Google Pixel Watch LTE smartwatch review - Debut with some limitations

The Pixel Watch is operated using both the 1.18-inch touchscreen and the two buttons. Pressing the crown opens an overview of all the programs available on the watch, which are displayed as a list. You can scroll either with a swiping gesture or by turning the crown.

Pressing the crown in every program or menu will bring you back to the watch face. The other key opens a menu that displays the last seven programs that were run. Another key press brings you back to the previous screen. Swiping from the left edge towards the center brings you back to the last screen in the menu or program, just like in the smartphone. You cannot change the key functions.

Starting from the watch face, swiping from the top will show a short menu giving access to Google Wallet, the flashlight function, and various modes such as airplane mode, cinema mode, or sleep time mode.

Swiping from the bottom up will open the notification menu, which shows a list with previews of all notifications. Clicking a notification will then show the display of the full notification.

Swiping to the side from the watch face brings up the "views" as Google calls them. Those are separate tiles that either display some essential information such as the number of steps taken, an overview of the heart rate, your next appointment, or the time you slept.

The views also allow you to start actions such as starting a timer or starting a training unit. Often clicking a view will lead you to the corresponding program. You can configure the sequence and contents of the views individually in the app.

The watch supports NFC, so you can use it for contactless payment thanks to Google Wallet. Unfortunately, in contrast to the smartphone, the watch doesn't allow you to store PayPal data. A positive feature is that you can use the watch to access the Smart Home via the Google Home App. However, compared to the smartphone app, the functions are very limited. The temperatures are displayed, and you can turn on the lights using the smartwatch, but for changing the temperature or brightness, you have to use the smartphone.

There is no widget for the Pixel Watch app, but there are two Fitbit widgets. One displays the number of steps taken, and the other can be configured. Clicking it directly leads to an action of the app, such as adding a meal or adjusting a training. 

In order to test the heart rate measurements of the Google watch, we compared the values with the measurements from a reference device, the Polar H10 chest belt. The sensors of the Pixel Watch are impressive. In the resting heart rate, both devices differ by only one beat per minute, which corresponds to a deviation of 1.5%. The software displays the development of the heart rate over the day, also offering an evaluation of the cardio fitness.

The results are also similar in the performance heart rate. Across three measurements on a bike tour, the deviation is 2% on average. While there is a larger difference in one of the measurements, the other two values are almost identical.

Even though the Pixel Watch also includes an SpO2 sensor, at the time of this test, it is not active yet and cannot be used. The watch also offers an ECG measurement to recognize atrial fibrillation. The results are displayed only briefly on the watch right after the measurement, and the Fitbit app does not store them. There is no blood pressure measurement. 

The sleep tracking of the Pixel Watch is extensive and happens using the Fitbit app. The watch measures the times of light sleep, REM sleep, and deep sleep. The times are displayed as values as well as graphic charts.

The software also reports a sleep index, as a value as well as in form of an evaluation. The values can be reported for individual days, weeks, or even months.

The watch also evaluates how restful the sleep was, using the heart rate during sleep, for example. Restlessness in form of thrashing and turning is also recorded and combined with the blood oxygen saturation. All these infos are displayed in the app. The watch itself also shows the overall sleep time, sleep index, and time periods in each of the sleep phases.

Unfortunately, the Pixel Watch doesn't use the collected data for a smart alarm. Even though the watch can wake you via sound and vibration, the time is fixed and doesn't take the sleep phases into account.

The Pixel Watch can create a satellite connection on its own. The connection is established within a few seconds, and there were no drops during our test.

The navigation via Google Maps is a good solution. If you start a route on the smartphone, you can also see the navigation notifications on the watch. They can either be displayed as arrows or as a path on a map. The navigation can also be started directly on the smartwatch, but to do that, a connection to the paired smartphone is necessary, even though the watch has its own GPS and LTE connection.

On a bike tour with our reference device, the Garmin Venu 2, for comparison, the GNSS connection of the Pixel Watch is convincing. Turns are recognized well, and the route is recorded reliably. However, the Garmin watch still records the route more closely.

The display of the Google Pixel Watch is attractive. In our measurement with the brightness sensor activated, it achieves a maximum brightness of 1,066 cd/m². With this, the smartwatch display is always easily readable, even in the sunlight. When the sensor is deactivated, it still reaches up to 623 cd/m².

The resolution of 320 ppi is okay, but depending on the contents, you can still see some individual pixels. On the other hand, the display pleases with OLED-typical perfect black values, crisp colors, and great contrasts. 

Unfortunately the panel is simply very small and has wide bezels. However, in most screens, Google hides this very well in the software and the design of the screens. Most backgrounds are black, and you can hardly see the transition between the display and the bezels. Only when typing on the keyboard or viewing browser contents can you really see how small the usable area is. 

After many years of waiting, the Pixel Watch has finally been introduced to the market. Google did some things well: the design is consistent, and the haptics and looks are attractive. The same also goes for the performance, and the UI runs smoothly despite the slightly aged chipset. 

However, the watch is no epiphany. The Pixel Watch is not THE smartwatch to get, not even THE smartwatch with Wear OS that stands as an example for other manufacturers. There is no discipline where the Google watch stands out. The display is attractive, but very small and has small bezels. The performance is good, but not outstanding. The battery gets the watch through the day, but nothing more. The design is attractive, but there is only one size.

Except for the Smart Home integration, the Pixel Watch lacks any characteristics that make it stand out, particularly if you consider the suggested retail price.

The Pixel Watch isn't a bad smartwatch, but it lacks the innovative potential that many had hoped for.

We have hopes that the difficulties during the setup, the lack of blood oxygen measurements, or navigation without a smartphone connection will be remedied and provided via a later update. If you want more choices in terms of the size while still getting access to many apps thanks to Wear OS, this is also offered for example by Samsung with the Galaxy Watch5, and additional runtime also comes with the Galaxy Watch5 Pro.