We’ve been waiting for Google to support the Wear OS platform, which frequently feels unappreciated, by endorsing a wristwatch for more than five years. Now, all indications are that the Pixel Watch will launch very soon. Although there is a lot of anticipation, the Pixel Watch will never live up to the expectations.
GOOGLE IS NOT VERY GOOD AT FIRST-GENERATION PRODUCTS The main factor that will affect the buzz surrounding the Pixel Watch is as follows. Google isn’t very good with older devices. The company’s whole range of smart speakers and their varied form factors are an exception to the pattern, but it appears like everything else has experienced issues during the first generation.
Examples? The original Chromebook Pixel received a lot of praise for its performance and appearance when it first debuted before Google’s updated hardware vision, but for a notebook that cost over $1,200, it had a screen that quickly burned in.
There are still many models to draw from in our contemporary era of Google hardware. Although the first Pixel was a fantastic phone, over time it started to show some not so minor issues and fell behind the competition in terms of style and functions. In those days, customer service was also pretty subpar.
The most recent batch of Nest cameras, which are the first products wholly under Google’s control, would be a more current example. The new Nest Camera has a very subpar sensor, and the supporting software is far from complete. Many of the same software issues that plague the battery-operated Nest Doorbell also affect it, and it has also come under fire for how it manages the weather and the lack of communication surrounding those issues.
Why can the Pixel Watch malfunction? Regardless of how little they may be, software problems almost always exist. Furthermore, given that this watch is anticipated to be roughly the same size as Samsung’s smaller Galaxy Watch 4 , a gadget we determined to have the bare minimum of acceptable endurance, there is a good probability that battery life will be subpar. Additionally, for the first time, Fitbit integration is taking place, and from every angle, the app environment supporting it appears to be very unclear.
Additionally, this is the first time Google is tackling smartwatches. What happens if there is just one size? What if there are issues with the band connectors? Additionally, the bulbous display seems to be a disaster waiting to happen.
This display will be a nightmare for durability, I predict. In order to create a more comprehensive product, Google is unable to draw on its own experience. Sure, the business can reflect on the past failures of its Wear OS partners and consider what has worked for Apple and Samsung as the industry leaders. Google nevertheless has a tendency to improve upon its errors. The Pixel 2 XL’s poor display came under scrutiny. The Pixel 3 made it better. Due to its poor battery life, the Pixel 4 received little attention. For its time, the Pixel 5 had some of the best durability.
Google can’t look back at its own errors with a smartwatch, which results in growing pains. Even though these early hardware leaks have already shown us a lot of benefits, they don’t reveal anything about what it will be like to use a Pixel Watch on a daily basis. Additionally, there are still a ton of unanswered concerns regarding Google’s software offerings, where there are even more chances to let supporters down.
When the Pixel Watch is finally released, you can bet that many people won’t remember that it is a first-generation product. When you consider paying for it, though, you should keep that in mind.
Samsung Raised the Bar Quite High. The direct rivalry only makes Google’s uphill battle with the Pixel Watch hype worse. Samsung, who has been setting the standard for Wear OS for the past year with its Galaxy Watch 4 series, is Google’s partner in this newly discovered Wear OS rebirth. Even though it wasn’t perfect, that product was the first real Apple Watch competitor in the Android ecosystem and is usually recognized as an excellent smartwatch.
The Pixel Watch will inevitably fall short of the Galaxy Watch 4’s legacy.
That just boils down to Samsung’s experience in a big way. At this point, Samsung has been producing smartwatches for seven years, and the Watch 4 is the culmination of all of that knowledge and all of the company’s missteps. It was Samsung’s first Wear OS watch since 2015, but it also represented the company’s admission that Tizen was no longer the best platform for smartwatches. It had all the hardware and software lessons Tizen had to teach.
THE HEAVY PRESSURE OF CONSTANT REVIEW More than almost any other product in the IT industry, Google’s hardware is frequently criticized. Sometimes, regardless matter how long a bug persists or how many people it truly impacts, it gets up on the main page of multiple websites and goes viral on social media. That’s not to say Google doesn’t occasionally make mistakes with the Pixel software—amazing it’s what flaws and errors may go undetected for weeks—but the company’s errors always seem to receive more attention than those of other brands.
The Pixel Watch will invariably be in the same situation. The Pixel Watch will have flaws, and those bugs will draw a lot of attention, whether they include disconnecting from your phone, taking a few additional seconds to activate the screen, or any other fictitious situation.
The size of the Pixel Watch’s bezels has already drawn a lot of criticism. That’s before the screen has even started to turn on, and the bezels there appear to be about the same size as those on the Galaxy Watch 4. Additionally, there is the dilemma with the bands, which makes use of a unique method like to Fitbit. Many individuals already seem to be opposed to that.
That only serves to emphasize the argument. Whatever Google decides to do with the Pixel Watch, it will always be in opposition to what a sizeable section of the current audience wants. You simply can’t win over everyone. Whatever the ultimate product turns out to be, it will fall short of the expectations that many people have set for it.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT FOR THE PIXEL WATCH? The Pixel Watch’s success will ultimately depend on its ability to capitalize on the excitement and introduce a product that consumers find appealing. How does that work?
Google must first and foremost get the health component correct. Because of its inadequate support for health, Wear OS has practically been forced into the situation it currently resides in. Fitbit will be crucial in this situation, and it appears that Google is relying quite a deal on that acquisition. Performance will be important as well, on top of that. Google has to get this aspect right, which appears to be the case given the predicted Exynos chip inside. Qualcomm’s failure to release a current smartwatch chip seriously harmed Wear OS’s ability to perform as it should.
Battery life, which at the very least needs to be comparable to the Galaxy Watch 4, and charging, which appears to be wireless and similar to Qi based on the leaks we’ve seen so far, are other elements that need to be done well. Of course, I personally prefer a quicker pin system like the one Fossil uses on its Gen 6 series, but I’m confident everything will be OK in the end.
The Pixel Watch has earned all of its excitement since it’s a device that’s been years in the making and benefits from significant investment from Google. There are numerous causes for excitement. However, it is probably wise to enter the situation with low expectations. There will be errors. There will be issues. Threads on Reddit will be debated. But in the end, the excitement is meaningless. The thing works. Will the final item be faultless? Without a doubt. But Google has made the necessary preparations to give this maiden presentation its best shot.
You’ll never be disappointed if you expect disappointment. I’ll be getting ready for this launch in that way.
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