Google, a technology giant, has released its long-awaited and much-hyped Pixel Watch smartwatch to accompany its desirable flagship Pixel 7 smartphone series. This sentence gives you get an idea of the importance and level of expectation on Google’s shoulders here. And given how long we’ve been waiting and the sheer ability of all the companies involved, the Pixel Watch should be Google’s Apple Watch moment. Except it’s not even close. This is what it’s like, and where it all goes wrong. The Pixel Watch is definitely a watch. It has a circular case, a crown on the side, and a strap to secure it to your wrist. It is devoid of design flourish or extraneous visual garnish, and while there is a button on the side of the case, it’s flush and hidden from view, so you forget it’s there. It’s all very minimalist, but not in a good way. By avoiding anything approaching a personality or character, Google has made the Pixel Watch too simple. I don’t feel anything when I look at it. Actually, this...

Very comfortable to wear; Fitbit app is comprehensive;

Short battery life; Only one size; Missing health tracking features;

Google, a technology giant, has released its long-awaited and much-hyped Pixel Watch smartwatch to accompany its desirable flagship Pixel 7 smartphone series. This sentence gives you get an idea of the importance and level of expectation on Google’s shoulders here. And given how long we’ve been waiting and the sheer ability of all the companies involved, the Pixel Watch should be Google’s Apple Watch moment. Except it’s not even close. This is what it’s like, and where it all goes wrong. The Pixel Watch is definitely a watch. It has a circular case, a crown on the side, and a strap to secure it to your wrist. It is devoid of design flourish or extraneous visual garnish, and while there is a button on the side of the case, it’s flush and hidden from view, so you forget it’s there. It’s all very minimalist, but not in a good way. By avoiding anything approaching a personality or character, Google has made the Pixel Watch too simple. I don’t feel anything when I look at it. Actually, this...

Very comfortable to wear; Fitbit app is comprehensive;

Short battery life; Only one size; Missing health tracking features;

Google, a technology giant, has released its long-awaited and much-hyped Pixel Watch smartwatch to accompany its desirable flagship Pixel 7 smartphone series. This sentence gives you get an idea of the importance and level of expectation on Google’s shoulders here. And given how long we’ve been waiting and the sheer ability of all the companies involved, the Pixel Watch should be Google’s Apple Watch moment. Except it’s not even close. This is what it’s like, and where it all goes wrong. The Pixel Watch is definitely a watch. It has a circular case, a crown on the side, and a strap to secure it to your wrist. It is devoid of design flourish or extraneous visual garnish, and while there is a button on the side of the case, it’s flush and hidden from view, so you forget it’s there. It’s all very minimalist, but not in a good way. By avoiding anything approaching a personality or character, Google has made the Pixel Watch too simple. I don’t feel anything when I look at it. Actually, this...

Very comfortable to wear; Fitbit app is comprehensive;

Short battery life; Only one size; Missing health tracking features;

Google, a technology giant, has released its long-awaited and much-hyped Pixel Watch smartwatch to accompany its desirable flagship Pixel 7 smartphone series. This sentence gives you get an idea of the importance and level of expectation on Google’s shoulders here. And given how long we’ve been waiting and the sheer ability of all the companies involved, the Pixel Watch should be Google’s Apple Watch moment. Except it’s not even close. This is what it’s like, and where it all goes wrong. The Pixel Watch is definitely a watch. It has a circular case, a crown on the side, and a strap to secure it to your wrist. It is devoid of design flourish or extraneous visual garnish, and while there is a button on the side of the case, it’s flush and hidden from view, so you forget it’s there. It’s all very minimalist, but not in a good way. By avoiding anything approaching a personality or character, Google has made the Pixel Watch too simple. I don’t feel anything when I look at it. Actually, this...

Very comfortable to wear; Fitbit app is comprehensive;

Short battery life; Only one size; Missing health tracking features;

Google, a technology giant, has released its long-awaited and much-hyped Pixel Watch smartwatch to accompany its desirable flagship Pixel 7 smartphone series. This sentence gives you get an idea of the importance and level of expectation on Google’s shoulders here. And given how long we’ve been waiting and the sheer ability of all the companies involved, the Pixel Watch should be Google’s Apple Watch moment. Except it’s not even close. This is what it’s like, and where it all goes wrong. The Pixel Watch is definitely a watch. It has a circular case, a crown on the side, and a strap to secure it to your wrist. It is devoid of design flourish or extraneous visual garnish, and while there is a button on the side of the case, it’s flush and hidden from view, so you forget it’s there. It’s all very minimalist, but not in a good way. By avoiding anything approaching a personality or character, Google has made the Pixel Watch too simple. I don’t feel anything when I look at it. Actually, this...

Very comfortable to wear; Fitbit app is comprehensive;

Short battery life; Only one size; Missing health tracking features;

The Google Pixel watch prioritises striking looks over stamina

Sleek design; Mostly solid HR and GPS tracking; High-quality haptics;

Under 24-hour battery life in always-on mode; Slightly too expensive; Ruggedness traded for style;

The Pixel Watch is a fair attempt at a first-gen smartwatch, but Google has quite a few growing pains to address

Sleek, compact design, No caveats for non-Pixel Android users, Competitively priced, Good performance

Battery drains quickly, Wonky GPS results, Strap mechanism can be finicky, We cracked one already

Google kept us waiting a long time for the Google Pixel Watch and what it has delivered is a smartwatch that looks good, but ultimately can’t hide the fact there are some bugs that hamper the experience. If Google can get those things addressed, it’ll be a far more likeable smartwatch.

Cleaner feeling version of Wear OS, Crisp display, Fitbit added into the mix, If you want a sleek-looking Wear OS smartwatch: The software runs smooth, Wear OS looks nicer than it does on other Wear watches and that’s wrapped up in a small, but attractive design.

Battery drain, Awkward to change straps, Sub-par sports tracking, You want the best smartwatch for Android users: Unfortunately, beneath that sleek hardware and software exterior, there’s some unwelcome bugs, particularly in the battery and exercise tracking department.

The first Google Pixel Watch was always going to be a test of how much Google could make up for some lost time. And with Fitbit built into the core of a revamped Wear OS, it does successfully manage to leapfrog a lot of the competition right out of the box.

Classy and slim design, Fitbit integration is a great addition, Superb sleep tracking

Minimal styling stands out from other smartwatches; WearOS is user-friendly and shows promise; FitBit health tracking is accurate and extensive;

Only one size, which can look small on many wrists; Battery barely scrapes a day with always-on screen; Display bezel is very chunky;