REASONS TO BUY
Great compatibility with Android
Beautiful display
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor battery life
No IOS compatibility
Google Pixel Watch 2 Review
The best option for someone already in the Google Pixel ecosystem
Credit: Google
RELATED: Best Smartwatches of 2024
Our Verdict
The Google Pixel Watch 2 builds on Google's first foray into the smartwatch game, with a small improvement to battery life, additional health sensors, and a faster processor for better performance. Aesthetically, most people would have a difficult time finding any difference between the new version and the old one, but the performance differences would be appreciable to first generation users.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Google Pixel Watch 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Apple Smartwatch | Best Overall Android Smartwatch |  Best Buy in Smartwatches | Best Buy Under $100 | |
| Price | $350 List $197.50 at Amazon | $429 List $329.00 at Amazon | $330 List $189.99 at Amazon | $279 List $307.00 at Amazon | $90 List $69.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A performance upgrade for first generation users | The only thing this model is missing is support for Android phones | This capable and beautiful model will please most, and is great for Android phone users | The most affordable model in Apple's lineup, but compromises very little | If you have reasonable expectations, you won't be disappointed by this affordable model |
| Rating Categories | Google Pixel Watch 2 | Apple Watch Series 9 | Samsung Galaxy Watch6 | Apple Watch SE | Amazfit BIP 5 |
| Smart Function (40%) | |||||
| Health (30%) | |||||
| Battery Life (20%) | |||||
| Display (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Google Pixel Watch 2 | Apple Watch Series 9 | Samsung Galaxy Watch6 | Apple Watch SE | Amazfit BIP 5 |
| Charge Time | 71 min | 61 min | 83 min | 125 min | 110 min |
| Battery Life - Regular Use | 34.5 hr | 55.6 hr | 62.5 hr | 27.8 hr | 33.3 hr |
| Battery Life - GPS | 10.0 hr | 11.1 hr | 9.1 hr | 12.5 hr | 6.3 hr |
| Measured Weight | 1.10 oz | 1.36 oz | 1.17 oz | 1.18 oz | 0.93 oz |
| Measured Dimensions | 1.61" x 1.61" 0.56" | 1.78" x 1.50" x 0.52" | 1.69" x 1.75" x 0.51" | 1.75" x 1.50" x 0.52" | 1.81" x 1.50" x 0.50" |
| Measured Display Hardness | 7 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| Model Tested | 41 mm | 45 mm | 46 mm | 44 mm | 46 mm |
| Sensors | - Compass
|
- Electrical heart sensor and ECG app
|
-Accelerometer -Barometer -Gyro Sensor -Light Sensor -Optical Heart Rate Sensor |
- High and low heart rate notifications
|
- BioTracker™ PPG biometric sensor
|
| Battery Size | 294 mAh | 308 mAh | 425 mAh | 296 mAh | 125 mAh |
| NFC | Google Wallet | Apple Pay | Samsung Wallet | None | None |
| Splash, Dust, and Water | - Water resistance 50m (swim proof)
|
- Water resistance 50m (swim proof)
|
- Water resistance 50m (swim proof)
|
- Water resistance 50m (swim proof)
|
- Water resistance 1.5m (splash/snow proof)
|
| Safety Features | - Safety Check
|
- Emergency SOS
|
Fall Detection | - Emergency SOS | None |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
A capable watch and an improvement over the previous generation.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Smart Function
Our most critical test metric, smart function, evaluated and scored the smart capabilities of the Google Pixel Watch 2. As an Android compatible model and the Wear OS 4 at its core, app libraries and app quality, communication capabilities, and on-watch GPS displays are quite good.
The proprietary apps on the watch are Google Pixel Watch and Fitbit. Both are robust and refined in the Wear OS, and our only real criticism was an occasional device reconnecting issue. The Google Play app store is also available to the watch so there is a large variety of third party apps to add to the watch. FitBit premium is also available as an add-on service but will add to the cost of ownership over time.
With regard to call quality and texting, we found nothing remarkable about the experience and features. The Google Pixel Watch 2 performs as intended, although the call quality could be better as it did not suppress background noises very well.
A key feature for anyone who regularly misplaces their things, the easy-to-use Find My Phone app is very useful (as long as you're in earshot of your phone!)
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Health
The Google Pixel Watch 2 proved to be a great health monitoring and fitness tracking tool, exhibiting high levels of accuracy when it comes to heart rate monitoring and
Unfortunately, we found the availability of workout types and the quality of those apps, as well as the level of detailed metrics to be lacking when compared to other smartwatches with more mature health monitoring and fitness tracking capabilities.
The heart rate sensor is one of many health and fitness tracking sensors and features.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Battery Life
Operating the Google Pixel Watch 2 with the GPS on will provide ten hours of battery life, while operating without the GPS on will extend that run time to thirty-four and one-half hours. While this may be sufficient for most people, it is significantly less run time than the one-hundred and fifty hours you can get out of the best models. Fortunately, this model recharges to a full charge faster than most models. In seventy-one minutes the watch will achieve a full charge, while you can get a half charge in about 30 minutes.
This model has sufficient battery life for fitness tracking most outdoor activities.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Display
The Google Pixel Watch 2's AMOLED screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and provides a bright and crisp display, with very little glare. The Gorilla Glass 5 offers greater shatter resistance over the Gorilla Glass 3, but still boasts the same hardness and scratch resistance, which our test team measured in-house at a Mohs hardness rating of seven.
We measured the brightness of displays and hardness of the protective glass, among the many tests we conducted.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Should you buy the Google Pixel Watch 2?
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is a capable smartwatch, with strong fitness tracking and health monitoring capabilities, but it was outshined by smartwatches with brighter and more vibrant displays, and greater battery life. Therefore, it did not earn a recommendation from our team.
What other Smartwatches should you consider?
At the pricepoint, we think the Google Pixel Watch 2 is a great smartwatch and health monitoring tool, but its display and battery life aren't as good as similarly priced, and just as capable models like the Apple Watch Series 9 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. Both also offer users a large ecosystem of proprietary apps, and third-party apps. Samsung phone users will also enjoy more than the Android OS phone compatibility with a few added Samsung-specific features and functions. However, you have to take a look at the Apple Watch Ultra 2 if you are interested in the best model on the market today, but be prepared to pay a premium.
—
Benjamin Hickok
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