The Pixel Watch is creating ripples among wearables enthusiasts, but how long does Google plan to support it with Wear OS updates? Google unveiled the Pixel Watch in early October following weeks of speculations and rumors that revealed quite a lot about it even before its official launch. Google confirmed the device at its I/O 2022 event in May, where it showcased a circular, minimalist design with a tactile crown. The Pixel Watch is Google's first home-grown smartwatch, even though the company provides the software that powers many smartwatch models, including Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro.
Software updates are a touchy subject with Google's operating systems, something that most Android smartphone users are all too aware of. Despite Google's persistent efforts to get Android OEMs to release OS and security updates to smartphones in a timely manner, most OEMs do a perfunctory job of rolling out updates to their respective devices. While many devices receive one or two updates at the very best, even those take eons to arrive in most cases, leading to mind-boggling levels of fragmentation in the Android ecosystem. Buyers of the Pixel Watch would have hoped that Google has better plans for its in-house smartwatch, but those hopes now seem to have been dashed.
In an interview with Wired, Google's director of product management for Wear OS, Björn Kilburn, revealed that the Pixel Watch will only receive three years of OS updates. As pointed out by the blog, it is a year less than the four years of software support that Samsung plans to offer its Galaxy Watch 5 users. Apple also typically supports its smartwatches with four years of updates, meaning Google's update policy is already lagging behind the two leading smartwatch vendors globally.
Google Update Plans For The Pixel Watch
Delving further into Google's update plans for the Pixel Watch, Kilburn said that the company will roll out quarterly software updates for the Pixel Watch with new features and "new experiences." As for the more substantial Wear OS updates, they will still be rolled out annually, as expected.
While Google's update policy for the Pixel Watch leaves much to be desired, the device itself is still a decent one for people wanting a feature-rich smartwatch. It comes with an optical heart rate monitor, a blood oxygen tracker and an ECG sensor, making it an excellent all-round device. However, it lacks a temperature sensor, unlike the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Apple Watch Series 8. The Pixel Watch is available in Gold, Black and Silver, with over 20 band options in various colors and materials.
Source: Wired