The Pixel Watch is well certainly one of our favourite smartwatches. After years of rumors and leaks, Google gave us a smartwatch that not solely appears nice however it runs Put on OS extremely effectively and even brings Fitbit into the combo. As Google’s first smartwatch, it is fairly spectacular.
Nonetheless, the Pixel Watch is much from one of the best Android smartwatch available on the market, and there are a variety of issues Google can study from its first 12 months with its personal smartwatch {hardware}. The corporate could possible introduce the successor to the Pixel Watch later this 12 months, so if it does, there are some methods we expect Google can enhance on the expertise with the Pixel Watch 2.
Higher battery life
Whereas the Pixel Watch is a good smartwatch, Put on OS is not precisely recognized for being simple on the battery. In our expertise, the watch lasts roughly a day on a single cost, perhaps a day and a half if we’re fortunate. It is not precisely recognized for longevity, which does not bode effectively for Google’s first smartwatch.
With Google’s next-generation Pixel Watch, the corporate must attempt to set a typical with battery life. Pixel smartphones have fairly nice battery life, so the watch must match.
In fact, it’d assist if Google used a extra up-to-date chipset. The corporate is outwardly utilizing the Exynos 9110 chip, which is constructed on a 10nm course of. It performs very effectively however will not be as environment friendly as Samsung’s newer Exynos W920 chip used within the Galaxy Watch 5 collection. Maybe utilizing the newer chip alongside a devoted co-processor will assist enhance battery life.
Refine the design
Having a crown on a smartwatch is not precisely distinctive. For watches that do not have capacitive or rotating bezels, à la Galaxy Watch, it is a helpful addition that makes navigating menus slightly simpler. Nonetheless, the location of the crown might be a problem for some.
One criticism Fossil smartwatch house owners have is that the crown can get in the way in which when figuring out due to how one’s hand is commonly positioned when performing sure exercises and workout routines. It may trigger undesirable button presses, and in case your hand is held in place lengthy sufficient, you may by chance energy your watch off. It’s kind of of a problem once you’re attempting to make use of your watch to observe your exercise.
Google may wish to think about transferring the crown, so it is not positioned on the middle. Just like how Samsung and Mobvoi place two buttons on the prime and backside whereas preserving the middle button-free, Google may place the crown on the underside whereas the multitasking button may stay as an alternative (this could clearly be totally different for left-handed customers that put on their watches on their proper arms). This manner, the crown is not digging into your hand throughout exercises.
And talking of the button, Google ought to make it in order that it is not so flush with the chassis and think about altering its place in order that it protrudes from the facet and never from slightly below the watch; that means, it will be a bit simpler to press.
Greater display screen and extra sizes
Lots of the finest Put on OS watches can be found in multiple case measurement. Nonetheless, for some purpose, Google opted for a one-size-fits-all smartwatch. Sadly, the 41mm case measurement is on the smaller finish of smartwatches.
Google ought to introduce a second bigger measurement for the Pixel Watch 2, at someplace round 43mm or 44mm. It also needs to include a bigger show for each fashions. 1.2 inches is fairly small — even the smaller Fossil Gen 6 fashions have nearer to a 1.3-inch show. Smartwatches aren’t actually the place one goes for content material, however studying notifications and issues could be rather a lot simpler with a bigger show.
And on that notice, Google must do one thing about these bezels. They don’t seem to be as dangerous as we as soon as thought they’d be, and so they mix fairly seamlessly with the show, which is a pleasant contact. However when utilizing the watch, the bezels are fairly noticeable.
Extra (cheaper) third-party bands
A part of the Pixel Watch’s attraction is the truth that, just like the Apple Watch, Google went with a proprietary connector for Pixel Watch bands. Nonetheless, whereas they could look good, they’ll restrict the choice for third-party bands versus different Android smartwatches just like the Fossil Gen 6 that go along with extra normal connectors.
One of many greatest complaints amongst Android Central employees relating to the Pixel Watch is that there must be an even bigger collection of official third-party bands. Not solely is the present collection of third-party bands small, however a lot of them look low-cost, have free connections, or simply utterly fall off.
It does not assist that Google’s first-party bands are very costly. The corporate actually must companion with third-party accent makers so we will have a bigger and higher collection of bands at extra inexpensive costs.
Qi wi-fi charging
One of many greatest issues with wearables is all of the proprietary charging options. No two wearables have the identical charger, and it may be fairly obnoxious for these of us with a number of smartwatches or wearable units. And whereas laws is being put in place for USB-C to turn out to be the usual throughout smartphones and bigger units, smartwatches do not have such guidelines.
Some smartwatches, like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line, have some type of wi-fi charging, however you will not discover Qi charging assist, which has turn out to be a typical for smartphones and is even suitable with many wi-fi earbuds. Fossil states that it didn’t embody Qi with its Gen 6 smartwatch as a result of it is slower and it will make the watches thicker. Nonetheless, the comfort of wi-fi charging could outweigh these complaints, particularly if you would like a comparatively fast top-up and you do not have your watch charger round.
Final 12 months, there was loads of hullabaloo about wi-fi charging on the Pixel Watch, which is not formally supported. Nonetheless, it is a function we’d like to see on the following model, even when it means a barely thicker gadget.
Extra options
Google has been step by step including extra options to the Pixel Watch, which is sweet. Nonetheless, there are some options we want to see the corporate embody with the launch of its subsequent watch.
For starters, we want the choice to customise the buttons. Proper now, Pixel Watch customers are on the mercy of no matter Google has assigned for the crown and the button, and there is not any option to change this. Even on Fossil smartwatches, customers are in a position to customise the double-press of the crown. And whereas the app switcher operate of the button is a lot helpful, Google ought to supply some stage of customization for the button.
Different options we’d like to see embody extra ringtone customization, extra “traditional” fashion watch faces from Google, and the choice to customise the short settings menu. The watch also needs to sync modes with a smartphone, so when a Pixel goes into Bedtime Mode, the watch ought to sync with the telephone as an alternative of getting to manually flip it on. This also needs to apply to Do Not Disturb and alarms.
