Google Pixel Watch is coming, but it's got a huge disadvantage compared to a Garmin

By Cat Ellis
published

Info discovered in the official Fitbit app suggests Google's smartwatch will need charging every day

3D render of Google Pixel Watch with gray strap
(Image credit: Google)

The Google Pixel Watch is coming out soon, and it could be one of the best GPS watches of 2022 thanks to its focus on fitness, but a new leak has revealed something disappointing. Whereas most sports watches (including the best Garmin watches) can go two weeks or more between charges in smartwatch mode, it looks like the Pixel Watch will have a battery life of just one day.

Google purchased Fitbit in late 2019, and after the deal was complete the company announced that it would be bringing Fitbit features to its smartwatch operating system, WearOS. The company has since confirmed that the Pixel Watch will have the full suite of Fitbit features, including sleep tracking and Active Minutes, and a recent update to the official FItbit app has revealed some interesting extra details.

The team at 9to5Google have trawled through the install files for the app, and discovered a snippet of text that hints at the new watch's battery life. If your Pixel Watch is running low on charge in the afternoon, the app will display a warning message: "Time to charge your watch. You’ll need at least 30% charge to track a full night’s sleep." 

It's recommended that most adults get eight hours of sleep, so if the watch's battery drains by a third in that time, it's likely to only last 24 hours on a full charge. That's pretty disappointing for anyone who might have been thinking of trading their Garmin or Polar device for a Pixel Watch. 

Just one day?

Active people simply need longer battery life, and that's something other companies seem to be recognizing. The Apple Watch 7 needs charging every 24 houts, but it looks as though the rumored Apple Watch Pro (a device designed with sportspeople in mind) will have a considerably heftier power supply for better longevity.

We weren't expecting the battery life of the Garmin Enduro 2, but a single day is very limiting, and the Pixel Watch might need charging even more frequently if you use GPS tracking regularly. Despite having both Fitbit and Google Fit tools baked in, this might be one for casual exercisers only.

Cat Ellis
Cat Ellis
Editor

Cat is the editor of Advnture, She’s been a journalist for 15 years, and was fitness and wellbeing editor on TechRadar before joining the Advnture team in 2022. She’s a UK Athletics qualified run leader, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than lacing up her shoes and hitting the roads and trails (the muddier, the better), usually wearing at least two sports watches.