Tag: smartwatch

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Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 might arrive with an all-new processor

Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy Watch could hit the market with a brand new smartwatch chip, according to SamMobile. The new system-on-chip (SoC) is reportedly known as the Samsung Exynos W980.

Other details about the new chip include a 5nm fabrication process, and over 10 percent faster speeds than the previous generation.

The chip would serve as the successor to the Galaxy Watch 4‘s Exynos W920 from 2021. Last year, the Galaxy Watch 5 launched without a processor upgrade.

If this report proves true, it will be good news for Google’s Wear OS ecosystem. Android smartwatches are notorious for their less-than-speedy silicon, especially when compared to the Apple Watch.

The Galaxy Watch 6 is rumoured to launch this summer alongside the latest foldable smartphones offerings from the South Korean company.

Source: SamMobile Via: Android Authority

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Skagen Falster Gen 6 Wear OS 3 update starts rolling out

Fossil’s Gen 6 smartwatch received the much-anticipated Wear OS 3 update in October 2022, but owners of the Skagen Falster edition of the Gen 6 weren’t so lucky. Now, some Skagen Falster Gen 6 owners report the Wear OS 3 update is showing up.

As detailed by Android Police, Skagen Falster Gen 6 owners took to Reddit to share that the Wear OS 3 update was rolling out. So far it seems hit-or-miss, with some replies in the Reddit thread that the update hadn’t appeared yet.

The general consensus seems to be that you can manually force the update by heading to Settings > System > About > System Updates and repeatedly tapping the screen. Alternatively, some suggest power cycling the smartwatch to trigger the update. Neither of these have worked for my Skagen Falster Gen 6 so far, but hopefully, your luck is better than mine.

Of course, there are a few things to consider before you actually make the jump to Wear OS 3. First and foremost is that the update is a significant change — so much so, it requires completely wiping your smartwatch and setting it up from scratch again. Once the update is complete, you’ll need to use the Skagen Smartwatches app to pair the Gen 6 to their smartphone and set it up. That process might be too much of a hassle for some.

Coupled with some of the features people will lose by making the switch, it’s unsurprising some would rather stick with the older version of Wear OS. For example, Google Assistant is exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 series and Google’s Pixel Watch for now, so if you like having Assistant on your wrist, you may want to hold off on upgrading. Android Police also reports that the Wear OS 3 update is missing roughly half the watch faces available on the older software.

Those who do update will get a stock Wear OS experience with access to pre-installed Alexa, Spotify, Wellness, and Cardiogram apps.

Source: Reddit Via: Android Police

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Apple Watch Ultra could feature larger display with Micro LED technology in 2024

Despite only releasing a few months ago, reports surrounding Apple’s successor to the Apple Watch Ultra are already starting to appear.

According to Haitong Intl Tech Research analyst Jeff Pu (via 9to5Mac), Apple will bring Micro LED technology to the 2nd-gen Apple Watch Ultra alongside a larger 2.1-inch display, a minor upgrade over the smartwatch’s current 1.93-inch screen. Apple will likely reduce the Apple Watch Ultra’s size to fit the larger screen rather than make the device larger.

For those unaware, Micro LED technology is capable of reaching a higher brightness level and offers improved colour accuracy. Apple will likely test Micro LED display tech with the Ultra before bringing it to other devices in its lineup, like the MacBook or iPad Pro.

Pu goes on to say that Apple Watch sales are expected to dip in 2023 due to the wearables being very similar to their 2022 counterparts.

The jump from the Series 7 to the Series 8 is also very minimal, with a body temperature sensor and crash detection being the only notable new hardware features. No rumours regarding the Apple Watch Series 9 have appeared yet.

Via: 9to5Mac

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Fitbit Sense 2 Review: Running in reverse

Fitbit unveiled its newest smartwatch, the Sense 2, alongside the Versa 4 and the Inspire 3 fitness tracker back in August. Since then, both Apple and Google launched new smartwatches, with Google’s Pixel Watch largely stealing the show from Fitbit thanks in part to its inclusion of the company’s tracking tech.

That leaves the Fitbit Sense 2 in a lurch. At $399 in Canada, it’s about $50 cheaper than the base Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Pixel Watch. It’s also $100 more than the Versa 4, and $200 more than the Charge 5. One upside to this price is it’s less than the original Sense retailed for. The problem is that a lot has changed since then.

Previously, the Sense series was the pinnacle of Fitbit wearables – it offered the best tracking tech and a smartwatch experience. Now that the Pixel Watch exists, the Sense series doesn’t hold the crown for best Fitbit smartwatch. While it still offers the premiere tracking experience, it’s hard to justify paying as much as $200 more for the few extra benefits the Sense 2 offers. And if you’re looking for a smartwatch first, with the added benefit of Fitbit tracking, the Pixel Watch is a much better option.

None of that is to say the Sense 2 doesn’t have a place – it certainly does. Unfortunately, it feels like a more niche option, ideal for those who want Fitbit fitness tracking first and foremost, plus a taste of smartwatch functionality. Alternatively, it could be an option for iPhone users who want a smartwatch with fitness-tracking tech, but don’t want to go with the Apple Watch. Unfortunately, the Sense 2’s few smart features are further restricted in Apple’s smartphone ecosystem.

I could see the Sense series having a place as the ‘budget’ Google smartwatch (i.e. as a spiritual Pixel Watch Series-A), but that only works if the Sense series offers Wear OS and smart features like Google Assistant. The Sense 2, however, sports what can best be described as a cheap imitation of Wear OS, and abandoned smart features like Google Assistant that were available on its predecessor.

Specs

  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
  • Case: Aluminum
  • Dimensions: 40.5×40.5×11.2mm
  • Display: AMOLED with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  • Sensors: Multi-path optical heart rate sensor, ECG, electrical sensor for continuous EDA, red and infrared sensors for SpO2, gyroscope, altimeter, 3-axis accelerometer, ambient light sensor, NFC, skin temperature sensor, GPS
  • Water resistance: 5 ATM
  • Smartphone compatibility: Android 8+ and iOS 13.3+

Thinner, sleeker design

One of the best overall improvements with the Sense 2 over its predecessor is the design. The Sense 2 is the same length and width as the original Sense, but is a fair bit thinner and lighter (although the Sense 2 is still heavier than the Pixel Watch).

Beyond that, the Sense 2 doesn’t really change much. It sports the same squircle shape as the original Sense. It’s got the same band mechanism too, which means if you loaded up on cool bands for the Sense, they’ll still work with the Sense 2. Fitbit did move the metal band used for electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements. Instead of wrapping around the edge of the watch, the Sense 2 moved the ECG band to below the glass so it wraps around the screen like a slight extension of the bezel. It makes for a bit of an odd look and, while I don’t think it’s bad, it contributes to the Sense 2 display appearing “deep” in the watch.

Fitbit Sense (left) and Sense 2 (right) on a wrist for size comparison.

Perhaps it’s a side-effect of coming from the Pixel Watch, but the Sense 2 display appears sunken into the glass. On most devices, the screen appears to be at least on the same level as the glass, even if it’s not. That’s not the case with the Sense 2.

Weird depth aside, the Sense 2 display is otherwise fine. It’s not significantly better than the display on the original Sense, but it’s not worse either.

What’s the big deal about a button, anyway?

The button on the Fitbit Sense 2 (top) and the button-that-wasn’t-a-button on the Sense (bottom).

If you’ve followed Fitbit news, you’ve likely heard by now that the Sense 2 has a physical button. Indeed it does, and it’s not a bad button, although it doesn’t offer a satisfying tactile click. For some people, that’s more than enough of an improvement, while others might wonder why it even matters.

Before the Sense 2 (and Versa 4), most Fitbit devices had an inductive “button,” button here referring to a small, touch-sensitive divot on the side of Fitbit wearables. The button-that-wasn’t-a-button was a frustration for many users, although I never had an issue with it on the original Sense (older Fitbit trackers I tried did have some issues with the button, however).

The move to a physical button thus will please the few who abhorred the fake button and will make no real difference to the vast majority of users since, functionally, nothing has changed.

Trying really hard to be Wear OS

The app list on the Fitbit Sense 2 (left) and Wear OS-powered Pixel Watch (right)

With the hardware portion out of the way, let’s talk software. Unfortunately, this was where the Sense 2 started to fall apart for me.

First, Fitbit told me that the Sense 2 doesn’t run Wear OS, but that didn’t stop the company from loading a mediocre copy of it onto the device. The Sense 2’s user interface (UI) is a nearly 1:1 replication, including the same swipe gestures, tile system, and more. It also completely changes how you use the Sense 2 compared to older Fitbit smartwatches, which will likely cause confusion for anyone upgrading from a Fitbit. If you’re coming to Fitbit from Wear OS, first: why? And second, you’ll feel a little more at home on the Sense 2 thanks to the similarity to Wear OS.

Swiping down on the Sense 2 opens the quick tiles for adjusting common settings on the fly (on the OG Sense, this was a swipe in from the left). Swiping up on the Sense 2 shows notifications (on the OG Sense, this was a swipe down).

In direct lighting, the Fitbit Sense 2 bezel is more apparent.

Left and right swipes on the Sense 2 cycle through ‘tiles,’ which are currently dedicated to showing various fitness metrics. That’s similar to the system on Wear OS, and like Wear OS, users can edit the order of tiles through the companion app.

Finally, like Wear OS, the button acts both as the home button to return to the main watch face, and also as a way to open the app drawer, which is also designed to look just like the app drawer on Wear OS. (On the OG Sense, you swiped in from the right side to access apps.) The physical button also offers a few shortcuts, like a press-and-hold action to activate a shortcut of your choosing, such as payments or Amazon Alexa. You can double-click the button to launch a shortcut menu with access to Alexa, Settings, Notifications, and Fitbit Pay.

Performance is lacking

Regarding lag and UI performance, I’m usually a little more forgiving of smartwatches. By their nature, they aren’t as powerful as smartphones, which are expected to offer a buttery-smooth experience all the time. With that in mind, there’s a fairly stark difference between a responsive watch with the odd bout of jitter, and an unresponsive, laggy watch. Unfortunately, the Sense 2 is more often in the latter category.

The Wear OS-like UI is fairly swipe-heavy, and as you try to navigate around, you can often see frames dropping and animations jittering. The watch is useable, but it often feels like I’m waiting for it to catch up to me.

If the Fitbit Sense 2 were more of a smartwatch and less of a fitness tracker, the performance might be a bigger problem. I mostly used the Sense 2 as a fitness tracker, which was generally fine. But when trying to engage with the ‘smart’ features, the performance often made using the watch more trouble than it was worth.

One bright spot, however, is battery life. In my testing, the Sense 2 easily hit the six-day claim Fitbit made. That said, I didn’t make much use of the GPS features since I’m not a runner – heavy GPS users will likely see shorter battery life.

Less smart before

It doesn’t help that Fitbit seems to have stripped away many of the features that helped the Sense line feel like a smartwatch. Basics like calls and notifications showing up on your wrist are still there (but only Android users can reply to texts or notifications from their wrist). Other features like Google Assistant are missing. That’s a particular frustration for me, given that Google Assistant was the main thing I used on my OG Sense. I also praised on-wrist Google Assistant in my Pixel Watch review, in part because it feels like a necessity.

Voice commands make using the minuscule display on a smartwatch much, much better. And what’s strange is the Fitbit Sense 2 still has Amazon Alexa, so it clearly has the chops to run a voice assistant.

When I asked Fitbit about the missing features, a spokesperson told me the company completely redesigned the watch and prioritized integrating the most important features for Fitbit users, like fitness tracking. Moreover, they warned that some features “will take longer than others to release.” That includes things like Google Maps and Wallet, but when I asked specifically about whether Google Assistant would come to the Sense 2 in the future, Fitbit couldn’t “confirm or deny” whether it would happen.

I’m interested to see how Maps and Wallet will work when they arrive, but I don’t have high hopes. I also find it exceptionally odd that the Sense 2 would support some Google services like Maps and Wallet, but not Assistant.

Moreover, there’s a lack of third-party apps too. I was never a big fan of apps on watches, but my OG Sense had a few useful options like Spotify or Starbucks. Those are nowhere to be found on the Sense 2, with the Fitbit App Gallery only listing a handful of Fitbit apps, all of which came pre-installed on the watch.

Fitness remains the star of the show and the Sense 2’s Achilles’ heel

Despite all the other issues, the Fitbit Sense 2 still handles fitness tracking well. It’s got the most fitness features of any Fitbit device, including the Pixel Watch, and remains the best option for those who want the ultimate Fitbit tracking experience.

Tracking options include SpO2, heart rhythm and heart rate, skin temperature, breathing rate, and a wealth of stress-tracking features (to name a few). The problem, however, is that aside from a small selection of the stress tracking features, most of the fitness tracking capabilities are also available on the Versa 4 or Charge 5, which are both quite a bit cheaper.

In other words, if you’re not a particularly stressed person (or if you’re not interested in keeping an eye on stress), you’ll probably do just fine with other Fitbit devices. The Versa 4 offers almost all the same features, minus the stress stuff and ECG, for $100 less. The Charge 5 has ECG, lacks the stress features and several of the smart features, but clocks in at half as much as the Sense 2.

Fitbit Sense (left) and Sense 2 (right) wrist comparison.

One other interesting note I have about the Sense 2 tracking is that, at least in my experience, it’s significantly different from what the Pixel Watch reported. For example, the Sense 2 almost always listed my daily step count at around 1,000 steps more than what the Pixel Watch said. At first, I thought this was due to wearing the Sense 2 on my right wrist, as I’m right-handed. However, after swapping it to my left wrist, there was still a significant disparity in reporting. Other things, like Active Zone Minutes (a measure of activity based on heart rate) and calories burned, were similar with smaller discrepancies between the devices. Given some other testers have also reported issues with the Pixel Watch’s tracking accuracy, I’d lean towards the Sense 2 numbers being correct.

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Fossil Gen 6 smartwatches getting Wear OS 3 update, no Assistant

Fossil’s Gen 6 smartwatches can start the update to Wear OS 3 starting October 17th. The update has been a long time coming, and even still may prove disappointing for some since it lacks a few things, most notably, Google Assistant.

Fossil detailed the upgrade process and some of the caveats users should consider before updating in a lengthy Reddit post (via Android Police). First, the upgrade process will be a little more involved than a typical watch update. Fossil notes the update won’t be automatic, and instead, users will need to head into the watch settings to update (Settings > System > About > System updates).

More importantly, the Wear OS 3 update will reset the watch, erasing all data. Plus, the update can’t be undone after, which could prove problematic if users encounter any issues. Fossil says the process will require setting up the watch again, except this time with the Fossil Smartwatches app and not the old Google Wear OS app.

Fossil says the ” whole process does take some time and patience” and recommends doing it while watching TV or some other activity, as well as leaving the watch on the charger since there’s a battery hit and “some sluggishness” after updating while apps get updates from Google Play.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the update is technically to Wear OS 3.2, which Fossil notes is the most recent version available to watches using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4100 or 4100+ chips. However, Fossil indicates that users shouldn’t notice any major differences compared to watches running another version of Wear OS 3 (such as the Pixel Watch with Wear OS 3.5). There are some minor differences, and some watches sport features and capabilities added by the manufacturer, but for the most part, there doesn’t appear to be a major difference between 3.2 and 3.5.

What’s missing, and what’s new

If that hasn’t scared you off, this might. Fossil also warns that some items will be missing after the Wear OS 3 update. First and foremost, Google Assistant isn’t available on “any Qualcomm 4100-based watches,” which includes Fossil’s Gen 6 line. Fossil said it heard Google is “actively working” to bring Google Assistant to a number of devices, but the company doesn’t have a timeline from Google yet. In the meantime, Fossil does offer Amazon Alexa on the Gen 6, so users won’t be without a digital assistant.

Google Fit also won’t be on the Gen 6 after updating to Wear OS 3, although the app is still available. Fossil says this is because Fit hasn’t been updated to work with the latest Wear Health Services, so the company opted not to preload Fit on the Wear OS.

Finally, for iOS users, some Google apps will be missing too. That includes Google Wallet, although support might come for it in the future. Google Maps also isn’t officially supported for iOS users, but Fossil notes the app appears to work fine once downloaded.

Beyond that, Fossil says the latest third-party apps designed for Wear OS 3 work on its watches. Interestingly, Fossil also notes that “Fitbit seems to be only available on Pixel at this time for other reasons,” suggesting the Fitbit app could come to other Wear OS devices.

Speaking of third-party apps, Fossil lists improved apps as one of the main features of the Wear OS 3 update. Other benefits include better health and wellness tracking thanks to the above-mentioned Wear Health Services, which is more battery efficient than before. There’s a new interface which sounds very similar to the experience you get on Pixel Watch, although Fossil notes it has more access to make changes than before. As mentioned before, there’s a new companion app for phones and plenty of other tweaks and changes too.

Ultimately, if you’ve got a Fossil Gen 6 watch and are considering the Wear OS 3 update, it’s well worth reading through the informative Reddit post. If you have any questions about the update, the post likely answers them.

Source: Fossil (Reddit) Via: Android Police

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Pixel Watch Review: Jack of all trades, master of some

Google’s Pixel Watch is finally here after years of rumours. The Google smartwatch rumour mill kicked into overdrive when the company acquired Fitbit, and now Google’s first smartwatch has arrived.

But a device as widely hyped and anticipated as this comes with a lot of pressure. Expectations are high – some want to see the Pixel Watch take on the Apple Watch, which has long reigned as one of the best smartwatches available (at least, if you have an iPhone). Others want the Pixel Watch to revive the stagnant Wear OS ecosystem. And some expect the Pixel Watch to propel Google’s Pixel ecosystem into the mainstream.

It’s a lot of pressure, and while time will tell if Google’s smartwatch will achieve any of that. For now, it passes the most important test: it doesn’t totally suck.

In fact, I’d venture so far as saying it’s actually pretty good — at least for a first attempt at a smartwatch. The Pixel Watch certainly isn’t perfect, but it does the basics well and lays the groundwork for future improvement. As with any Google product, there may be questions around the “future,” but the company’s senior vice president of hardware, Rick Osterloh, seems committed to the wearable. At least, he told The Verge as much, which may be about as close to a guarantee as we’ll get.

If you’re curious about Osterloh’s thoughts on the Pixel Watch’s future, I recommend reading that interview. But we’re here to talk about the Pixel Watch’s present, and presently, it feels like a jack of all trades. Thankfully, it’s also a master of some.

Specs

Fitbit Sense 2 (left) and Pixel Watch (right).

Before we get deeper into my thoughts on the smartwatch, it’s worth taking a look at what it brings to the table in the spec department. Like some of Google’s Pixel line, the Pixel Watch isn’t exactly the most powerful smartwatch on the market, but as I’ll get into below, that doesn’t matter as much as you might think. Once again, Google’s optimization magic seems to be running at full capacity here.

The Pixel Watch is available in the following colours ([watch colour]/[band colour]): ‘Matte Black/Obsidian,’ ‘Polished Silver/Charcoal,’ ‘Polished Silver/Chalk,’ and ‘Champagne Gold/Hazel’ (Google provided a Polished Silver/Charcoal LTE Pixel Watch to test for this review). Regardless of the colour option, each Pixel Watch case is made of 80 percent recycled stainless steel and comes with an ‘Active band’ made of “Fluoroelastomer with so-touch coating.” Bands come in small (130-175mm wrists) and large (165-210mm).

  • Dimensions: 41mm diameter, 12.3mm height
  • Weight: 36g (without band)
  • Connectivity: 4G LTE (Cellular version), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHzm, NFC
  • Compatibility: Android 8.0+
  • Display: Custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 320ppi AMOLED with DCI-P3 colour, up to 1,000nits brightness
  • Power: 294mAh lithium-ion battery, USB-C magnetic charging cable
  • Chip: Exynos 9110 with Cortex M33 co-processor
  • OS: Wear OS 3.5
  • Storage and memory: 32GB eMMC flash and 2GB RAM
  • Sensors: Compass, altimeter, blood oxygen sensor (SpO2), multipurpose electrical sensor, optical heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor
  • Water resistance: 5 ATM (can withstand pressures equivalent to a depth of 50 metres)

Smart, healthy, stylish

Google’s main pitch with the Pixel Watch is that it offers health (courtesy of Fitbit), help from Google intelligence, and a beautiful design. For the most part, those three pillars align with some of the best parts of the Pixel Watch, at least based on my experience with it over the last five days (which, unfortunately, isn’t enough time to test everything). From tracking my health metrics like heart rate and sleep, to taking advantage of the convenience of Google Assistant available at all times on my wrist, the Pixel Watch definitely checks the ‘health’ and ‘help’ boxes. As for design, well, that’s a little more subjective.

I’ll get into the health and help features as I go, but I want to start with design because that’s the first thing most people will engage with when they see the Pixel Watch. Moreover, I’ll focus on the watch itself since I haven’t tried any of the bands outside of the included Active band (which, for the record, feels really durable and comfortable on the wrist).

The Pixel Watch’s domed design looks fantastic. I’ve always preferred circular smartwatches to square options (although I don’t mind Fitbit’s squircle design for the Sense and Versa series). While the Pixel Watch isn’t the first to do a circular design, the dome styling feels very modern and lends the watch a unique look.

Some might critique the bezels, but frankly, they’re not nearly as bad as some claim. They’re not small, but the domed design does a fantastic job minimizing the bezels, plus most of the watch faces available are designed to blend into the edges of the display in such a way that it feels like the screen almost falls over the edge of the dome. To even see the bezels, you need to examine the watch from odd angles in direct light. It was rare to see where the screen ended and the bezels started in typical use unless I specifically sought it out.

Thick but light

From left to right: Charge 5, Fossil Gen 6, Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Sense, Pixel Watch.

While I quite like the Pixel Watch design, I will note it’s a bit on the thick side. It’s certainly not egregious by any stretch, and the rounded design helps it feel great on the wrist. Still, side-by-side with other smartwatches, the Pixel Watch is a tad thicker (as shown in the pic above). It’s worth noting I didn’t have an Apple Watch Series 8 to compare with in photos, but the 41mm Series 8 clocks in at 10.7mm thick, a little less than the Pixel Watch’s 12.3mm.

Despite the thickness, the Pixel Watch is among the lighter smartwatch options. At 36g, it beats Fitbit’s thin and svelte new Sense 2 (45.9g) and the stainless steel variant of Apple’s 41mm Series 8 watch (42.3g). However, the same-sized aluminum Series 8 comes in a little lighter than the Pixel Watch at 31.9g, while the 40mm and 45mm Galaxy Watch 5 models are also lighter at 28.7g and 33.5g, respectively.

Weight might not seem like a big deal, but keeping things light can help avoid the feeling that the smartwatch is weighing down your wrist. Plus, with a fitness focus, having a lower weight is a benefit when you’re moving around.

To keep this section short, I’ll run through a few other notes about the Pixel Watch hardware. The haptics felt pretty good, offering subtle feedback to interactions with the watch. The buttons were clicky and tactile with no play, and the crown offered a smooth scrolling experience punctuated by haptic responses. The health sensors grouped on the bottom of the Pixel Watch appear to match Fitbit’s Charge 5 tracker.

As for the display, it looks great most of the time. If you get up close to it, you can see the pixels, but like the bezel, you likely won’t notice them much in typical use. You will notice slight discolouration at lower brightness levels, especially with grey shades. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s worth noting that the discolouration is present.

Finally, the Pixel Watch’s mechanism for attaching and swapping bands is excellent. The way the bands seamlessly flow out of the smartwatch looks great, and the mechanism is subtle and out of the way, but feels reliable. My only real complaint was that pressing the release button to disconnect the band felt a bit finicky, but I chalk that up to fat fingers.

Can’t have it all

One of my main worries about the Pixel Watch was that the Fitbit integration would feel second fiddle or tacked on to the Wear OS experience. I also had concerns about the added complexity of having to hop between multiple apps, in part because I was used to Fitbit devices where the fitness app and the wearable management app were one and the same.

Thankfully, both fears were largely unfounded. On the app side, after set-up, you can largely ignore the Pixel Watch app and just use the Fitbit app to check on health details. The Pixel Watch app does include access to some settings you won’t need often, as well as tools for customizing watch faces, but those same tools are available on the Pixel Watch and work just as well, if you don’t mind fiddling with them on a small display.

Moreover, the Fitbit integration didn’t feel tacked on at all. Instead, it was very front-and-center, with much of the default Pixel Watch set-up leaning into showing your health metrics. You can add plenty of Fitbit complications to watch faces, and the various screens you can swipe through on the watch are dominated by Fitbit health options, like steps, heart rate, sleeping details, and more.

The Fitbit experience actually felt very at home on the Pixel Watch and, in many ways, was better than my experience with it on Fitbit’s own wearables, thanks to the smooth navigation enabled by the crown. Opening Fitbit to get deeper insights into health metrics felt fast and fluid, whereas on Fitbit devices like the Sense (I, unfortunately, haven’t spent as much time as I’d like on the Sense 2 yet), doing the same felt janky. This extends beyond Fitbit to other apps on the Pixel Watch, but I’ll get into that more later.

For all the positives with Fitbit on the Pixel Watch, it’s not perfect. Perhaps the biggest criticism is that the Pixel Watch is not the best device if you want all of Fitbit’s best health-tracking features. Notable omissions include SpO2 tracking (although the Pixel Watch has the hardware for it, and Google implied it’d come in a future update), auto-start and stop for exercises, swim stroke tracking, high, low and irregular heart rate notifications, a good chunk of the Sense series’ stress tracking features, Fitbit sleep profiles, smart wake alarms and more.

At the same time, the Sense 2 lacks some of the smart features offered by the Pixel Watch, like Google Assistant (the Sense 2 oddly supports Alexa, however, but the original Sense had both assistants), Google Maps navigation, and Google Wallet (though Fitbit Pay is still available). Maps and Wallet are coming to the Sense 2 “soon,” however. The Sense 2 also lacks a cellular model, losing out on features like Emergency SOS and Fall detection (which won’t be on the Pixel Watch until “this winter”).

“The Pixel Watch’s features fall more in line with typical smartwatch functions”

With that in mind, if you’re trying to pick between a Pixel Watch or Fitbit Sense 2, it’s worth taking the time to compare the features and see which one best meets your needs (both the Google Store and Fitbit website offer compare pages for the devices). In short, those who want the most health features with a dash of smartwatch should consider the Sense 2, while those wanting a smartwatch first with some useful health tracking should go for the Pixel Watch.

Smartwatch

I’ve found that Google does a fairly good job making its smartphones feel smart, and the same is true for the Pixel Watch. Having Google Assistant on my wrist is incredibly helpful, arguably more so than on my phone, for two reasons. First is convenience – the Pixel Watch is almost always on my wrist, but I don’t always have my phone on me. The other reason is that voice control is a much better way to interact with a smartwatch than trying to navigate it by touch.

Assistant isn’t unique to the Pixel Watch, but it still feels great. The experience generally feels smoother and faster than on the Fitbit Sense or the Fossil Gen 6, other wearables I’ve tested with Google Assistant. That said, there is a bit of rhythm to adapt to when using Assistant, as there’s a bit of a pause between activating it and when it will actually register your voice. On more than one occasion, I spoke my command too quickly, and the Assistant missed some or all of what I said.

Having turn-by-turn navigation from Google Maps on my wrist is also incredibly handy. I played around with it a little, and it seemed fairly smooth, but I’m looking forward to trying it more next time I go somewhere and need navigation.

Beyond that, the Pixel Watch’s features fall more in line with typical smartwatch functions. Google Wallet is handy for making payments without digging out your wallet or smartphone, but most smartwatches support payments in some way. You can view incoming notifications from your smartphone and respond to messages with your voice, a surprisingly capable on-watch keyboard, emojis, or contextual auto-responses. Again, this is not necessarily unique to the Pixel Watch, although voice-to-text is very capable (albeit not to the calibre of the Pixel 6 or 7’s Assistant voice typing).

As an aside, responding to messages was one of the few places I noticed any lag or jitter on the Pixel Watch, with the animations that play after sending a message often dropping frames or not even playing at all. However, it never impacted my ability to respond to messages.

Spotify on Pixel Watch.

The Pixel Watch also features a built-in Play Store for finding and installing Wear OS apps. Most staples are there, from fitness apps like Strava and MyFitnessPal to Spotify, YouTube Music and more. That said, what’s available likely doesn’t stack up to the Apple Watch in part because of Google’s wavering support for the wearable OS. Hopefully, with its renewed commitment through the Pixel Watch, we’ll see more third-party developers brings apps to Wear OS. If you rely on third-party apps, check the Watch apps section on the Play Store (available here) to make sure what you need is available.

That said, most of my needs were covered by the apps that came with the Pixel Watch, and most of my time on the Play Store was spent downloading apps I thought would have come on the Pixel Watch, like the Google Camera app for remote controlling the Pixel 7’s camera.

Battery is a weak spot

While my experience with the Pixel Watch so far has been mostly positive, one area of frustration is the battery life. Google claims 24 hours of battery, but I never hit that on default settings with always-on display enabled. That might be different on the non-LTE version of the watch, but at least on the cellular model, I saw an average of 21-22 hours of battery life.

Arguably that level of battery life would be more than fine if you didn’t want to wear the Pixel Watch at night, but with Fitbit sleep tracking being one of the main features, you do need to wear the watch overnight. And even with using features like the watch’s Bedtime mode to turn off the display and mute incoming notifications, it still barely lasted through the night. This problem isn’t unique to the Pixel Watch, with Apple’s Watch Series 8 offering a similar battery experience.

In other words, if you want to use the always-on display, you may need to adapt your routine to include charging the watch before bed. In my experience, you need more than a 30 percent charge on the watch if you want it to last through the night. It’s doable, but I ultimately switched off the always-on display to get a few more hours out of a charge and reduce charging anxiety. Coming from a Fitbit Sense, it’s definitely a drawback – my original Sense easily got me through two days on a charge (although Fitbit advertises six days of battery life).

Speaking of charging, the Pixel Watch’s magnetic charger gets the job done, but I was surprised by how weak the magnets were. I found that the band put downward pressure, lifting the watch off the table enough for the charger to disconnect and drop off the bottom of the watch. I ended up charging the Pixel Watch on its side most of the time to help keep the charger connected.

Google says the Pixel Watch can charge 50 percent in 30 minutes, 80 percent in 55 minutes and fully charge in 80 minutes, which is more or less what I experience with my review unit. I did notice that the watch felt warm whenever I put it on after charging – not warm enough to be uncomfortable, but enough for me to notice.

Everything else

That covers the majority of Google’s Pixel Watch, but there are a few loose ends to tie up. For one, I wasn’t able to put Emergency SOS or fall detection through their paces, the former because I thankfully haven’t been in an emergency while testing the watch (and hopefully never will be) and the latter because it won’t be available until the winter.

It’s also worth pointing out that the speaker on the Pixel Watch is fairly middling. I didn’t expect a groundbreaking audio experience, especially out of the tiny speaker on a smartwatch. The speaker is fine for what you’ll use it for, namely hearing Google Assistant responses and the occasional on-wrist phone call, but that’s about all it’s good for.

“The most notable bug was the Pixel Watch factory reset itself after I connected it to the Fitbit app for the first time”

I’d also like to point out that if you’re aiming to get the cellular Pixel Watch, expect your wireless bill to go up by about $10/mo, depending on the carrier. The Big Three all charge $10/mo for various smartwatch plans, which either extend your smartphone’s number and data bucked to your watch or extend the number and give your watch a separate data bucket.

Granted, $10/mo isn’t a ton of money, but it will add up over time and is yet another frustrating fee you’ll need to pay.

Finally, I did encounter a few bugs, although perhaps less than expected for a new Pixel device. The most notable bug was the Pixel Watch factory reset itself after I connected it to the Fitbit app for the first time. I’m not sure what exactly triggered this, but when I set the device up the second time, I didn’t encounter the issue again. The other bug I experienced was that the Fitbit app kept giving me an error whenever I tried to initiate a sync with the Pixel Watch manually. However, background sync worked fine, and the issue went away after some software updates, so I’ll chalk that up to pre-release software.

Stacking up to the competition

From left to right: Skagen Falster Fossil Gen 6, Pixel Watch, Fitbit Sense 2.

The Pixel Watch starts at $449.99 for the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi variant and $529.99 for the LTE variant, with the only difference being support for LTE and, by extension, cellular features like calling and messaging (without your phone nearby), Emergency SOS and fall detection.

That puts it in an interesting position as it’s more expensive than the Fitbit Sense 2 at $399.95 and some Galaxy Watch 5/5 Pro models, which range from $349.99 to $629.99 depending on size and LTE support. On the Apple side, the Watch Series 8 starts at $529 for the GPS version and $659 for GPS + Cellular. The Watch SE is $329 and $399, respectively, and I’m leaving out the Watch Ultra since it’s arguably in a class of its own at $1,099 (and it doesn’t have always-on display).

Of course, comparisons to the Apple Watch are tricky given that the Apple Watch only works with iPhones and the Pixel Watch only works with Android phones. In other words, you should probably decide whether you want a Pixel smartphone or an iPhone first, then pick your smartwatch accordingly.

That leaves the Fitbit Sense 2 and the Galaxy Watch5 as the only real comparison. Granted, there are other Wear OS smartwatches out there, but as I noted with the Fossil Skagen Falster Gen 6, they’re not great. Wear OS 3 on the Pixel Watch solves many of the complaints I raised about Wear OS 2 on the Gen 6, and I’m excited to see how other watches stack up once more are running Wear OS 3.

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Cottage Life

Amazon Prime Early Access Sale bargains for the person who is always on the go

Our editorial team independently selects these products. If you choose to buy any, we may earn a commission that helps fund our content. Learn more.

You can recognize a multitasker from a mile away. They’re usually in a rush, have a travel mug in hand, ear pods in the ear, and are trying to corral their brood into a waiting vehicle. There’s always a soccer game to watch, a doctor’s appointment to go to, or a parent-teacher conference to attend. We’ve found some great deals on Amazon Prime Early Access Sale that will make life easier for the person who is always on the go.

 

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Mobile Syrup

Google unveils Pixel Watch with ‘health by Fitbit’

As expected, Google unveiled its new Pixel Watch at its October 6th Pixel event. The new Wear OS-powered smartwatch boasts “health by Fitbit” and “help by Google.”

The Pixel Watch looks, well, exactly like all the leaked details. It’s not much of a surprise — Google itself posted teaser videos showing off the Pixel Watch design in the weeks leading up to the reveal. I’ll keep the design section short since we already know most of those details.

The watch will be available in ‘Chalk,’ ‘Charcoal,’ ‘Hazel,’ and ‘Obsidian.’ Google says there will be seven band families, including active, leather, metal links, stretch, woven and other bands. Each band family includes several colour options.

Now, onto important things, like price! The Pixel Watch comes in two variants in Canada: LTE and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth. Those start at $529.99 and $449.99, respectively. Moreover, Pixel Bands start at $69.99 for active, $79.99 for woven, and $109.99 for leather. The Pixel Watch charger starts at $39.99.

Google also shared Pixel Watch tech specs, including that it uses 80 percent recycled stainless steel, uses custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, a 320ppi AMOLED display with up to 1000 nits of brightness, a 294mAh battery, Exynos 9110 chip with Cortex M33 co-processor, 32GB of eMMC flash storage and 2GB of RAM. Google says the battery last 24 hours and a 45-minute charge gives you nine hours of battery life. Speaking of charging, the Pixel Watch uses a magnetic charger with USB-C.

Finally, the Pixel Watch supports Android 8.0 and newer. Notably, Google said the Pixel Watch wouldn’t work with iOS.

Health by Fitbit

Google says the Pixel Watch’s co-processor handles the Fitbit experience, including health features like heart rate tracking. Moreover, Google said the Pixel Watch includes Fitbit’s most accurate heart rate tracking.

Regarding tracking, the Pixel Watch includes several Fitbit tracking capabilities, like ECG, but lacks some functions present in Fitbit’s latest Sense 2 smartwatch, including temperature sensing. Google says the Pixel Watch also supports SpO2, but that it had nothing to announce about SpO2 yet. Presumably, that means the Pixel Watch will get support in the future.

In all, the Pixel Watch features a compass, altimeter, blood oxygen sensor (SpO2), multipurpose electrical sensor, optical heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, and ambient light sensor.

For the swimmers out there, the Pixel Watch is 5ATM swim-proof, which means the watch can withstand pressure equivalent to a depth of 50 metres.

Google says that the Pixel Watch will offer sleep tracking, access to 40 workout modes, Fitbit’s ‘Daily Readiness‘ score, Active Zone Minutes, and more. However, to make the most of the Fitbit-based health features, you’ll need to use the Fitbit app on your Android phone. Google went so far as to describe Fitbit as the “heart” of the Pixel Watch fitness experience.

Also like Fitbit watches, to make the most of the Fitbit experience on Pixel Watch, you’ll need a Fitbit Premium subscription. Google includes six months of free Premium with the Pixel Watch. Fitbit Premium costs $12.99/mo or $104.99/year in Canada and offers expanded data and insights, more workouts, mindfulness sessions, and access to things like Wellness Report and the Health Metrics Dashboard.

Help by Google

On the Google side of things, the Pixel Watch will get a bunch of capabilities aimed at making people’s lives a little easier and safer. The Pixel Watch runs Wear OS 3.5 and will offer Google Maps, Wallet, Assistant, and ‘Emergency SOS’ for 911 calls and fall detection.

Google says the Emergency SOS features require a cellular connection, and fall detection won’t arrive until the winter. It’s unclear if (or how) these features will work in Canada, but that will hopefully change in the near future.

Google’s Pixel Watch will also have access to other Wear OS apps, with Google highlighting options like Spotify, Strava, Bitmoji, Adidas Running, MyFitnessPal, Calm, and more available from the built-in Play Store. Moreover, Pixel Watch will offer integrations with Google’s Pixel smartphones, such as the ability to use the watch as a remote control for a Pixel phone’s camera, use Find My Device, and more.

Finally, the Pixel Watch will offer 18 watch faces with complications, generally split between ‘personal’ and ‘informative.’ However, Google indicates users would be able to customize this, adding information to personal faces or reducing items on the informative faces to make them less cluttered.

The Pixel Watch will be available to pre-order on October 6th and will release on October 13th. You can learn more on the Google Store.

Additionally, stay tuned to MobileSyrup for a full review of the Pixel Watch.

Image credit: Google

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Mobile Syrup

The Pixel Watch’s bezels are thicc

Based on early leaked images, I was concerned that Google’s upcoming Pixel Watch might feature rather large bezels, but it appears they’re Apple Watch Series 3 level thicc.

According to a new leak from Japanese retailer Joshin that WinFuture’s Roland Quandt shared, the Pixel Watch’s bezels take up almost 10mm of the smartwatch’s rumoured 41mm front. That said, based on the images shared by Quandt, Google’s Wear OS 3 is capable of making the sizable bezels fade into the background of the smartwatch to some extent.

I also occasionally use the Pebble Time Round (RIP), and it has massive bezels. Still, if you look at these renders of the Pixel Watch beside the Apple Watch Series 7, there’s no comparison regarding the size of both wearables’ bezels.

Ahead of Google’s big Pixel event tomorrow, leaks regarding the anticipated wearable are still flowing, including a look at its swappable bands and even unboxing images.

The Pixel Watch is rumoured to cost $349 USD (roughly $477 CAD) for the Wi-Fi version and $399 (about $545 CAD) for the LTE iteration.

Google’s Pixel Watch is expected to be revealed at the tech giant’s fall hardware event on October 6th, alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. For everything we’re expecting to see at the keynote, follow this link.

Image credit: @rquandt 

Source: @rquandt Via: The Verge

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Another Pixel Watch leak confirms U.S. pricing for Bluetooth, LTE models

Google’s October Pixel event is on the horizon, and we already know most of the details about the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, as well as the Pixel Watch. However, new leaked details about the Pixel Watch pricing further rounded out what we know about the smartwatch.

As detailed by 9to5Google, a retail source shared U.S. pricing details for the Pixel Watch. The smartwatch will start at $349.99 USD (roughly $465 CAD). Moreover, the information corroborates an earlier leak that the cellular Pixel Watch model will start at $399.99 USD (about $531 CAD).

The retail source also confirmed that the Wi-Fi Pixel Watch would be available in ‘Black/Obsidian,’ ‘Silver/Chalk,’ and ‘Gold/Hazel.’ The cellular model is the same, except instead of Chalk, it’s ‘Silver/Charcoal.’ 9to5 indicates the second word — Obsidian, Chalk, Hazel, Charcoal — refers to the colour of the band, while the first is the colour of the watch case.

If accurate, the pricing could make the Pixel Watch one of the more expensive options out there, in line with Apple’s smartwatch efforts. For example, the Galaxy Watch 5 starts at $349.99 in Canada for the 40mm Bluetooth variant. In the U.S., that model starts at $279.99.

While we’re still missing some important details about the Pixel Watch, what we do know so far suggests the price might be a tough sell for many. The Pixel Watch is supposedly running an older Exynos chip and reportedly sports a 300mAh battery that will last about a day.

Ultimately, it might be too early to make a judgement on the Pixel Watch. Google is expected to unveil the watch alongside the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro on October 6th.

Header image credit: Google