Google Pixel Watch 2 review: Better, but not quite what I wanted

Google Pixel Watch 2: An In-Depth Review

The Google Pixel Watch 2 is here to officially replace the first version of Pixel Watch by providing improved upgrades and features that make it competitive inside the smartwatch market.

Whether you're looking to upgrade from the original Pixel Watch or this might just be your first venture into the smartwatch world, you'd like to know it all, especially if you're an Indian user. So let's compare it with its predecessor, the most recent declared price in India, features, and more.

Introduction: Google Pixel Watch 2 Overview

The Pixel Watch 2 takes all these several notches higher with new heart rate sensors, stress detection, more safety features, workout tools, a more efficient processor, and improved battery life to again set its mark among class-leading Android smartwatches in the market at the moment.

The Pixel Watch was a passable first-gen device, and then there was the Pixel Watch 2 above and beyond it. It still features the Fitbit health-tracking technology, with the star cEDA sensor found on the Fitbit Sense 2. Plus, the new chipset brings faster Wear OS performance and 24-hour battery life—always-on display mode included.

Design and Build Quality

At first glance, the design may appear a tad familiar. Nonetheless, there are some subtle yet critical improvements in the Pixel Watch 2. Some of those design decisions, though, well, depending on how you see them, are either a bit consistent or not so much improved.

Along with that, one cosmetic observation is the thick bezel around the display. The bezel remains to be a bit on the thicker side, giving less usable screen space on the 1,000-nit AMOLED touchscreen. And then, once more, Google sells the watch in precisely one size: 41mm. If I'm to nitpick, that tends to feel a bit limiting when compared to close competitors such as the Apple Watch Series 9, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, and the Garmin Venu 3, all of which are delivered in a variety of sizes.

The difference arises as far as appearance is concerned due to Google. The Pixel Watch 2 has three colors: Matte Black, Polished Silver, and Champagne Gold, which have several belt options that can be exchanged interchangeably. Furthermore, some of the new styles have come out together with the watch. The watch casing is now made of 100% recyclable aluminum to give lightweight comfort to your wrist.

Health and Fitness Tracking Features

Pixel Watch 2, dedicated to the integral human well-being, embarks on various innovations and improvements in the health-tracking realm. Of the new and further enhanced health-tracking ones, perhaps the most attractive addition is the continuous electrodermal activity sensor that Fitbit Sense 2 bears. It seeks to detect stressful levels and changes in the mood across the day and invites a user log of any changes this might reflect, with suggestions of activities including breathing for the minute or two of effort in pursuing balance.

The Pixel Watch 2 adds a skin temperature sensor. It also features an upgraded multi-path heart rate sensor, which will likely deliver a 40% accuracy improvement over what the original Pixel Watch had. The first Pixel Watch was actually really accurate with regard to its heart rate sensor, but this upgrade definitely puts the Pixel Watch 2 among the best when it comes to health and fitness tracking.

For the fitness devotees, the Pixel Watch 2 has added auto-detection of activities, zones for heart rate when working out, and with a Pace Training feature for runners. But for the serious athlete, it's still hard to beat something like a Garmin Venu 3 or Garmin Forerunner 265.

Safety Features

Safety is a real standout feature in the Pixel Watch 2: It introduces considerations that should calm the user. Taking after the emergency SOS and fall detection features on the original Pixel Watch, the Pixel Watch 2 adds a Safety Check feature. This feature allows the user to estimate time for an activity, such as commuting or exercising, and sends an alert to an emergency contact if they do not confirm their safe arrival or completion.

This Safety Check feature is most useful in scenarios when you might feel your safety is not guaranteed. When in an emergency, it can share your location with the emergency contact via Google Maps, meaning that additional security is provided. This is a lot like Apple's Check In feature, but again, it's only something you get on Android.

Wear OS Software and Ecosystem

Now, the real upgrade, the Google Wear OS 4.0 on the Pixel Watch 2, massively levels up this experience. This new operating system brings some efficiency improvements to it and basically adds new wrist-based convenience. Things like a dedicated Gmail and Calendar app definitely make this a game changer, particularly for somebody who is always around and has to know what's happening. These apps integrate well with other Google service partners, yet provide a linked ecosystem that makes it easy for users to move around their digital lives.

From checking directions on Google Maps and streaming music using YouTube Music, to controlling smart home devices through Google Home and making payments via Google Pay, the Pixel Watch 2 becomes a very strong extension of the Google ecosystem right from your wrist. In more specific terms, what could be the most exciting feature that Wear OS 4.0 boasts is deep integration with Google Assistant. The Assistant is now a whole lot faster and capable, allowing users to chat with their devices to retrieve fitness data, shoot off a text, or even perform web searches. In a few cases, it doesn't leave people behind in perpetual motion—the functionality is just the correct fit.

One more highlight is the 'At a Glance' complication for the watch face that dynamically surfaces information, keeping in mind what to show you in line with your activity at that time of day. These are features that make all the baiting about proactive, contextually aware technology from Google sound very real in its new product's potential to actually streamline your life.

Google mostly seems to have delivered in enabling this software experience with the Pixel Watch 2—a smart and connected ecosystem making life easy for people in order to reallocate the much-needed time spent handling things manually on this earth.

Battery Life and Charging

One area of vast improvement, therefore, has been the battery life, which happened to be one of the major issues with the original Pixel Watch. The first generation Pixel Watch would usually struggle to stay alive through one workday, more so when the always-on display would be on. With the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 processor, the Pixel Watch 2 has definitely made marked gains in power efficiency over its predecessor.

With the always-on display on, Google promises something upwards of 24 hours of battery life—a claim that stands up well in real-world testing. Now, you can finally depend on your watch through an entire day of even intensive activities without keeping a fearful eye on your battery level.As for the test scenarios, Pixel Watch 2 showed excellent endurance.

For instance, in a 6-hour walk with GPS and location tracking on, the entire time the device was only losing around 10% per hour off the battery while—contrast this with the original Pixel Watch, which more normally dropped close to 20% per hour.

This kind of improvements will lead to the fact that Pixel Watch 2 will be more sport-friendly for users who undertake long-term activities, like hiking or a marathon challenge.

The way it charges, however, has changed a bit and may not be to everyone's likability. Specifically, Pixel Watch 2 has gotten rid of the convenient charging that was wireless in the original variant, choosing instead some kind of proprietary charging method that needs precise alignment with the charging pins.

This change in design thus renders the charger from a first-generation Pixel Watch incapable of cradle use with the new model, potentially leaving some infuriated users. While this charging method might be more efficient, it does take a bit more care and attention to make sure it properly aligns, which could be seen as stepping back on user convenience.

Price and Availability

The Pixel Watch 2, on the other hand, officially launched on October 12, 2024, alongside Google's much-awaited hardware event, unveiling the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. The price positioning of Pixel Watch 2 in India is in the mid-to-high smartwatch segment, to capture the market from a tech-hungry user base and offer a premium wearable.

It is priced at approximately ₹ 28,000 for the Wi-Fi only variant, while the LTE variant allowing the user to stay connected independently, rather than depending on a connected smartphone, costs ₹32,000. This obviously requires a data plan from a mobile carrier, against which something has to be set aside.

The Pixel Watch 2 has a competitive pricing strategy when it is lined up with some popular smartwatches in the market of India. Therefore, the rival party shows the Apple Watch Series 9 as a very sturdy device, running a tight and premium ecosystem, to begin with, at a price starting at ₹33,000. Another strong contender aiming to dethrone the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 at the base price is its slightly more bro-appeasing price, beginning at ₹24,000.

Hence, the Pixel Watch 2 makes a middle-way between both, balancing top-notch features with a rather more affordable price tag. In short, this pricing would make the offering very interesting to all those users desiring a feature-loaded smartwatch but not intending to move into the ultra-premium price band. Besides, the availability of both Wi-Fi and LTE models gives users the option to decide on the variant that would work best for their kind of connectivity needs, subsequently making the Pixel Watch 2 a versatile opportunity in the world of smartwatches.

Conclusion

The Google Pixel Watch 2 advances mainly in health and fitness tracking the smartwatch line. With new features like the cEDA sensor and integrated heart rate monitoring, the product becomes essential for individuals concerned with their health. With that being said, the Pixel Watch 2 comes with its fair share of cons. Sticking to a single size option, besides my unsolicited guidelines of pretty thick bezels, might scare some people off. When combined with the move from convenient wireless charging to a clumsier means of charging altogether, it is definitely backward in that respect.

The Pixel Watch 2 is a great purchase for those who seek a stylish gadget with a display that complements the surrounding color. Their improved battery life, combined with upgraded health tracking features and exclusive Wear OS 4.0 apps, means the Pixel Watch 2 could be one of the contend and tough players in the 2024 smartwatch market.

FAQs

1. What does Google Pixel Watch 2 price in India?

The Wi-Fi edition of the Google Pixel Watch 2 will be priced at around ₹ 28,000, while the LTE edition will cost ₹ 32,000. Therefore, the product will be more on the high end for smartwatch enthusiasts. The pricing is Google's way of product-making that puts the premium feature into devising advanced health monitoring sensors and being extremely efficient in terms of robust fitness tracking.

The pricing is competitive within the market and will be the favorite of users who can seamlessly put it beside their Android devices. With only the packed feature set of Google, the Pixel Watch 2 gives great value for those looking towards a high-performance wearable.

2. What are the main features of the Pixel Watch 2 for health and fitness?

The Google Pixel Watch 2 presents itself with an advanced suite of health and fitness features, making it beneficial and relevant to a huge portion of the user base. It sports a continuous electrodermal activity sensor to monitor stress and a skin temperature sensor for insight into well-being. Besides the general features, the advanced heart rate sensor further ensures the maximum possible accuracy in readings during workouts, while the feature for automatic activity detection makes fitness tracking quite easy because it identifies different exercises. It also contains features like heart rate zone monitoring and Pace Training to help runners work out at the perfect pace.

3. Can a Pixel Watch 2 be wirelessly charged?

No, the Google Pixel Watch 2 doesn't support wireless charging, and after you are used to bleak wireless charging mats, it can be a bit of a downer. Instead, it needs certain alignment with its charging pins to juice up for a secure, consistent connection. Note that the first-generation Pixel Watch charger is not compatible with the Pixel Watch 2. Users would thus spare themselves the hassle by going for a packaged charger upon purchase or purchasing an extra one specifically meant for this series. This could further suggest that users will now have to be more careful about how they charge their watches.

4. What is going on with the battery life of the Pixel Watch 2?

Google Pixel Watch 2 is expected to last an entire day on a single charge, even with always on display enabled; that will be quite a feat for a smartwatch that bears many other high-end ingestions. This majorly influences huge battery life, alongside the power efficiency of Qualcomm Snapdragon W5, which makes it optimize power usage without compromising performance. This will ensure that the smartwatch, for those users who depend on it continuously to track their health and fitness, lasts through a full day of activity and monitoring. For frequent GPS or other power-consuming features, however, recharging may be necessary daily.

5. Does the Pixel Watch 2 work with iPhones?

The Google Pixel Watch 2 will not work with iPhones, another part that is disadvantageous to households of mixed devices. Of course, it is designed specifically for Android devices running versions 9 and above, and it integrates perfectly with the software giant's bundle of products. On that note, this means that anyone operating Apple inc. devices will have to look elsewhere if they want to get into an entirely integrated offering. The lack of iOS compatibility might limit the Pixel Watch 2's appeal to a broader audience, but it allows Google to optimize the watch's functionality for Android users, ensuring better performance and feature support.