The original Google Pixel Watch was an ambitious wearable that aimed to fix Google's previously broken Wear OS ecosystem while also being Android's answer to the Apple Watch. For a first attempt, the watch was a hit-and-miss affair. It had a sleek design, unique shape, and the ability to receive and respond to text messages directly, the latter of which many third-party Android smartwatches fail at. But battery life was objectively terrible, the Exynos chip was slow, and Fitbit integration got in the way more than it helped.

The Pixel Watch 2 fixes the battery life and silicon issues — both are now acceptable and on par with industry standards — but the Fitbit stuff still feels unnecessarily complicated. For the record, I'm not criticizing Fitbit's health tracking, which is among the most accurate in the industry. I'm talking about the Fitbit app, which must be installed to use the Pixel Watch 2 to its fullest. Still, my experience with the watch has been enjoyable, and it fulfills my number one demand for a smartwatch: It allows me to check my phone less.

About this review: Google provided XDA a Pixel Watch 2 for review. Google did not have input in this review.

Pricing and availability

The Google Pixel Watch 2 is available for purchase now in over 20 markets, including the U.S., Canada, U.K., Taiwan, India, France, Germany, and Japan, among others. The watch starts at $350 for the Wi-Fi model and $400 for the LTE version. The watch only comes in one size (41mm), but it's available in three colorways: Polished Silver, Black Aluminum, and Champagne Gold.

Hardware and design

New chip, and that's about it

The new watch looks nearly identical to the original model from the front and sides. The 41mm screen size and surrounding bezels remain unchanged. Overall dimensions are roughly the same, but the new watch is 6 grams lighter thanks to the switch to 100% recycled aluminum. It's a relatively small option compared to smartwatches by Samsung or Huawei.

The back side, however, reveals a new sensor array that includes a new electrical sensor for ECG readings. The other existing sensors, like the heart rate and skin temperature sensors, have been realigned and spread out on the watch's back to allow a more complete reading of our wrist, according to Google.

You may also notice four small grooves on the back of the watch. That's for the new charger, which uses small pogo pins instead of the entirely magnetic wireless solution from last year. This means last year's Pixel Watch charger will not work with this year's Watch 2. The new watch does charge faster, according to my testing, taking about 73 minutes to go from dead to full.

The Watch 2's OLED screen looks fine to my eyes, even though if I look closely, I can spot individual pixels. The bezels that wrap around the display are still pretty thick, but they're not too bothersome since I wasn't watching videos or looking at photos on the watch. The button placements are identical to last year, too, with a rotatable crown and two clickable buttons on the right side. The crown feels a bit more responsive than last year's, offering more resistance when rotating and giving slight tactile feedback per groove.

The big upgrade comes internally. The Pixel Watch 2 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5, a significantly newer and more efficient SoC than the Exynos 9110 used last year. It's this that has given the Pixel Watch 2 superior battery life. The Watch 2 can now go a legit 24 hours, which means if you forget to charge it overnight, you will likely still wake up to a watch that's functional for a bit longer.

​​​​I'm not a fan of the included rubber straps, so I purchased my own third-party leather band. Swapping them out is easy via the quick-release mechanism. Overall, the hardware of the Pixel Watch 2 is comfortable on the wrist and looks rather stylish. There were concerns last year about the dome-shaped glass shattering easily due to having no border or bezel protection, but I wore the first-generation watch for a combined couple of months last year, and it still looks pristine today. But for peace of mind, you may want to consider a Pixel Watch 2 case or screen protector.

Software and performance

Fitbit app is annoying, but everything else works well

The Pixel Watch 2 requires the user to install two apps on their Android phones to get the watch running fully: Google's Watch app, which comes pre-installed in Pixel phones but is a separate download for other non-Google Android phones, and Fitbit. This is arguably the watch's biggest pain point. If Google wants to make the Pixel Watch 2 Android's version of the Apple Watch, it needs to do a better job of making the setup process feel seamless. Asking consumers to install up to two apps is just overly convoluted.

It doesn't help that the Fitbit app isn't great to use. Syncing is slow, and sometimes, the app won't connect when it's clearly in pairing mode. I'm no stranger to Fitbit products, having reviewed them from the company's early days, and the syncing issue has always been there. Whenever I jump into the Google Watch app, there's a 25% chance it will tell me it has not synced with Fitbit in hours, even though Fitbit is on my phone running.

Once you get past the tedious setup process, though, the watch is relatively easy to use. You navigate via swipes, taps, and with the rotatable crown. There are dozens of watch faces to choose from, and while the selection isn't as great as Apple's, it's a heck of a lot better than what Samsung or Fitbit offer. My favorite watch face is "Utility," which is information-dense and has four customizable complications.

I set these complications to do a myriad of things: track my steps, show the WhatsApp shortcut, heart rate tracking, and upcoming events on the calendar. Having WhatsApp access is huge for me, having lived in Hong Kong where 99.9% of citizens use the app as their main method of communicating. Not only can I read through existing WhatsApp chats on the watch screen, but I can also initiate a text message, which is something I could not do on most other Android smartwatches. I can compose texts using very accurate voice dictation, scribbling, or typing on the onscreen keyboard. The latter is far too cramped and hard to use, but the first two options work great.

The Pixel Watch 2 also provides good health and fitness tracking. Fitbit was a pioneer on this front, and the Pixel Watch essentially uses Fitbit's sensors and algorithms, so this is unsurprising. Step count is among the most accurate I've experienced, with the watch smart enough not to be fooled by "fake steps," such as when I'm moving my arms around or pedaling on a bike.

When I walk faster than usual for an extended period of time, the watch will ask if I want to track it as a workout, which last year's watch couldn't do. When I cycled through Manhattan last week, the watch also tracked my rides. I'm not a runner, but the watch does have full GPS and eSIM support if you want to leave your phone at home for runs. However, you can only view limited versions of today's fitness data on the watch. To see more, you must go to the Fitbit app. The Apple Watch can show more information directly on the wrist.

If you want the purest Android smartwatch that makes the best use of Google Assistant, the Pixel Watch 2 is it.

Another new feature is Safety Check, which lets you set a timer for when you're expected to arrive at a certain location. When the time is up, you'll be prompted to confirm whether things went according to plan. If you don't respond within a set time, the Watch 2 will alert an emergency contact of your real-time location. As a privileged man living in a relatively safe city, I likely won't need to use this feature often, but for women in other cities, it's a great feature to offer.

I also almost never make phone calls, but for review purposes, I took a couple to test out the watch's capabilities. The other end said they heard me loud and clear. However, on my end, the loudspeaker was a bit weak, so I had trouble hearing the caller due to me being on a noisy street.

Generally, the Pixel Watch 2 did a great job handling tasks that normally would require me to whip out a phone. When I get an email, for example, I can read most of it directly on my wrist. I can summon Google Assistant via my voice and speak to the watch directly, which comes in handy during bicycle rides. I also used the watch to help me navigate when I was walking around Manhattan. However, the turn-by-turn prompts were a bit slow. Even on foot, sometimes the prompt to turn came after I'd walked past the intersection. If the directions are coming late when I'm on foot, I don't think it will work for drivers — at least not in New York with tighter city grids.

Battery life, as mentioned, is also better. Even with the screen always on, I can finish a day with 30-35% battery left, and if I don't charge it overnight, the watch will still be alive for breakfast. This battery life isn't amazing, as it still requires you to charge it every day, but it's much better than the original Pixel Watch, which couldn't even last a 16-hour day on some occasions.

Should you buy the Pixel Watch 2?

You should buy the Pixel Watch 2 if:

• You want a capable do-it-all smartwatch for Android
• You want a way to make handling tasks like answering emails easier
• You are a fan of Fitbit's ecosystem and want something more premium than a Fitbit band

You should not buy the Pixel Watch 2 if:

• You need multi-day battery life on a watch
• You want a more rugged watch with more physical protection for the screen

The Pixel Watch 2 is a bit pricey at $350 or $400, but it's one of the more feature-packed smartwatches for Android, the rare watch that runs on the latest Wear OS software with the latest Snapdragon chip and with full support for Google's suite of apps. It's actually wild how hard it is for Android smartwatches to tick all the boxes. Huawei watches, for example, have epic battery life and the most premium build, but it has no support for Google apps. Samsung's watches are probably the only other options that can match the Pixel Watch in terms of general features, but even then, Samsung is keen to shove its Samsung apps over Google apps.

If you want the purest Android smartwatch that makes the best use of Google Assistant, with support for apps like Spotify and Google Maps, the Pixel Watch 2 is it.