Google announced its newest crop of Pixel hardware today in New York: thePixel 8,Pixel 8 Pro, andPixel Watch 2are all available for preorder right now. I had about an hour to play around with the new Pixel Watch this morning, and it’s… really similar to thefirst-generation Pixel Watch. I never had a problem with the Pixel Watch’s hardware, so that’s fine in my book — but I’m really hoping for meaningful improvement in one particular area that Google couldn’t show off in a demo.
Google Pixel Watch 2
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is the sequel to Google’s first self-branded smartwatch. The second generation doesn’t reinvent the wheel, instead offering a handful of low-key improvements like a redesigned digital crown, Wear OS 4 out of the box, and a newer chipset that should offer better performance and battery life.
The Pixel Watch 2 looks and feels pretty much exactly like the first-generation Pixel Watch. With the two side by side (and face up), there’s noting to visually differentiate the two: they’re the exact same size and shape, come in the same three finishes (matte black, silver, or champagne gold), and have the same chunky bezel around their circular AMOLED displays. Just like last year, there’s only one size: 41mm.
Having used a first-generation Pixel Watch for months, I honestly didn’t learn much from my limited time with the Pixel Watch 2. Aside from some new sensors on the bottom of the device — it’s got an updated heart rate sensor, a new skin temperature sensor, and a Fitbit Sense-style cEDA sensor — the two are visually identical. The new watch is made from aluminum rather than stainless steel, so it’s alittlelighter than the first generation, but I wouldn’t have noticed if nobody told me.
Left: Pixel Watch 2. Right: The first-gen Pixel Watch.
The only new hardware feature I did notice was the improved digital crown. It’s smoother to rotate, and using it to scroll through the UI feels more natural and satisfying than it did in the first-gen Pixel Watch. Overall, I like the hardware quite a bit. It’s got a unique, classy look, and while it would be nice to have a larger size option for big watch people, but if there’s only one size, I’m glad it’s the 41mm Google’s stuck with two years in a row.
I’m much more interested in one improvement Google couldn’t demonstrate in a short hands-on session, though. The Pixel Watch 2 trades up from the first generation’s aging Exynos chipset to a newer Qualcomm Snapdragon W5. That’s sure to have some performance implications, but the first-generation watch was already about as snappy as any other Wear OS watch. The main thing I’m still wondering about is battery efficiency.
Google’s claiming that the Pixel Watch 2 lasts 24 hours at a stretch with the always-on display enabled. Considering watches like the largerGalaxy Watch 6models and theMobvoi TicWatch Pro 5can last two full days or more with AOD, a single full day isn’t terribly impressive, and I hope Google’s being conservative in the estimate. But either way, it should be a step up from the first generation, which was advertised as being able to make it 24 hours with AOD turned off.
The first-gen Pixel Watch was my personal favorite Wear OS watch for a long time — its unique hardware and slick, exclusive watch faces were head and shoulders above what the competition was offering, style-wise. But I have to admit that the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic I reviewed over the summer is, for most people, a better option, almost solely because I was never worried I’d run its battery down in a single day.
Left: Pixel Watch 2. Right: The first-generation Pixel Watch.
If the Pixel Watch 2 manages to be at least as good as the first generation and comfortably lasts more than a single day per charge, it could end up being a real contender forbest Wear OS watchout there — and not just for style-conscious Google nerds willing to put up with a little battery anxiety. I’m excited to get more time with the watch to find out how it stacks up.
The Pixel Watch 2 is available for preorder now for $350 and starts shipping next week.
