The Google Pixel Watch has finally added a life-saving "fall detection" mode, which is good news for smartwatch owners, but not so much for Fitbit users.
The feature, which will be added starting today (February XNUMX), uses a combination of motion sensors and machine learning to know when you've had a hard fall. If you do not move or respond within a certain time, your Google Pixel Watch will call the emergency services.
Before that happens, you will have the option to block it from making a call. If the Pixel Watch notices that you haven't moved for about thirty seconds, Google says it will vibrate, sound an alarm, and display an on-screen notification that you can tap. If you don't need help, you can tap 'I'm fine', or if you're at the bottom of a cliff, you can tap 'I fell and need help' to connect to emergency services.
Fall detection is not a new idea, as most of the best smartwatches already have this feature. If you have an Apple Watch SE or Apple Watch Series XNUMX (or later), you can turn the feature on or off in the Watch app on your iPhone, and even choose to turn on fall detection only when you're standing.
Newer Galaxy Watch models, including the Samsung Galaxy Watch XNUMX, also have a "drop warning" feature, which is an optional mode in the Galaxy Wearable app on Android phones. Consequently, the Pixel Watch catches up on this front, with Google ensuring that the feature will return in October.
But it's also another small slap in the face for the owners of Google-owned Fitbit and smartwatches like the Fitbit Sense XNUMX, which of late have seen community features like Fitbit challenges and outfits removed from their fitness trackers. In truth, we've even gone so far as to assert that Fitbit as we know it is already dead, thanks to Google's antics, and seeing quirks like fall detection added to the Pixel Watch is just a bummer for enthusiasts. from Fitbit.
Analysis: a lifeline with big asterisks
Fall detection has now become a standard feature on smartwatches, but different implementations work slightly differently, and your digital safety net has potentially significant holes.
Google states that the Pixel Watch's fall detection depends "on network connectivity and other factors." So if you're planning a trip into the wilderness, you might as well pack a satellite-connected companion like Motorola's new Defy Satellite Link.
Google also wants to note that "fall detection may not detect each and every fall" and that "your watch may not be reliable for emergency communications." In other words, it's really an added bonus for more calm, rather than a superhero in smartwatch form.
Still, sadly that's more than Fitbit owners are likely to get, as even the best Fitbits lack fall detection or emergency SOS features. With Google actively removing features like access to offline music and community extras like challenges, not to mention not adding new features, it seems that Fitbit enthusiasts will need to update the Pixel Watch to access the latest smartwatch tips or give the go-ahead. Jump to one of the best Garmin watches on their site.