Google’s Pixel Watch continues to be among the best wanting smartwatches available on the market, with wonderful 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 deal with it for a possible Pixel Watch 4. Particularly, I’m speaking concerning the glass that Google is overlaying the Pixel Watch with – it’s far too gentle of a cloth for a tool that wants to have the ability to take some abuse all through a day.
As a lot of you understand, the Pixel Watch just isn’t a reparable gadget. If one thing occurs to any Pixel Watch mannequin’s show, it can’t be repaired by Google and as an alternative must be changed. It’s a really odd state of affairs, 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 consistently 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 lined by a “Customized 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5” and I can verify that it sucks. When the Pixel Watch 2 launched, I reviewed the gadget and customarily favored it, however famous on the time that I had sturdiness issues. 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 principally tossed it again in a drawer, figuring out that nothing might be executed. 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 assessment unit and seen a scuff on it once I got here again house. 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 high.
These units nonetheless work simply fantastic, however once 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 sporting them. I simply wore them all through life after which scratches have been there. This hasn’t occurred with any of the opposite dozens and dozens of smartwatches I’ve warn through the years. The issue might be partly due to the domed, bubbly show, however it’s additionally simply on the gentle materials selection.
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 frequent. I didn’t even must look onerous to seek out these.
Positive, there are many responses in these threads of individuals suggesting their watch is ok as a result of they put a display protector on the watch or a kind of goofy af circumstances. Watches are such private reflections of your fashion, which for me implies that I put on a watch in some ways due to its design. In different phrases, I’m not excited by 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 high watches have Sapphire Crystal glass. You possibly can’t scratch them. You would possibly be capable of do some case harm with an excellent bonk in opposition to 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 outstanding and the best way it matches so properly with the Pixel 9 Professional expertise is strictly what I’m searching 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 critically.