Pixel Watch Hands On: Google's First Smartwatch Shows Promise
Google software has been on countless smartwatches at this point, first in the form of Android Wear and more recently as Wear OS. The Pixel Watch, though, is the first smartwatch hardware designed by Google, making it substantially more interesting than so many of those similar third-party watches on the market. Announced alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, I got a chance to check out the Pixel Watch at Google's launch event in Brooklyn.
However you want to look at it, the Pixel Watch is a fresh entry in A market crowded with everything from low-cost fitness trackers that also show your incoming phone calls, to the $799 Apple Watch Ultra that does basically everything your iPhone can, including international roaming so you can get cellular service no matter where you are in the world. The Pixel Watch lands squarely in the middle of the market at $349 for the GPS model and $399 for the cellular model.
Let's start with the basics. The Pixel Watch is round, which some people greatly prefer to Apple's squarish approach. It's a small circle, but a slightly thick one. The Gorilla Glass covering the display has a distinct domed shape to it. I'm a fan.
The watch measures 41mm and the chassis is made from stainless steel. It comes in Champagne Gold, Matte Black, or Polished Silver. All three finishes have their own appeal, though I prefer the look of the Polished Silver.
The circular display looks really nice. It's an AMOLED panel with 320 pixels per inch. It looks clean and free of pixelated edges, and that's what's important. Brightness also seems good. The watch was easy to read in the event space, though I didn't get a chance to look at it outside under the sun.
A round Digital Crown graces the right side of the watch.
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