Now in its third yr, the Pixel Watch expertise stays fairly constant in 2024. In comparison with Pixel telephones, it’s tougher to tell apart every era’s {hardware}, whereas the software program has modified even much less.  

I nonetheless benefit from the bulbous design of the Pixel Watch, and wouldn’t need that core factor to alter within the close to time period. A pure method to progress the design can be making the display screen ever bigger, whereas a bolder concept is eliminating the crown for a digital dial or some form of touch-sensitive aspect floor. 

Equally, I’ve no qualms concerning the present Put on OS interface and suite of apps. Google Assistant remains to be in use, and I really feel like Gemini is because of substitute it. What stays to be seen is how succesful it is going to be on the wrist, with Gemini Extensions making for a strong expertise and Reside taking the voice expertise a step additional.

Pixel Watch Characteristic Drops 

Characteristic Drops often carry a handful of latest options for the Pixel Watch within the type of app updates. Pixel Buds Professional Audio Switching added help for the Pixel Watch in January, whereas March was centered on bringing Pixel Watch 2 options to the unique wearable. This included the Fitbit Loosen up app, Auto Exercise Mode (begin/cease), Tempo Coaching, and Coronary heart Zone Coaching, with public transit instructions in Google Maps for Put on OS additionally going official.

In-between the Characteristic Drops, April’s patch launched a Vibration watch to inform the time with haptics. The Pixel Watch 2 in June gained Automobile Crash Detection, whereas each generations have been up to date with higher detection for bicycle-related drops in Fall Detection. There’s additionally the Google Dwelling Favorites Tile, machine problems, and expanded on-wrist controls, in addition to PayPal help in Google Pockets.

October was a smaller replace with the Particular person contacts Tile and skill to ship Gmail emoji reactions in your wrist. Afterwards, we bought the “totally charged” notification and new charging display screen on older watches. December was slightly bit extra substantial:

• Nest Cam and Doorbell dwell streams on the Pixel Watch 2
• Free Cardio Load and Goal Load on all Pixel Watches and fashionable Fitbit trackers/watches

Put on OS 5

The Pixel Watch 3 debuted Put on OS 5, with the first addition being grid app launcher that’s a lot extra environment friendly to navigate. You additionally get a media output switcher when adjusting quantity to choose different Bluetooth gadgets. 

Google began rolling Put on OS 5, in addition to Recorder, to unique gadgets in late September, however needed to pull it resulting from a delicate brick that some skilled. Gadgets could possibly be recovered pretty simply, whereas not all customers confronted the difficulty.

The replace rolled again out in November, with Google additionally asserting that the subsequent one isn’t coming till March 2025 in a departure from the month-to-month cadence. It’s attainable that the subsequent replace will probably be Put on OS 5.1 primarily based on Android 15 with passkey and watch speaker playback help. It stays to be seen if Pixel Watch 3 will help the latter, however it actually has battery life to spare. In the end, this hole is okay as most new options are delivered by way of app updates, however it’s actually surprising. 

Pixel Watch 3 

With this yr’s wearable, we lastly bought the larger dimension that folks have wished. The 45mm mannequin is for people who discovered 41mm too small, whereas the battery life is meaningfully higher and might simply get you round two days of utilization (with some administration). Notably, Google undersold the distinction (420 vs. 307 mAh) and stated each fashions get 24 hours with AOD.

In the meantime, the 41mm mannequin bought a barely larger display screen (in the identical physique) that as a every day consumer is noticeable on watch faces. The screens additionally profit from 1-60Hz refresh charge and 1-2000 nits brightness. 

On the software program entrance, the Pixel Watch 3 launched:

• Auto Bedtime Mode
• Up to date Each day Readiness 
• Cardio and Goal Load
• Exercise Builder for customized runs + type evaluation 
• Lack of Pulse Detection
• Google Dwelling TV distant management and Tile, Nest Cam/Doorbell streams with replies
• Pixel Recorder app with Tile
• Pixel Digital camera replace with Viewfinder redesign and launch shortcut on watch face
• Name Help in Pixel Cellphone app 

When it comes to new bands, we simply bought the Efficiency Loop simply earlier than Thanksgiving with out a lot fanfare. 

Fitbit

After getting a giant app revamp the yr earlier than, Fitbit spent 2024 modernizing the stats pages: Sleep, Coronary heart Price, Stress administration rating, Temper, Mindfulness, and Weight. There was additionally a pill redesign and Materials You settings web page.

Google this yr made an up to date Each day Readiness Rating free with no need a Fitbit Premium subscription on older gadgets, with the identical factor occurring for Cardio and Goal Load at yr’s finish.

With the Pixel Thermometer integration, we additionally get the power to manually log physique temperature, in addition to Well being Join integration and the power to share AFib information with a physician. Fitbit Labs launched this yr to check the Insights explorer and Sleep Labs. 

In the meantime, we bought a larger July replace for the Sense 2, Versa 4, Cost 6, and Encourage 3, whereas there was the Fitbit Ace LTE launch for teenagers.

On the branding entrance, then stopgap “Fitbit by Google” was changed by “Google Fitbit,” with fitbit.com deprecated and the Google Retailer taking up. Equally, the internet dashboard and Fitbit Pay went away.

Extremely, we nonetheless don’t have a darkish theme. Google is presumably ready to totally modernize all of the stats pages earlier than making this transfer, however it’s positive taking a very long time.