But enough about Fitbit, you can’t really test that in a hands-on environment. So how was the hardware?
It could use some refinement
My rule with new hardware is that the first generation hardware gets a pass. And I usually don’t buy first-generation products because of that. And that is sort of the case here. The hardware doesn’t feel as premium as say, the Apple Watch or even the Galaxy Watch 5. But the Pixel Watch does sit right in the middle, in terms of pricing. The Pixel Watch is all glass, so yeah it’s gonna be fingerprint central unfortunately. But the pebble-like design does make it stand out. Something else that makes it stand out… those huge bezels. That’s something that’s hard to forgive in 2022. Those bezels are larger than some of the first Wear OS watches that came out in 2015. It does kind of blend in with the watch, so you may only notice it with some apps and settings. But once you see it, you can’t unsee it. That’s not to say the hardware is bad, but it could use some work. Of course, comparing it to the Apple Watch and the Galaxy Watch 5 isn’t totally fair, as both have made many, many watches at this point. And while this is Google’s first, it isn’t Fitbit’s. Fitbit has been making watches for a few years. Though, those don’t really look like jewelry, which is what Google wants to do here. Then there’s the bands. They scream Fitbit. Which doesn’t mean they scream quality. I’ve been wearing an Apple Watch for the past two years, and the sports band for the Pixel Watch feels very cheap compared to the Apple Watch’s sports band. The woven, stretchy band also feels very thin. We’ll have to wait to see how these hold up once we get one in hand and use it for a bit, but I don’t think these are worth the $49 and up, price tag. Stay tuned for our full review of the Pixel Watch in the coming days.
