Monday October 17, 2022; 2:02 PM EDT
I continue to be happy with my purchase of the Pixel Watch and Wear OS 3.5. I think the quality and resolution of the display is particularly good. One thing I wonder about is the difference between tiles and apps. I am thinking that apps should just be tiles meaning that the main UI then is swiping left or right from the watch face. (Wear OS 2 users note that swiping right just brings up Google Assistant whereas with Wear OS 3.5 swiping right brings up the last title and swiping left brings up the first tile.) #- I am still fiddling a bit with the band. Google includes two size bands with the watch and I think I am really between the two sizes. When I first put the watch on it had the large band and it fit when I connected it to the very last hole, then I switched to the small band and I am wearing it in the first or second holes. The smaller band is better because it has less excess to tuck underneath the "clasp" of the active band. Unlike the leather bands I normally wear, the active band tucks underneath the clasp half rather than sliding over on top. #
- I wonder how often "normal" smartwatch wearers change bands? In the past I have bought leather bands because I have always worn leather watch bands rather than the metal ones that pinch the hair of my hairy arms/wrists. Google has some interesting bands that I would like to try, including two with fabric that I think look really interesting, but the bands are all expensive. $59 for the fabric bands, $79 for the leather bands, and in the spring a metal mesh will cost $129. Buying one band that I switch to and wear all the time seems ok, but if I bought two or more bands would I switch often? And will the same bands work with future generations of the Pixel Watch? #
- I also wonder how long it will be before we see third party Pixel Watch bands? #
- Some notes about the Fitbit part of the watch. I think the GPS and heart rate sensors are much more accurate than the ones of the Mobvoi TicWatch E3. The distance of my walks are more consistent and more in line with expectations and I have had to work harder to get heart rate recognition up to the Fitbit's activity levels. I am not wearing the watch to bed and I don't see myself ever doing so despite my curiosity about collecting my sleep data, I just don't see myself being comfortable wearing a watch to bed having never done so in the past.#
- So far I have only really seen one negative review of the Pixel Watch and that was due to battery life. The reviewer found he could not trust the battery to last reliably for 24 hours, meaning he had to be sure to charge it up prior to going to bed. He noted that Google's decision to have an always on display and continuous heart rate monitoring is negatively impacting battery life. The always on display can be turned off, but I don't see a way to dial back the heart rate monitoring, but that seems to me something easily controllable by software. As I don't wear my watch 24 hours a day, I don't see battery life to be a problem, and it is getting comfortably through my day.#
- Just noticed that with the Spotify app installed on the watch I see a little equalizer button at the bottom of my watch when music is being played and that I can tap it to open media controls on the watch.#
Monday October 17, 2022; 2:02 PM EDT
- I continue to be happy with my purchase of the Pixel Watch and Wear OS 3.5. I think the quality and resolution of the display is particularly good. One thing I wonder about is the difference between tiles and apps. I am thinking that apps should just be tiles meaning that the main UI then is swiping left or right from the watch face. (Wear OS 2 users note that swiping right just brings up Google Assistant whereas with Wear OS 3.5 swiping right brings up the last title and swiping left brings up the first tile.) #
- I am still fiddling a bit with the band. Google includes two size bands with the watch and I think I am really between the two sizes. When I first put the watch on it had the large band and it fit when I connected it to the very last hole, then I switched to the small band and I am wearing it in the first or second holes. The smaller band is better because it has less excess to tuck underneath the "clasp" of the active band. Unlike the leather bands I normally wear, the active band tucks underneath the clasp half rather than sliding over on top. #
- I wonder how often "normal" smartwatch wearers change bands? In the past I have bought leather bands because I have always worn leather watch bands rather than the metal ones that pinch the hair of my hairy arms/wrists. Google has some interesting bands that I would like to try, including two with fabric that I think look really interesting, but the bands are all expensive. $59 for the fabric bands, $79 for the leather bands, and in the spring a metal mesh will cost $129. Buying one band that I switch to and wear all the time seems ok, but if I bought two or more bands would I switch often? And will the same bands work with future generations of the Pixel Watch? #
- I also wonder how long it will be before we see third party Pixel Watch bands? #
- Some notes about the Fitbit part of the watch. I think the GPS and heart rate sensors are much more accurate than the ones of the Mobvoi TicWatch E3. The distance of my walks are more consistent and more in line with expectations and I have had to work harder to get heart rate recognition up to the Fitbit's activity levels. I am not wearing the watch to bed and I don't see myself ever doing so despite my curiosity about collecting my sleep data, I just don't see myself being comfortable wearing a watch to bed having never done so in the past.#
- So far I have only really seen one negative review of the Pixel Watch and that was due to battery life. The reviewer found he could not trust the battery to last reliably for 24 hours, meaning he had to be sure to charge it up prior to going to bed. He noted that Google's decision to have an always on display and continuous heart rate monitoring is negatively impacting battery life. The always on display can be turned off, but I don't see a way to dial back the heart rate monitoring, but that seems to me something easily controllable by software. As I don't wear my watch 24 hours a day, I don't see battery life to be a problem, and it is getting comfortably through my day.#
- Just noticed that with the Spotify app installed on the watch I see a little equalizer button at the bottom of my watch when music is being played and that I can tap it to open media controls on the watch.#