable chip to enhance efficiency and battery life, plus they launched the Pixel Watch 3 in a bigger dimension. General, the Pixel Watch has grow to be a strong various on Android to Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line, even when it does have weaknesses.
A kind of weaknesses is a borderline dealbreaker for me and I actually hope Google does one thing to handle it for a possible Pixel Watch 4. Particularly, I’m speaking in regards to the glass that Google is protecting the Pixel Watch with – it’s far too tender of a fabric for a tool that wants to have the ability to take some abuse all through a day.
As a lot of you recognize, the Pixel Watch just isn’t a reparable system. If one thing occurs to any Pixel Watch mannequin’s show, it can’t be repaired by Google and as a substitute must be changed. It’s a really odd scenario, figuring out Google spends fairly a little bit of effort in bettering its stance with the planet, from promising to be carbon-free within the close to future to continually bettering issues like packaging of its {hardware}, to the purpose the place they’re now 100% plastic free.
The Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 are each coated by a “Customized 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5” and I can affirm that it sucks. When the Pixel Watch 2 launched, I reviewed the system and usually appreciated it, however famous on the time that I had sturdiness considerations. You see, I took a brief journey shortly after getting a model that I bought for private use and managed to scratch it inside days. It pissed me off to the purpose that I mainly tossed it again in a drawer, figuring out that nothing may very well be finished. With the Pixel Watch 3, I used to be near ordering my very own after reviewing it, however I took a visit to Vegas with my evaluate unit and observed a scuff on it after I got here again residence. I made a decision to not waste my cash.
You possibly can see the Pixel Watch 2 scratch within the image beneath and the scuff on the Pixel Watch 3 up prime.
These units nonetheless work simply high-quality, however whenever you put on a watch all through the day, nothing brings on unhappiness as rapidly because the glare of sunshine showcasing the harm allowed by the shitty show that Google placed on their watch. Like, each of those watches scratched on me and I did nothing distinctive in carrying them. I simply wore them all through life after which scratches had been there. This hasn’t occurred with any of the opposite dozens and dozens of smartwatches I’ve warn over time. The issue might be partly due to the domed, bubbly show, however it’s additionally simply on the tender materials alternative.
Gorilla Glass 5 is terrible. Have a look at this thread from Pixel Watch 2 homeowners and this one from Pixel Watch 3 homeowners the place the tales of scratches exhibiting up inside days or even weeks of possession are fairly widespread. I didn’t even must look laborious to search out these.
Certain, there are many responses in these threads of individuals suggesting their watch is okay as a result of they put a display protector on the watch or a type of goofy af instances. Watches are such private reflections of your model, which for me implies that I put on a watch in some ways due to its design. In different phrases, I’m not serious about dressing up my watch to guard it. Ever. I wouldn’t do it with a mechanical watch or my Garmin sports activities watches, so I shouldn’t must do it with Google’s Pixel Watch both.
Apple doesn’t promote display protectors, nor does Samsung, as a result of their prime watches have Sapphire Crystal glass. You possibly can’t scratch them. You would possibly be capable of do some case harm with a superb bonk towards an object, however that tumbler isn’t scratching. Google does promote display protectors for its watches, as a result of nicely, it is aware of it must. That’s simply so unlucky.
I’d like to put on a Pixel Watch. I believe the design is phenomenal and the way in which it suits so properly with the Pixel 9 Professional expertise is precisely what I’m on the lookout for. However paying for a watch that sometimes begins at $349 after which both being pressured to place some terrible case on it or worrying about scratching it at any second just isn’t one thing I wish to do. For 2025, I’d like to see Google step up their glass sport on a Pixel Watch 4. We’ll be 4 variations into this concept and it’s time for them to take it extra severely.