We've been hearing rumors about the Google Pixel Watch since before the average Fortnite player was born, and every now and then there's a brief interest in it; this happens again in early 2022 as people seem to think it will be released soon.
This is especially the case because someone left a smartwatch in a restaurant and the images made it to Android Central. Although I take it with a grain of salt, due to some discrepancies in the story and the fact that it could be a prototype or similar, a lot of people are excited about Google's first wearable device.
The images roughly match renders we've been seeing for a long time, which makes it more likely that these images are legit, but they reinforce an idea these renders have given us: the Pixel 6 could be a very fragile and delicate watch. .
Look at this picture: It's a minimalist, some would say "chic" watch, with graceful curved sides and no bezel to speak of. It bears more than a passing resemblance to the Zepp E 2020 smartwatch, which was easy on the eyes, but I was afraid a strong gust of wind would blow it apart.
Google has filed a trademark application for the Pixel Watch ahead of the wearable's purported unveiling at Google I/O next monthhttps://t.co/ZMRfMCsG3125April 2022, XNUMX
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The images also show a crown and side button, which certainly gives it more design clues than the Zepp, but it's still a low-profile device.
Between renders and photos, it now seems pretty certain that this is the direction Google is headed in with the Pixel Watch. I can't help but wonder why, especially with Apple seemingly going the other way.
A rugged Apple Watch
There have been quite a few reports now that suggest Apple is working on a rugged or durable Apple Watch, possibly to accompany the Apple Watch 8, but more likely later.
We first learned of this in mid-2021, but subsequent information painted a clearer picture of what to expect: This rugged Apple Watch will apparently be built for extreme sports. Knowing what Apple's home state of California is like, Tim Cook is probably already trying it out in the surf, in the mountains, in the canyons, or somewhere even more dangerous: Dan Flashes.
Rugged technology is a growing trend: we've seen plenty of rugged smartphones and even some smartwatches designed for heavy outdoor use. A good example is the Honor Watch GS Pro: it has a rugged design, a long battery life, and modes that help you get outdoors, like a GPS tracking mode that takes you back to the starting point of your expedition.
Apple is probably looking in that direction, though I don't imagine it will go all the way: "long battery life" and "Apple Watch" are two phrases that don't belong in the same sentence, for example. But it wouldn't be a complete surprise to see an Apple Watch with tools designed for outdoor enthusiasts.
A big feature on our 'tough Apple Watch' wish list would be a physical bezel, as this design feature can be fantastic for protecting watches from scratches and bumps that would otherwise scratch the screen.
Previously, Apple watches didn't have much of a physical bezel, nor does it look like the Google Pixel Watch. And in both cases, flimsy smartwatches are becoming more and more of an issue.
The problem of design rather than functionality
Where I live in the UK, we are going through a cost of living crisis, which makes luxuries like gadgets less necessary compared to things like rent, food and fancy shirts from charity shops (c are shops second-hand, if you are in the United States). Thus, the devices offered for sale must really justify their existence and their purchase.
This means that they must last a long time. I don't want to buy a phone only to have it break after a single drop, or only last a year or two of use before I have to buy a new one.
No, rugged smartphones are super important because they last us for years and years without us having to buy a replacement. And that's why a rugged Apple Watch would be very useful for active people and "sofa-leaning" people: it will keep going for longer.
But not only that: a recent Google Pixel Watch price leak says it's incredibly expensive, probably on par with the Apple Watch 7. If you're paying a lot of money, you want your watch to have a lot of useful features. time with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (which runs the same Wear OS 3 software as the Pixel Watch), and looking at the images mentioned above, I'm not sure the Pixel has any particular advantage.
Obviously, time might prove otherwise, but nothing in these images seems to really justify the high price tag. Being beautiful is not a sufficient justification. I want useful functions and tools.
And I don't count "show you notifications" and "count your steps" as useful features. Not only are they so common on handheld devices that I barely even register them, but I would argue that these features aren't really useful for the vast majority of people. Does having the drone on your wrist, instead of your pocket, really save you that much time?
And sure, fitness tracking is useful, except custom-made fitness trackers are much more affordable and running watches are better for the task. Also, I've learned to appreciate workouts more when I ditch my smartwatch.
Honestly, I really understand why smartwatches aren't on everyone's wrist yet (at least, through my own anecdotal experience): for my purposes, they don't have a real selling point yet.
While I didn't take the Honor Watch GS Pro on a six-month mountain hiking expedition to uncharted lands when I tested it, I found many of its rugged features useful in my everyday life, and hopefully, if Apple makes a rugged Apple Watch, it will be the same.
I mean, a rugged Apple Watch makes sense in 2022, as long as it's not ridiculously priced. I want durable technology with lots of useful features, and a rugged watch would do just that. But a flimsy, generic-looking Wear OS watch? It doesn't really bring joy.