Google has now announced that it would be releasing a number of software upgrades for the Pixel Watch and Fitbit. There are so many that it is a bit confusing and all over the place, but some of the big features are nighttime blood oxygen levels (SpO2) and abnormally high and low heart rate alarms for the Pixel Watch.
There will not be spot checks for the blood oxygen tracking feature like there are on the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch. Instead, the Pixel Watch will monitor your SpO2 in a non-intrusive manner while you sleep, just like Fitbit does with its many smartwatches.
The ability to observe longer-term patterns rather than a single, arbitrary reading is made possible by this feature, which is definitely a positive development. In the meantime, notifications for a high or low heart rate are a standard feature on modern wearables. These warnings are triggered in contrast to EKGs for the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, which the Pixel Watch previously has. Instead, they are triggered when the watch recognizes that your heart rate has suddenly dropped below normal levels or spiked over normal levels when you are at rest.
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On its own, this serves as a decent illustration of how confusing Google’s wearable product selection is. A portion of me had forgotten that the watch did not already have these functions installed in it. When Google first introduced the Pixel Watch, the device lacked a number of seemingly random health features that are typically seen on modern smartwatches.
It was perplexing because many of the functions were ones that Fitbit, the company that is responsible for powering the health elements of the Pixel Watch, had already added on its own devices. The most important ones were warnings about low blood oxygen and an irregular heart rate.
At the time, I had a theory that it was an attempt to differentiate the Pixel Watch from Fitbit’s Sense 2 and Versa 4 in a more meaningful way, especially considering that the smart features of the Fitbits had been scaled back. Google was essentially trying to rationalize why three different smartwatches were necessary, but they wound up confusing everyone about which watches had which capabilities people actually needed.
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In addition to notifications for low blood oxygen levels and an irregular heart rate, Google is also introducing an automatic pause feature for cardio activities such as running, walking, and cycling. It is precisely how it is described. During a run, if you are stopped at a corner waiting for the light to turn green, the Pixel Watch should be able to automatically pause and continue the activity without you having to do anything to make it happen.
Since the release of the Pixel Watch, this is not the first time that Google has addressed this peculiar void in terms of health functions. For instance, it put out an update in November that added the Fitbit Sleep Profile function to the Pixel Watch. This update was one example.
If that was all there was to it, then this would be a relatively straightforward upgrade. On the other hand, there are even more updates that appear to be completely random for the Pixel and the Fitbit. In addition to bringing Assistant for the Pixel Watch to additional countries, Google is also releasing three new tiles for Spotify. On the 16th of June, it will be introducing new brushed silver and matte black metal link bands for an eye-popping price of $199.99 each. This is on the accessories front.
It also appears that Google is making an effort to organize the features that are available to Fitbit customers. This week, you may also anticipate some new user interface (UI) modifications if you have a Charge 5, Luxe, Inspire 3, Versa 4, or Sense 2 smartphone. The support for global characters and text that flows from right to left will be improved across all of the aforementioned devices. On any and all Fitbit devices, you will also have the ability to view your Daily Readiness Score right from the wrist. Users of the Versa 4 and the Sense 2 will also have access to the Menstrual Health tiles.
Users of the Versa 4 and Sense 2 will be able to change the face of their clocks without having to access the Fitbit app first. This is possibly the most intriguing aspect of the update. It’s about time they added this feature, considering that practically every other wearable already has it. You were required to navigate through the App Gallery within the Fitbit app, wait for what seemed like an age for the face to download, and then wait another lifetime for it to load on the watch. This process is no longer necessary.
The Charge 5, Luxe, and Inspire 3 will not be able to accomplish this – the reason why is beyond my comprehension — but as a token of our regret, we will provide them with four additional clock faces to choose from within the Fitbit app gallery. Additionally, users of all three gadgets will have the opportunity to select from a comprehensive menu of fitness modes directly from their wrists.
It’s possible that some of these alterations are being made in preparation for WearOS 4, which was introduced at Google I/O a month ago. WearOS 4 is meant to improve the Pixel Watch’s abysmal battery life, which is essential for functions that require continuous monitoring throughout the night, such as SpO2 tracking. Similar to how the Sense 2’s continuous electrodermal activity sensor enables the real-time stress-tracking functions of the device, the speculated Pixel Watch 2 will allegedly come equipped with the same sensor.
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Until there is a confirmation from official sources, all of this is, of course, just speculation. Having said that, it is not completely out of the question that a longer battery life may enable more advanced health capabilities to be included on the Pixel Watch when it launches this autumn.
In essence, Google is patching the flaws in its wearable roadmap in order to provide a more consistent and enjoyable experience for its customers. This should, over time, build greater cohesion between the two brands, and hopefully, it will become easier to understand the distinction between a Fitbit smartwatch and a Pixel Watch. Or, it’s possible that Google merely has the intention of absorbing Fitbit in a more comprehensive manner, similar to how it did with Nest.
In either case, it ought to entail a product portfolio that is simpler to understand. In the meantime, it is very normal to experience some level of confusion as these modifications are sent out over the course of the next week.
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