The Pixel Watch is officially launching, and its US starting price will be $349. Google has a significant hurdle to jump to keep its first smartwatch competitive at that price, but will it succeed in the fundamentals?
Price information on the Pixel Watch, including a comparison of costs. Customers have been waiting a long time for the Pixel Watch because Google’s Wear OS has never had a strong contender. Google made the Pixel Watch official earlier this year, unveiled the look, and informed us that it would go on sale later in the year.
We have been the only source for information on Pixel Watch price as of this week, for both the Bluetooth and LTE-capable variants. Price ranges for the Pixel Watch range from $349 for Bluetooth/Wi-Fi to $399 for cellular connectivity.
How does that perform across the board in the smartwatch market? It is undoubtedly on the upper side.
The pricing of the Pixel Watch will only barely undercut the Apple Watch Series 8, which costs $399 when compared to the current market leader, the Apple Watch. Apple does, however, provide the Apple Watch SE, which costs $249 as a less expensive option.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch line-up offers more direct competition in the Android market. The Pixel Watch appears to be positioned in the center of the Galaxy Watch 5 starts at $279 and goes up to $309 for the larger variant. Samsung also offers a more expensive Galaxy Watch 5 Pro for $449 . Any model costs $50 more if cellular is included.
The price of smartwatches running Wear OS 2 varies greatly everywhere in the Wear OS market. Fossil Gen 6 retails for $299 , as opposed to the identically outfitted Skagen Falster Gen 6 asks for $295 . However, both of these are currently marked down significantly. Some of the most affordable Wear OS smartwatches are available from Mobvoi. The TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra costs $299 , compared to the TicWatch E3 costs $199 . With the exception of the Pixel Watch, all of these timepieces will eventually be able to receive Wear OS 3 upgrades.
So, when compared to its rivals, the pricing of the Google Pixel Watch seems to be somewhat in the center of the pack. It doesn’t top the charts, but it also doesn’t represent a good deal.
The rest of the company’s lineup may also have an impact on how much the Pixel Watch costs. The new Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 cost $299 and $229, respectively, and Fitbit is now an integral part of Google. For instance, if Google matched Samsung’s cost, it would be able to sell a wristwatch with more capabilities than its top-tier fitness tracker for less money.
Living up to the competition then becomes a problem. The Apple Watch is presently the industry standard for smartwatches, but the Galaxy Watch 5 has demonstrated what Wear OS can do when supported by reliable hardware. But based on what we’ve seen so far, the Pixel Watch doesn’t appear to hold up.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT FOR THE PIXEL WATCH? Early Pixel Watch leaks tend to indicate a less potent spec sheet than these other devices. The Exynos 9110 chipset is the main cause for concern because it appears like this chip was taken straight out of 2018 to power Google’s smartwatch. The 9110 was a fantastic chip when it first appeared, but technology has since improved significantly.
With its new Snapdragon W5 series, Qualcomm is prepared to build on the Exynos W920’s shown strength and efficiency in the Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 series.
The Pixel Watch’s battery life, which we’ve previously reported will only last around a day on a charge, is the other concern for some.
However, user experience demonstrates that the Apple Watch typically lasts more than 18 hours on a charge. To be fair, Apple only quotes an 18-hour battery life for the Apple Watch, so the 24-hour claim we’ve seen seems to outlive Apple’s. Samsung, on the other hand, hasn’t made an official statement regarding the battery life of the Galaxy Watch 5, but we discovered that it can easily last 30 to 40 hours depending on usage.
Apart from these two essential areas, Google has lagged behind in the race for smartwatches in many other ways. With the addition of Fitbit, Google appears to be addressing Wear OS’s long-standing lack of the health capabilities that Samsung and Apple provide. Although Google’s app store for Wear OS has a large selection of apps, some developers have taken some effort to optimize their Wear OS experiences.
I personally believe that the Pixel Watch will succeed despite its high price. Although the entry price of $349 is not cheap, it appears that everything is falling into place to produce a first-generation device that will be usable.
But it’s crucial to keep in mind that wearables are a highly individualized product. Of course, there is also the aesthetic, as smartwatches also serve as a form of fashion jewelry. But beyond that, there’s also the matter of prioritizing things. Do you want the best health and sleep tracking available? durable battery? Which app support is best? a better level of smartphone integration?
When they become expensive, mainstream smartwatches are forced to be a jack-of-all-trades because wearables now offer many of the same capabilities for a lot less money.
What then is your top priority? What needs to be perfected for the Pixel Watch for you to find it to be worth the price?
On October 6, the Pixel Watch will be formally unveiled.
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Apple Watch Series 8, which costs $399 0
