Just yesterday we reported how the Pixel Watch was having some problems. While this wouldn’t be a huge deal, the issue spanned multiple generations of devices and caused a ton of headaches for those who rely on Google wearables every day. We’re talking about hitting the wearables where it hurts most, impacting battery life in ways that make the product unreliable for day-to-day use. Luckily, it appears that Google has seen the complaints and is aware of the problem, letting the world know that it’s working on it.
That was quick
Getting Google to pay attention to a problem is a kind of mixed bag. While some issues will continue to play out for months, others get picked up and fixed instantly. While there isn’t a fix for the battery drain issues affecting Pixel Watches, Google has shared on Reddit that it has “identified” the problem, which was picked up by Android Authority.
Perhaps more interesting than identifying the problem is that Google went out of its way to say it was only “affecting a small number of Pixel Watch users.” Of course, we’ll never know just how many people were affected by this issue. But considering that this problem spans four different generations of products, the percentage must be miniscule.
The more important piece of information is that Google is working on a fix. It didn’t state when it would roll out, only sharing that it would arrive “as soon as possible.” If you’re someone that’s being seeing terrible battery life on your Pixel Watch 2, 3, 4 or Pixel Watch 5, you’ll just have to be patient for now.
And while you might be a little hesitant about picking one up right, we’d recommend it if you’re in the market. We’re seeing top savings on the Pixel Watch 5 from major retailers, dropping the price to some of the best we’ve seen.
Software matters more
We highlighted the importance of software, and how it plays a pivotal role in the experience of our tech products. While hardware used to be what mattered most, that has slowly changed over time.
We’ve seen software really shift a product from bad to good, or even make a great device even better. And with the price of hardware rising, it becomes even more important for brands to provide more value from existing products with meaningful software updates.
Samsung has done a pretty good job of this with its One UI 9 update, which many are raving about. Some have even put it above what Google is doing with its own products and how it handles updates. That’s why competition always matters.
Companies pushing companies to do better or pursue innovations is what can really change the experience for everyone. Again, we love it when a brand does more when it doesn’t have to.
