I’ve been using the 1st generation Pixel Watch for almost a year now, and I think that Google has done a brilliant job with the watch, not only does it look stunning, but the system works really well, even after all this time.

But, there are a few things which I wish Google could have done differently, especially now that I also use the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 regularly.

After having a long think about all the things I like and dislike about the watch, I managed to narrow it down to 3 things.

Starting with the display size…

More Screen Size Options

The Google Pixel Watch has a 1.2-inch display which is not as bad as it sounds, especially as the bezels are curved making it seem bigger than it actually is.

But, the size of the display becomes noticeable when using apps on the watch, everything just feels squashed together.

To many that may not even be a problem, especially as the interface is so clean and minimal.

But for someone who knows that there are bigger options available, that can become an issue.

As someone who switches between the Pixel Watch and the TicWatch Pro 5, there is a noticeable difference in display size. The TicWatch Pro 5 has a 1.43-inch screen which is considerably bigger.

After daily driving the TicWatch Pro 5 and then going back to the Pixel Watch, I feel that the display on the Pixel Watch is simply too small. I think that it’s nice to have that extra room for apps and the entire watch simply feels more roomy and premium.

Some people may prefer the smaller display, especially as it may feel more comfortable and lighter to wear. But I like to have a larger display.

That’s why, I would like to see Google release two versions of the watch, a small and a large.

Google could even make the small version the standard version and the larger version the Pro version which will compete with more premium smartwatches!

Improve Fitbit

The second thing that has been bothering me is Fitbit.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the new design of the app and I think that the tracking is accurate, but I do feel that Google could do a number of things differently.

Starting with the price of the subscription, which I feel is unnecessarily high.

At the time of writing this article, Fitbit Premium costs £7.99 per month or £79.99 annually in the UK, which considering the things you get, I simply can’t justify the premium subscription, especially as I already pay for Strava Premium.

I have the Fitbit app synced with Strava as I use it as a social app, all of my friends use Strava and sync their watches and trackers with it and the entire experience is so much better, especially as there are many cool challenges you can participate in.

I appreciate that this would be more difficult with Fitbit, especially as not a lot of people will have the app. But I think that the app should be improved for the people who use it.

If Google must charge for the premium features, I think they should either lower the monthly price or introduce a cheaper tier without the premium workouts and some of the premium coach features.

It would also be nice for them to reintroduce challenges. I mean, I love how the Samsung Health app has step challenges in the form of a board game where you meet milestones and the more steps you do that month, the further you get on the board game.

When I had a Samsung Galaxy Watch, I found this feature incredibly addictive!

I would also like to see challenges between friends re-introduced, I think it’s a great way of getting people out and about.

I also think that Google should give us the option of either using Google Fit or Fitbit as the main tracking app on the watch, this includes removing the other. However, I believe that Google Fit will be eventually discontinued.

Include a Bigger Battery

The final thing I wanted to talk about in this article is the battery life, which in all fairness to Google, isn’t that bad especially if you have a decent charging routine.

With my charging routine, I can comfortably get 1 and a half days of battery life which is perfect for an everyday smartwatch.

My charging routine consists of waking up and putting the watch on charge during my morning routine. This allows the watch to charge fully and provides me with an entire day of battery life as well as the night for tracking my sleep.

But it would be nice to have a better battery so that I don’t have to worry about the watch dying during long activities or a long day out.

Put it this way, when I went hiking abroad during the summer, I used the Pixel Watch as my everyday smartwatch, but I didn’t use it to track my hikes as I didn’t think it would last. I used my Garmin Instinct which was perfect for the job.

But I do regret not taking the Pixel Watch and using it in conjunction with the Garmin Instinct. That would have made a great test!

If we compare the battery life with the TicWatch Pro 5, I can comfortably get around 3 days of heavy use with the TicWatch, which just goes to show that it is possible, even with a bigger screen!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think that Google have created a great watch and while I haven’t tried the second generation, I hope that if Google create a 3rd generation it would be a lot better or even an entirely new product.

But the key areas where I think Google needs to improve are the screen size, Fitbit and battery life.

On top of that, I think that app vendors should seriously start thinking about supporting WearOS as a platform.

The platform has gotten really good over the years and I am thrilled that mainstream apps such as WhatsApp and Google Calendar have made it to the platform.