Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR
- At an event, a Google official mentioned that Google is considering how to make its watches and wearables more repairable and is thinking through some design elements for it.
- So far, the Pixel Watch lineup is not repairable, and Google ships replacement watches for warranty claims.
The Google Pixel Watch lineup is one of the best smartwatch solutions for Android users and more so for Pixel fans. The Watch line has maintained design consistency over three generations, sporting a unique look that has become synonymous with the branding. However, that design comes with its challenges, one being its non-existent repairability. The future may be different for the Pixel Watch, though, as Google is considering making the watch more repairable.
If you damage or break your Pixel Watch, you cannot repair it. For issues under warranty, Google will send out replacements instead of repairing the watch because it wasn’t built to be repaired easily. On the other hand, the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch lineups allow for common repairs, like glass replacement and battery swaps.
At Climate Week NYC, Nicole Azores, a manager of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google, mentioned that Google is thinking through the design of the Pixel Watch to make it more repairable, as reported by Wired.
Watches and wearables are still fairly nascent, and we are thinking through how to make this repairable. We’re thinking about repairability on a broader scale, not just on phones and tablets, and we want to make sure that all of our products eventually become repairable. I think watches being so new as a category, there are some design elements that need to be considered on how we make them repairable.
Azores did not provide additional information, and there’s no timeline on when Google will make design decisions in favor of repairability. But at least the company has finally indicated that it will work on making the Pixel Watch more repairable. We don’t know how far this would extend or what design changes it would bring to the Pixel Watch, but we hope it’s for the better.
We’re seeing many major companies take steps towards repairability for their products. Whether these steps result from environmental concerns or impending legislation, we still appreciate them as they provide tangible benefits to consumers in the form of products built to be used over a longer period. We hope Google expedites its design process so that the next Pixel Watch scores better on repairability than the three watches that have come before it.
Google Pixel Watch 3
Larger, secondary case size • Multi-day battery life • Accurate heart rate tracking
Two sizes, better than ever.
The Google Pixel Watch 3 comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes, and each size comes in Wi-Fi or LTE options. They all come with improved activity and fitness tracking, thinner bezels, and Wear OS 5.
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