Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I'd be interested to see what my "readiness" score would be since even though I run or workout 5-6 days a week, I never really want to do it.

If I’m struggling in the morning, I go on YouTube and look for David Goggins inspirational speeches and that usually lights me up
 
I’m not just saying this cause I’m an Apple fanboy, but smart watches are so much better square in my opinion. More room for information.
Agreed. Even the round watch faces work since the corner complications sit outside the face. My infograph face has 8 complications - four inside the round face and four outside; it's hard to imagine how the gooey watch could manage that much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tagbert
I’m not just saying this cause I’m an Apple fanboy, but smart watches are so much better square in my opinion. More room for information.
I ditched my AW in part because I was sick of the rectangular screen - after wearing my previous and treasured Seiko automatic for 15+ years (which got passed down to my youngest son). I opted for a Garmin Epix 2 and love the form factor. It’s not as smart as the AW as far as email and texting, but it’s awesome for sport and health tracking and doesn’t look like this very feminine rounded pebble of a Google watch - plus I get two weeks of battery life with it.

I get enough screen time with the 2 desktop monitors I have, one laptop, an iPad Pro and my iPhone. I don’t need my watch to be yet another duplicate screen.
 
I ditched my AW in part because I was sick of the rectangular screen - after wearing my previous and treasured Seiko automatic for 15+ years (which got passed down to my youngest son). I opted for a Garmin Epix 2 and love the form factor. It’s not as smart as the AW as far as email and texting, but it’s awesome for sport and health tracking and doesn’t look like this very feminine rounded pebble of a Google watch - plus I get two weeks of battery life with it.

I get enough screen time with the 2 desktop monitors I have, one laptop, an iPad Pro and my iPhone. I don’t need my watch to be yet another duplicate screen.
I hear ya. Everyone’s wants & needs are diff. I think round digital watches look cool, i just prefer the square shape of the AW. I also find myself taking my iphone out of my pocket & looking at it less now that I have an AW… which I kinda like. But again, everyone is diff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tagbert
I disagree with the premise, “Let’s compare Apple Watch 8 to Google Pixel Watch.” I understand comparing cameras between Apple and Samsung. However, this is like comparing a Cy Young award-winning major league pitcher to a minor league prospect who is a little taller.
 
Can't really win on square vs. circle...
For square:
+more screen real estate
+more masculine looking

-Looks nerdier (like them Casio electronic watches from decades back)
-feels more relatively bulky

For circle:
+shaped more like a traditional watch. Especially high end ones

-looks more feminine
-fits less info

... in the end, just take your pick. In addition to Apple vs. Google.

Thanks for the comparison. I think the Google watch has a lot going for it, but adds nothing over the Apple Watch other than a round screen.
Should add better integration with Google phones. I have a Pixel 6, so the Apple Watch isn't really appealing (unless it gets discounted to $200 or less)
 
Traditional watches are round for a reason. There are square/rectangular watches as well, but it is form over function in those cases. The hands still move in a circle. On a digital watch, square makes the most sense. Having a circular digital watch is the same form over function issue. But the form isn‘t great in this case. 😒

As for me, I’m done with Apple watches. I’m going back to traditional watches. And yes, the only thing I want is the time and date. And no, I don’t want to pull out my phone every time I want to check the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ackmondual


Google last week unveiled the Pixel Watch, a Wear OS-based smart watch that has a round display and a suite of health tracking features. We picked up a Pixel Watch and thought we'd compare it to Apple's newest flagship wristworn device, the Apple Watch Series 8.


Since the Apple Watch launched in 2015, Apple has not strayed from a rectangular watch face, while other Android manufacturers have toyed with round designs more like traditional watch faces. Google has opted to go with a round design, and the end result is one of the better round smart watches that we've seen.

pixel-watch-vs-apple-watch-1.jpg

Unfortunately, there are some thick bezels on the Google Watch because of the round face, but Google has adopted a dark UI that goes a long way toward reducing their obviousness. Apple has cut down on bezel size over the years, so you're getting more display area on the Series 8. The round form factor works well most of the time, but it's not great when notifications are coming in because it's a rectangular notification box attempting to fit in a circular display.

pixel-watch-vs-apple-watch-4.jpg

In terms of size, the Pixel Watch is delicate. It's 41mm in diameter, so it feels more petite than the 44mm Apple Watch Series 8. It's more akin to the 41mm Apple Watch, and it's dwarfed by the larger and more feature rich Apple Watch Ultra.

There's a side button and a crown on the Pixel Watch for control purposes, and the buttons are reminiscent of the Apple Watch. The bands are too, with Google coming out with some Sport Band-like straps, among other options. Bands click in like they do on the Apple Watch, with a slide in and twist motion.

pixel-watch-vs-apple-watch-5.jpg

The Apple Watch Series 8 and the Pixel Watch are direct competitors, offering many of the same features. Google has incorporated features from Fitbit, and the Pixel Watch basically does the same thing the Apple Watch does.

It has heart rate tracking, ECG capabilities, and detailed workout tracking with heart rate zones and support for around 40 types of workouts. Emergency SOS is built in, sleep tracking is included, and fall detection is coming later in the year. There is no temperature sensor, a feature new to the Series 8, and while a blood oxygen sensor is included, it is not activated.

pixel-watch-vs-apple-watch-8.jpg

Some of the health tracking features do require a Fitbit premium subscription, priced at $10 per month. You'll need to pay this fee if you want options like the traditional Fitbit readiness score. Google does include six months free, but eventually, some features will be locked.

Battery life varies quite a bit on the Pixel Watch. With the always-on display, it drains quickly, plus there's a feature that constantly monitors heart rate that can drop it down. With those options turned off, it can last for up to 24 hours, beating out the Series 8.

pixel-watch-vs-apple-watch-6.jpg

All in all, the Pixel Watch is a decent smart watch that could one day inspire Apple to offer another display design. You're obviously not going to want to pick one of these up if you have an iPhone, but Android users have an Apple Watch-like device to choose now.

What do you think of the Pixel Watch? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: Google's New Pixel Watch vs. Apple Watch Series 8
It's a toy watch at best and the usual Google rip off with the Fitbit App 😏
 
The bezels looks like something from Series 4 to my eyes. Kudos for that domed screen choice that give the optical illusion and masks the bezel's thickness.
This is like TheVerge said: it's like Apple Watch Circular Edition. But alas, it's Google with its questionable privacy. And to think that I have to subscribe to Fitbit to get full health feature? No thanks. Apple Watch has it for free it's worth a $350 premium over the Pixel Watch (Apple Watch Series 8 Stainless Steel w/ Sport Band) for me.
It's just a myth what the VERGE say 😏 Nothing like the Apple Watch!
 
I think round looks better (subjective), but yeah, round doesn’t make sense for anything but clock hands. Unless maybe the text reads circularly on the round screen, perhaps spiraling in, getting smaller and smaller shrinking into a point. That would actually be pretty cool. As you scroll, the text spirals outward from singularity point and grows and becomes legible.
Just too bad our heads don’t spin around like that.
If Apple was going to make a round face watch I can guarantee that they wouldn’t do continuous horizontal or vertical scrolling. They would scroll one whole face at a time or flip between screens. The scrolling that cuts off information around the round edges is completely unacceptable.

And if Apple did that then every other smartwatch would immediately copy the idea and claim it was obvious all along. For the record, I don’t think Apple would make a round face watch but if they did, they would innovate on the UI.
 
  • Like
Reactions: subjonas
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.