I refuse to buy a Pixel Watch until Google changes these 5 things

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I’ve tried smartwatches from every major brand, and have run nearly 2,000 miles with a smartwatch on my wrist. There are plenty of excellent options on the market — I usually switch between wearing a Garmin, an Apple Watch, or a Galaxy Watch on my wrist. I enjoyed my time trying out OnePlus and Withings watches, too. Google’s Pixel Watch is the one smartwatch model that never felt right, and after playing around with the Pixel Watch 5 in a hands-on session, I’m still not ready to buy one.

Google is really starting to tempt me. The domed Actua 360 display looks absolutely gorgeous, especially when paired with a polished silver aluminum case and metal band. The accuracy of the Pixel Watch’s dual-frequency GPS can hang with the best fitness watches on the market. Plus, Google’s fitness and health suite is finally fit to compete with Apple and Samsung’s offerings. Despite all the improvements, I can’t replace my smartwatches with a Pixel Watch until Google makes these five changes.

The core design of the Pixel Watch has remained the same since its inception, and it’s not my favorite look. Google calls it a “water droplet” design, and to the company’s credit, newer Pixel Watch models execute it better thanks to a matching domed display. Still, I have both aesthetic and functional concerns about the Pixel Watch design. From a visual perspective, I prefer the flatter and rugged designs of watches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to the curved chassis of the Pixel Watch 5 and Apple Watch Series 11 .

More importantly, the Pixel Watch 5’s thickness of 12.3mm is untenable. That’s the smartwatch’s official thickness, and like Apple and Samsung, Google doesn’t count the full thickness of the sensor bump on the back in its dimensions. So, the Pixel Watch 5 is actually a bit larger than that. The Galaxy Watch 9 measures 8.6mm thick, and the Apple Watch Series 11 measures 9.7mm thick.

Google is far behind in this area, and I’ve found the Pixel Watch to be uncomfortable to wear as a result. We’re five generations in, and the Pixel Watch 5 has the same thickness as the original model. From a durability perspective, I worry that the domed glass and thick case make for a dangerous combination — if you hit your watch on something, the glass is the first to make contact with it. Watches like the Galaxy Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 have a metal border that safeguards the glass and displays better.

I’d love to see a new, slimmer design for the Pixel Watch that’s a bit more rugged. That would certainly entice me to leave my Apple and Samsung smartwatches behind.

Google hasn’t changed the thickness or general design of the Pixel Watch over the years, but I can’t say the same about its chargers. Through five generations of Pixel Watch, there have been three different chargers . The original Pixel Watch had a wireless charging puck, the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 had a pin-based charging puck, and the Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Watch 5 have a magnetic pin charging dock. As a longtime Apple Watch wearer who can use my Apple Watch Sport (2015) charger with my Apple Watch Ultra 3 (2025), I consider Google’s smartwatch charger drama preposterous.