Google's Pixel Watch comes with all the health-monitoring features of a Fitbit, but is the smartwatch waterproof? Google announced the Pixel Watch at its Made by Google event alongside the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro. In addition, Google also gave users a glimpse of the Pixel Tablet that will hit the market next year.
The Pixel Watch comes with a 1.2-inch AMOLED display covered with custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass. Under the hood, the Pixel Watch features an Exynos 9100 SoC, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. As for the software, the smartwatch runs WearOS 3.5 and has Google Assistant built-in, along with the Google Home app.
Usually, smartwatches from leading brands such as Samsung and Apple have an IP rating that tells users how well a device can resist damage from water or dust. However, that is not the case with the Pixel Watch. On the official product page, Google mentions that the Pixel Watch has 5ATM water resistance. But does that mean it's entirely waterproof? As it turns out, the Pixel Watch can survive submersion up to 50 meters in water. Additionally, the official support page for the smartwatch mentions that "Google Pixel Watch can withstand some rain, shallow pools, and sweat from exercise."
What Does The Pixel Watch's 5ATM Rating Mean?
ATM stands for Atmospheres and is a relatively old rating system for grading a device's water resistance. It indicates how much atmospheric pressure a device can withstand while submerged in water. The pressure inside water is directly proportional to the object's depth – the higher the ATM rating, the deeper the device can survive. As far as the Pixel Watch is concerned, it's 5ATM rating means that it can withstand water pressure to 50 meters, the same as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. This means users can wear the Pixel Watch while swimming in shallow water or get it wet in the rain.
It's important to note that water resistance is not a permanent condition and is lost over time with general wear and tear. Google also mentions that dropping the Pixel Watch and using it for activities that involve exposure to high-velocity water or high temperatures can lead to damage and loss of water resistance. Another important detail about the smartwatch is that unlike the Apple Watch Series 8, the Google Pixel Watch does not have an official rating for dust resistance. While this doesn't necessarily mean that the Pixel Watch can't prevent the ingress of dust, users should still be wary while wearing it to locations like the beach.
Source: Google