Google rolled out the March 2023 updates to all current-generation Pixel mobile devices this week. The Google Pixel Watch features fall detection, energy efficient digital clock face, improved alarm support, and other fixes and improvements to match the rest of us best smart watch list.
If it feels familiar, that’s because Google announced Fall Detection on February 28repeat it in a blog post detailing the March feature Drop for Pixels (opens in a new tab). Fall detection is the marquee feature here. Like with Apple Watch 8you’ll be able to let Pixel Watch automatically detect if you’ve fallen and help call emergency services to assist you.
It will do this with a prompt that allows you to choose whether the fall is serious enough to contact emergency services. If you do not make a decision within 60 seconds, the watch will automatically contact emergency services. The watch should be able to talk to emergency services for you automatically if you can’t, although you do have the option to override it and use your own voice.
Another really big feature is the energy-saving watch face. If your Pixel Watch turns off due to low battery power, you can still check the time via the Digital Watch’s Watch Face at the touch of a crown. It’s a useful little feature that gives you confidence that your smartwatch can still function as a wristwatch even if the smart features are too battery-hungry to be useful. A similar battery-saving update comes with a quick settings pane for the feature, allowing you to enable or disable the feature with a single tap.
There are a bunch of other miscellaneous fixes related to this update – even if not quite as attention-grabbing. The touchscreen is now more responsive, turning the crown will now wake the watch, and a bug that caused some users to experience false or delayed startup on the Pixel Watch’s alarm function has been fixed.
Small change, big impact
Fall detection is a feature that has been proven to save lives in the past. It’s a great addition to any smartwatch, and Google’s inclusion here personifies it better late than never. The Best Apple Watch The feature has been available for months, but the update is only for the Google Pixel Watch – Fitbit device owners will miss out on the feature. unsurprisingly, given Google starved Fitbit features for a while now.
There are limitations, naturally. This feature isn’t available in all countries, your phone needs to be nearby, or it may not even detect a fall if the motion sensor tells the Watch you’re doing something innocuous. Innocent can cause you to lose momentum suddenly. Technology is not magic, and features occasionally fail. Having it without need is better than needing without even having a choice.
Moving on, the Pixel Watch’s battery isn’t the best we’ve seen on a smartwatch. The Low Energy Digital Clock feature is a band-aid, that’s true. This is still a useful improvement to be able to confidently check the time on your watch without fear of it dying.
