Wearables round out the Pixel Portfolio – as Google calls it – of phones, tablets, and foldables. In 2023, the Pixel Watch is only in its second generation, while Google’s headphones effort is on solid footing with the Pixel Buds Pro.
Pixel Buds Pro
Google rolled out spatial audio with head tracking (4.30) to the Pixel Buds Pro in March. Before this, the first notable post-launch update (3.14) came in October of 2022 with the 5-band EQ and left/right Volume balance.
This was followed by a bigger firmware upgrade (5.9) in October that coincided with two new colors: Bay (blue) and Porcelain. Conversation Detection can pause audio and activate Transparency Mode, while Hearing Wellness notes the decibel level of what you’re listening to. There’s an “Exposure” indicator over the last 24 hours and seven days, but there’s no Digital Wellbeing integration.
When paired to a Pixel 8 or 8 Pro, Pixel Buds Pro supports Bluetooth Super Wideband. This doubles the available voice bandwidth to make you “sound fuller, clearer, and more natural.” It goes hand-in-hand with Clear Calling, which was updated to “better distinguish voices from background noise.” Lastly, the 2023 flagships also allow for reduced latency in supported games.
Google also released a Pixel Buds web app for Chromebooks — mypixelbuds.google.com — that lets you set Active Noise Control (ANC), tune the Equalizer, and change other settings. Besides checking the battery levels, you can now update Pixel Buds Pro without an Android device using this PWA.
Meanwhile, if you ever lose the charging case, Google now lets you buy a new one for $70 after previously only offering replacement earbuds and tips.
Finally, Google in December announced Assistant Quick Phrase support so you can “Answer” or “Decline” calls on Pixel Buds Pro without saying the “Hey Google” hotword first. A smaller update saw Google prompt you to clean the earbuds ever so often.
During the holiday season, Google discounted the Pixel Buds Pro by $80 to $119.99 in a pretty aggressive discount. Normally, such a steep sale would imply that a new version is coming. The headphones were announced at I/O 2022 and went on sale that July. A roughly two-year cycle for this wearable makes sense, though the recent software update suggests that Google can still work with the existing hardware.
This opens the possibility of Google’s next headphones tackling a different segment of the market. In using Pixel Buds A-Series recently, I was reminded how much smaller they are. While I have no real fit issues with the Pro model, the earbuds from 2021 are easily more comfortable. At the same time, they are clearly lacking in smarts given the price, and that’s something Google should address in its lineup.
Pixel Watch
The first big addition to the Pixel Watch in 2023 brought Fall Detection. Technically part of the March Feature Drop, Google also added a trio of accessibility features. June brought a bigger update with SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) tracking, as well as high and low heart rate notifications. Google also introduced auto-pause/resume for runs, walks, and bike rides.
Those two updates helped round out the Pixel Watch’s health and fitness capabilities, especially against a dedicated Fitbit. Arguably, everything on that list should have been a launch day capability.
Like on the phone side, the original Pixel Watch got its next big update in October with Wear OS 4, which debuted on the second-generation wearable. Highlights include backup and restore using Google One, watch transfer, and a trio of Personal Safety features (Safety Check, Emergency Sharing, and Emergency Info). Notifications also got an upgrade with “embedded media previews” for images and GIFs.
On the Pixel Watch 2, you get more accurate heart rate readings, skin temperature sensor, and EDA sensor for stress tracking. In all, this device surpassed the Fitbit Sense 2 in terms of advanced health features.
In November, Google only updated the LTE Pixel Watch 2 after previously being quite religious on monthly patches. The December update was quite big with Watch Unlock — first announced at CES 2022 — finally rolling out. Google officially brought over the six new faces introduced on the Pixel Watch 2, and said Do Not Disturb and Bedtime Mode sync is coming.
On the app side, Gmail and Google Calendar (with Tasks integration) for Wear OS were the big new app additions this year. Major app updates included:
- Google Maps getting phone-less navigation for LTE watches in Google Maps and Wear OS 3 AOD support
- Google Keep added Wear OS complications and Tiles
- YouTube Music was updated with the ability to browse albums and playlist, as well as podcasts
- New At a Glance complication and Assistant Tile
- Google Home got a big redesign with Favorites and media controls, while it added various capabilities over the course of the year, including animated camera notifications
- Google Messages gained the ability to send voice memos from your wrist
- Personal Safety added a pair of Tiles
- Google Wallet gained support for loyalty cards and transit passes
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