I finally left Fitbit behind

In case you’ve been studying Android Authority over the previous few years, you could have seen some articles I’ve written concerning the authentic Fitbit Sense. In a phrase, I love the Sense. I’ve revealed hundreds of phrases right here speaking about it because it first launched in 2020. Even with the sequel touchdown in 2022 and numerous different wonderful smartwatches launching, the Sense has been on my wrist all day, day-after-day, for 3 years straight. That’s, till now.

I received a Google Pixel Watch 2 totally free with my Pixel 8 Professional and determined to present it a shot. Though I’ve needed to change some habits, the Pixel Watch 2 is lastly an sufficient substitute for my years-old Fitbit. It’s good to have one thing recent!

Sadly, the Pixel Watch 2 remains to be poor in a couple of areas, most notably battery life. Nevertheless, should you’re like me and nonetheless rocking an authentic Sense (or one other older wearable), let me inform you why the Pixel Watch 2 lastly satisfied me to improve.

Throughout my evaluation of the Fitbit Sense 2, I lamented the staggering variety of necessary authentic Sense options the successor deserted. The most important, after all, was assist for Google Assistant. On condition that Google owns Fitbit, this was a genuinely bonkers choice. The Sense 2 additionally lacked Wi-Fi assist, third-party apps, and any music-related controls.

On the time, we assumed these intentional limitations of the Sense 2 have been put in place to make the primary Pixel Watch appear superior by comparability. Nevertheless, Google’s smartwatch debut didn’t have function parity with the Sense 2 — and even the unique Sense! The Pixel Watch lacked any stress-tracking or physique temperature options, for instance. It additionally had horrible battery life, particularly in comparison with the 5+ days of life you possibly can simply get out of a Sense or Sense 2. In different phrases, the 2020 Sense was nonetheless superior to each the Sense 2 and the Pixel Watch in a number of areas regardless of being two years older.

The Pixel Watch 2, although, principally fixes these deficiencies. Whether or not you examine it to a Sense or a Sense 2, it does almost every little thing they each do. Its app retailer is much extra sturdy than the one on the Sense (and the non-existent retailer for the Sense 2, clearly). It additionally has the Google Assistant, music controls, and Wi-Fi of the unique Sense. And all of the health modes and sensors of the Sense 2 make their method to the Pixel Watch 2.

With all these options, the Fitbit Sense lastly has some correct competitors. Up till now, I couldn’t even fathom dropping it as a result of there was nothing that got here remotely shut and nonetheless saved me within the Fitbit ecosystem. It took Google three years, however it did it.

In fact, there’s nonetheless one large downside with the Pixel Watch 2, and I’m certain you already know what it’s.

With my Fitbit Sense’s settings maxed out — AOD on on a regular basis, brightness all the way in which up, vibrations set to the best setting, and so on. — I can get a little bit over three days of use while not having to cost it. This makes it good for a tenting weekend or a backpacking journey abroad. I’ve grown very accustomed to not needing to be locked to an outlet each 18-24 hours as a result of my smartwatch wants juice — a privilege Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch customers could not recognize.

Admittedly, the Pixel Watch 2 has a lot, a lot better battery life than the unique, however it nonetheless can’t examine to the Sense and even the Sense 2. It’s good that I can lastly get a full time out of it — and after I say “full day,” I imply utilizing all of it day and persevering with to make use of it for that night time’s sleep, a vital element that Google appeared to have forgotten about when it touted “all day” battery life for the unique Pixel Watch.

This isn’t the tip of the world, although. It’s pressured me to vary some habits, however it’s workable. With my Sense, I used to put on all of it day besides when showering. Earlier than showering, I’d place the Sense on the charger. By the point I received out of the bathe, dried off, received my garments on, and brushed my enamel, it might be absolutely charged.

The Pixel Watch 2, although, requires a second spherical to maintain it going with none depletion considerations. Now, I cost it whereas I bathe after which additionally give it an additional cost earlier than I sleep. My regular behavior is to get in mattress and skim a bit or atone for the information, so these quarter-hour are perfect for a top-up. It helps that Google has considerably elevated the charging pace, so that you not want two hours for a full cost. By charging at these two factors in the course of the day, I haven’t had even one time that the Pixel Watch 2 ran out of juice on me and even got here near doing so. To be clear, that is with the identical maxed-out settings I used with my Sense, together with the AOD turned on always.

Nonetheless, the Pixel Watch 2, as I exploit it each day, won’t get me by a backpacking or tenting journey, that’s for certain. I’ll both have to drop down the settings for that or provide you with a backup energy answer the following time journey calls.

In case you’re nonetheless connected to your Fitbit Sense (or different older watch) and hesitant to leap to a Pixel Watch 2 due to the tepid response the primary Pixel Watch obtained, I recommend you not fear about it. I churned by quite a few watches to seek out an sufficient improve for the unique Sense, so I do know the place you’re coming from. However the Pixel Watch 2 is a high-quality substitute, assuming you may barely modify your charging habits to accommodate it.

Moreover, the Pixel Watch 2 can do many issues the Sense can’t. It’s been nice to sync alarms and Do Not Disturb modes throughout my telephone and watch, for instance. Controlling my sensible house with the Google Residence app on my watch has additionally been extremely helpful. Plus, the Pixel Watch 2 seems to be much more like an everyday watch than any Fitbit product does, which is sweet after I’m sporting one thing formal, as I did at my brother-in-law’s marriage ceremony lately.

The one factor left on my thoughts is whether or not or not the Pixel Watch 2 will final me so long as the Fitbit Sense did. Will I be rocking this into 2026, or will I begin upgrading my watch yearly identical to I do with my telephone? Time will inform, there. Let’s see how a lot Google can enhance battery life with the Pixel Watch 3. That would be the true check!