TheGoogle Pixel Watchis our premium pick from thebest Android smartwatchesmoney can buy. While the newerSamsung Galaxy Watch 6lineup trumps Google’s smartwatch in all key aspects, the Pixel Watch stands out with its unique, high-end styling and Fitbit integration. But Google’s smartwatch is not perfect. In the 11 months the wearable has been on sale, various issues related to its build quality and battery life have consistently popped up. With thePixel Watch 2less than two weeks from its official unveiling at theMade by Google event on October 4, here’s our wishlist for what Google needs to get right with its second smartwatch.
1. Better build quality
The original Pixel Watch looks stunning. There’s no doubt about that. But its build quality is terrible. There have been numerous reports fromPixel Watch owners about its back suddenly falling offfor no fault of their own, likely due to a weak adhesive. Pixel devices have always suffered from poor build quality, so such issues popping up on the Pixel Watch were not surprising.
With the Pixel Watch 2, here’s hoping Google gets its act together and ensures no such build quality problems — theIP68 certification we spottedin Google’s teaser video would mean tighter tolerances, so it’s not completely infeasible. And while it’s at it, the company should also make the design more repairable. If youcrack your Pixel Watch’s display, your only option is to get another unit, as replacement parts are not available.
2. Bigger casing
You can get the Apple Watch in 41mm or 45mm sizes, depending on how big (or small) your wrists are. Even Samsung offers the Galaxy Watch 6 in multiple sizes. However, you can only get the Pixel Watch in one size: 41mm. This size works for women’s wrists or anyone with a slim or petite build. But if you have large wrists, Google’s watch will look comically small.
With the Pixel Watch 2, Google should ideally introduce a bigger 45mm case option, packing a bigger display. And the larger case should provide more room for a bigger cell, leading to a longer runtime. For comparison, the Apple Watch Ultra has a 1.92-inch display, while the Pixel Watch has a considerably smaller, albeit round, 1.2-inch screen.
Sadly, all the leaks so far point to the Pixel Watch 2 coming in the same size as its predecessor. Perhaps the company will spring a surprise at its October 4 event with a larger casing size option for the Pixel Watch 2.
3. Support for reverse wireless charging using your phone
TheGoogle Pixel 6and Pixel 7 series support reverse wireless charging. The Pixel Watch also charges wirelessly through its bundled charging puck. You’d think it would be possible to reverse wireless charge the Pixel Watch using your Pixel phone. But that’s not the case, even though the charging animation might appear when you try this. This is because Pixel phones support Qi wireless charging, while the Pixel Watch does not.
However, this is not Google’s fault, as all thetop Android smartwatcheslack Qi wireless charging, despite many, like the Pixel Watch, coming with a wireless charger — these aren’t Qi certified, sadly. But the company can take a cue from Samsung. While the Galaxy Watch 5 and 6 series also lack Qi wireless charging, it is possible to reverse wireless charge them using one of the company’sGalaxy phones.
Reverse wireless charging on a smartphone is of limited use. But being able to charge your watch using your phone in a pinch is one scenario where the feature can be convenient.
4. Longer battery life
Google claims the Pixel Watch offers “up to 24 hours” of battery life. That’s on paper, though. With Always-on display enabled, an hour of GPS tracking, and plenty of notifications, you can completely drain the smartwatch’s battery in around 18 hours. And that’s the problem.
This poor battery life might force you to decide between using the smartwatch to track your workouts or sleep. Or you might have to disable a few health sensors on the smartwatch to ensure it can do both.
The Pixel Watch 2 does not need to offer multi-day battery life like theGalaxy Watch 5 Pro; it only needs to last 24–30 hours of heavy use with sleep tracking and other health features enabled. Ideally, the wearable should have around 20–30% juice left after over 24 hours of use, including sleep tracking. This way, you can charge it to 100% in about 45 minutes while you get ready for school or work every morning.
Rumors indicate thePixel Watch 2 could use a more efficient Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip. Add in the underlying improvements inWear OS 4, and the Pixel Watch 2 should impress in the battery life department.
5. Wider availability and better support
All Google Pixel devices suffer from one common issue: poor availability. The Pixel Watch is no exception here: it is only available in nine markets. And even then, the LTE model is not available in all regions. If Google wants consumers to take its smartwatch ambitions seriously, it needs to ensure they are available in a lot more markets.
Ideally, the Pixel Watch 2 should launch in the same markets as thePixel 8series. A wider availability will ensure more consumers can try Google’s latest smartwatch, leading to better sales, thereby encouraging the company to make its wearable lineup even better.
Besides wider availability, Google must also provide better support for the Pixel Watch. As mentioned before, the watch’s back falling off due to poor build quality was widely reported. In some cases, owners had to escalate the issue to get a replacement unit, as Google’s support asked for a $300 deposit to file a warranty claim.
Google is holding its hardware efforts back
Google’s hardware has potential. This is why the Pixel lineup has such a loyal and strong fan following despite so many build quality issues. But the company is also the one that’s holding the Pixel lineup back.
The Pixel Watch was a great first attempt, and thanks to regular software updates, it has only improved since its release. The Pixel Watch 2 does not need a breakthrough new health feature to succeed. Google needs to focus on making all the right upgrades that help deliver a more refined user experience.
