Only the pixel clock gets a “smart” clock

With a commendable balance of fitness features and everyday smart, the smartwatches of fitbit were regularly fixture on our best lists. Ever since Google took over the reins, I have seen a slow pace. It did not take a long time for wearballs to take back to deliberately, and the logic is clear. The Pixel Watch is the only smartwatch focus of the brand. The latest signal of removing Google assistant from the alternative lineup of Fitbit is recently the latest signal.

Back in 2022, Fitbit View and Sense 2 landed only a few weeks before the original Pixel Watch. I was excited to see the sequel to this meaning, which was a recommendation for a reliable health companion and anyone interested in the basic activity tracker for a long time. I was also eager to see a budget -friendly inheritance 4. The inheritance provided a more economical, slightly parades-down option for those without historically health concerns (or need of advanced sensors). But instead of building on its predecessors, both models took one step back.

Outside the box, Google snatched Sense 2 and Versa 4 from the major features such as Wi-Fi and Third-Party app, severely limited their versatility and made it very difficult to labeled as “smart” devices either. The users were left without the music app or even basic music control. It was difficult to read not between lines: Fitbit’s smartwatch was being sidelined to clean the path for pixel watch. For the first time in years, I stopped recommending them.

While the top-level wearballs of the brand were effectively demoted, or at least the fresher of Google’s fresher ambitions was again accused for warm-up acts, the company continued to issue the software update. This made the whole situation scandal, and I had a difficult time to assure fitbit deadhards to give up their intimacy for in-house watch lines. Versel 3 and the original meaning still offer respectable user experiences after all. However, the most recent announcement, in my opinion, is the last nail in the coffin. Google is removing the Google assistant from the old lines (which was never launched on the latest generations), effectively removing the remaining “smart” limited from every fitbit “smartwatch”. The message is clear: Pixel Watch is now the only meaningful smartwatch in Google’s lineup.

Now we are on our third generation Google Pixel Watch, and it is safe to say that each model has been better than the final. When the original landed, I was arrested for the idea of ​​losing the inheritance and sense lines to leave the shopkeepers with only one half cooked, excessiveness. Pixel Watch 3, however, is a well -round smartwatch, with major improvements from battery specs to fitness tracking tools. It still enters the key fitbit apps with the fitbit Companion app, but also claims the loaded play store for a strong wearing OS experience and third-party app. It has advanced health sensors such as sense lines, and its heart rate sensor proved to be highly accurate during my review period. In most examples, Pixel Watch is a sufficient replacement for the original lineup of 3 fitbit, but not all.

First, Fitbit’s Smartwatch offered a luxurious multi-day battery life, which the Pixel Watch line has not yet been managed (although we have certainly seen the improvement). I miss the luxury of leaving my charger behind for weekend trips. Secondly, fitbit clocks kept the things simple, if you wanted a dedicated health and well -being, without diving into a fully developed smartwatch ecosystem without a headfresh. I often recommended fitbit clocks for friends and family members, which are not particularly technical-lover (hi mom). For some, a fully developed OS device may feel too much. Finally, fitbit prices were more acceptable, with a high-end option (sense lineup) and a wallet-friendly pick (inheritance line). Pixel Watch 3 comes at slightly different value points in two sizes, but there is not a water-bottom cheap model. The high price of Pixel Watch 3 makes a difficult look to recommend as an entry-level tool for health and fitness trekking.

In other words, Pixel Watch does not cover all the same scenarios that fit the smartwatch of the fitbit. Shopkeepers may consider the charge of fitbit or motivate the lineup to fill in intervals, but these trackers do not offer a clock-style experience, and their displays may be very low for something (hi again, mother). I hope that Google sees examples of contestants and excludes budget friendly models such as Apple Watch SE or OnePlus Watch 2R.