Last year, when I reviewed the Pixel Watch, many skeptics raised valid concerns about Google’s commitment to the wearable market. After all, Google had allowed Android Wear and then Wear OS to languish for years, while also having a reputation for abandoning projects. Despite these doubts, I believed there would be a Pixel Watch 2, although I did not expect it to succeed as much as it did. During the 2022 holiday season, Google surpassed Samsung to become the second-best-selling wearable maker behind Apple, shipping 880,000 units. However, the question still remains: can Google keep this momentum going?
Now is the perfect time for Google to prove itself. Apple and Samsung have already launched their 2023 flagship smartwatches, which, while excellent, are iterative updates to their previous models. Being the newcomer in the market, Google has greater room for growth and innovation. On the other hand, the flaws of the Pixel Watch were somewhat forgivable considering it was a first-generation smartwatch. It is rare for a gadget to excel on its first attempt. Additionally, Google’s wearable lineup last year was confusing, with three different smartwatches, including the Pixel Watch, Fitbit Versa 4, and Fitbit Sense 2. To differentiate between these devices, Google compromised the Pixel Watch’s health features and the Fitbit smartwatches’ smart features. Battery life was also a major complaint upon launch.
Although some of these issues have been addressed through software updates, the Pixel Watch 2 presents an opportunity for Google to show that it not only listened to feedback but also implemented improvements. Ignoring known issues in a sophomore attempt would be harder to overlook, especially considering battery life, expanded health features, and a better user experience are areas where improvement is expected. With a decade’s worth of rival smartwatches to draw inspiration from, Google has the advantage of not needing to revolutionize the market, but rather deliver a noticeably better experience than last year’s model. It just needs to be on par with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6.
For the past decade, Samsung has been the leader in the Android smartwatch market, partly due to its solid products and partly because of the lackluster competition. Fossil watches prioritize design over smarts and health features, Garmin caters to outdoor athletes, Mobvoi stumbled in the transition to Wear OS 3, Huawei has been hindered by trade bans, and Montblanc watches come with a hefty price tag. Google has the opportunity to dominate this fragmented market, especially considering its success in convincing third-party manufacturers to adopt Wear OS. Xiaomi is the latest to join the platform with its newly announced Watch 2 Pro, attracted by the allure of the Play Store. Additionally, Google has been actively working on getting third-party app developers to support the platform.
Given the circumstances, the Pixel Watch 2’s unveiling on October 4th holds significant weight. A successful launch will not topple Samsung, but it will make it more challenging to choose the best Android smartwatch. On the other hand, a flop will only add to Google’s reputation as a company with great ideas but no follow-through.