What I want as a Pixel Watch 2 user

The OnePlus Watch 3, Galaxy Watch 8, and Watch Ultra are all impressive Android smartwatches. However, despite better and more powerful offerings hitting the market, I have stuck to my Pixel Watch 2 since its launch in October 2023.

With Google’s next Made by Google event set for August 20, I’m eager to see what the Pixel Watch 4 brings and hope Google finally checks these boxes from my wishlist.

4

A more durable cover display

Time to adopt a sapphire crystal

Samsung uses a Sapphire Crystal cover glass on the Galaxy Watch 6, 7, and Watch 8. Apple uses a custom Ion‑X front glass on the regular Apple Watch Series 10 models, with a Sapphire front crystal on the titanium casing variants.

In comparison, Google uses a custom 3D Gorilla Glass 5 on the Pixel Watch 2 and newer models. The issue is that its dome-shaped cover glass is more vulnerable to scuffs and dings.

I used my Pixel Watch 2 without a screen protector for a few weeks, and it was enough for the display to pick up several minor scratches. Since then, I have applied a plastic screen protector to prevent further scratches.

With the Pixel Watch 4, I’d love to see Google use a more durable cover glass. Ideally, it learns from Samsung and uses a sapphire crystal front.

While not scratch-proof, the glass should provide better resistance against scratches and scuffs compared to Gorilla Glass 5.

This is one design aspect of the Pixel Watch that I hope Google addresses with the Pixel Watch 4 this year. And it’s not rocket science either; the company can use Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass Ceramic, which promises better durability and scratch resistance.

I would have also complained about the Pixel Watch 2’s non-existent repairability, but a recent leak suggests the Pixel Watch 4 will make major improvements on that front.

3

Fitbit needs to do more with my data

All that data for nothing

Fitbit integration was one of the main reasons I got the Pixel Watch 2 over other Wear OS watches. That is also why I will not switch to a Galaxy Watch or OnePlus Watch.

While the latter two wearables also pack impressive health tracking features, Fitbit trumps them with its accuracy and the way it visualizes the recorded data.

However, that does not mean the Pixel Watch’s Fitbit integration is perfect.

In the past 20 months, the Fitbit app or the Pixel Watch 2 never alerted me once if my resting heart rate changed or my body temperature rose by even 1°C.

Instead, I only came to know about this change when I opened the Fitbit app and manually checked the stats.

Likewise, Fitbit emails me every week, summarizing my weekly activity status, and comparing my step count, calories burned, and other metrics to the week before.

Yet, the Fitbit app has never once nudged me about my step count for the last few days or weeks being lower than usual. I always have to make the effort to see these changes.

This is not the case with the Apple Watch and Apple’s Health app. The latter alerts my wife of any change in her heart rate, step count, and other metrics if they trend lower for a few weeks.

With the Pixel Watch 4, I hope Google also revamps the Fitbit integration to address this limitation. There’s little point in the watch packing cutting-edge health features if it can’t alert me to changes in my baseline health metrics.

The Pixel Watch 2 is always there on my wrist, collecting valuable health data. But it’s not doing enough with it, and this needs to change with the Pixel Watch 4 this year.

2

Better health tracking features

No standalone heart app is a bummer

The Pixel Watch 2 packs several useful health features, including the ability to track blood oxygen levels when I’m asleep, Cardio load, skin temperature variation, and more.

While impressive, there are some puzzling restrictions. For example, there’s no standalone app on the watch to check my heart rate. I can only view it through a watch face complication. Or I use the Fitbit app, though it will give an overview of my heart rate throughout the day.

Similarly, while I gain access to training modes as part of Fitbit Premium, it’s not as extensive as what a Garmin or Apple Watch offers.

Taking a cue from Apple, Google should also look into adding medication reminders and hearing health support on the Pixel Watch 4.

Medication reminders are a fairly basic feature that Fitbit should already offer, while hearing health support is becoming increasingly essential in today’s world.

1

Wireless charging

Ditch the unreliable POGO pins for charging

Google ditched wireless charging in favor of Fitbit-style POGO charging pins with the Pixel Watch 2 in 2023. Since then, the company has stuck to the same charging mechanism.

While the Pixel Watch 2 charges impressively fast, I find the POGO pin setup unreliable.

Over the last 20 months or so, there have been more than a few occasions when the POGO pins did not securely attach to the watch for proper fast charging.

Sometimes, I’d place the Pixel Watch 2 on the charger, assuming it was juicing up. Yes, the charging animation did appear as a confirmation, only to realize later that the pins were misaligned, leaving the battery nearly empty.

Another drawback is the POGO pin charger’s durability. Unlike a standard wireless charging puck, the POGO connector relies on physical contact points that can wear out or get misaligned over time.

While traveling, I cannot simply throw the charger in my backpack with other power bricks and devices. I must carefully keep it in a separate pouch or compartment to avoid damaging the POGO pins.

And yet, I’ve already damaged the stock Pixel Watch 2 charger twice in the past 20 months.

I have used several smartwatches, including the best Fitbits, before the Pixel Watch 2 — and almost every wearable with a POGO-style charging solution has developed issues over time.

In comparison, my wife has never faced any such charging issues with her aging Apple Watch Series 7 since she started using it in late 2021. The wireless charging puck still works reliably and quickly tops up the watch.

With the Pixel Watch 4 this year, I hope Google ditches the POGO pins in favor of wireless charging.

This change should instantly improve the charging experience, especially with rumors of the Pixel Watch 4 supporting even faster charging speeds this year.

Plus, like Apple, the company could put the charging puck to better use by enabling it to wirelessly charge the Pixel Buds 2 Pro.

Hopefully, the switch to wireless charging will also open the door for more third-party accessories and charging stands for the Pixel Watch 4.

The Pixel Watch 4 could deliver if Google doesn’t fumble

If recent rumors and leaks are anything to go by, Google is making almost all the right hardware upgrades with the Pixel Watch 4 this year.

A brighter screen, faster wireless charging, a repairable design, new health features, and even longer battery life.

But it also needs to do more on the software front and deliver a better experience. And that’s only possible if the company addresses some longstanding issues with its smartwatch lineup.