You have the right to be weary about the Pixel Watch’s battery life

We don’t know a lot of things about Google’s upcoming Pixel Watch other than what it looks like. The exact specs and feature set are still a mystery that will be revealed later this year when Google formerly unveils it. Until then, anything you hear about the Pixel Watch is speculation, sort of like this new tidbit about how long the battery might last.

9to5Google does thoroughly-detailed APK teardown all of the time, sometimes revealing new features or references to future devices well before the company behind the APK wants the public to know about them. The publication recently broke down the latest version of the Fitbit app for Android, and there are references to the Pixel Watch, one of which that suggests charging the device to 30 percent before using it for sleep tracking.

Specifically, a new toggle will enable a notification that’s sent if your Pixel Watch’s battery is too low to track your sleep. When the notification arrives, it’ll recommend juicing back up to 30 percent before dozing off.

So, a couple of things. For one, this makes it sound like the Pixel Watch will be a one-day smartwatch, not a multi-day marathon runner like some other watches. 9to5Google has previously reported that the device will last 24 hours on a full charge, and since 30 percent of a day is a hair under eight hours, it seems that the watch won’t have any issue lasting from sunrise to sunrise.

But secondly, while the Pixel Watch might be capable of lasting 24 hours, that doesn’t mean it will last 24 hours. If you use fitness tracking, music streaming, or other sensor-heavy apps throughout the day, there’s a good chance you’ll need to recharge well before you hit the sack. I only say that because I’ve seen it happen with many other smartwatches that claim to last a long time, particularly the Apple Watch and Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watches.

It’s also worth pointing out to anyone confused why the Pixel Watch is showing up in a Fitbit app: Google said that Fitbit will integrate its services directly with the Pixel Watch, likely as a ploy to get those customers to switch. Back in 2019, Google bought Fitbit for $2.1 billion.

All of that being said, while this is pure speculation, it seems justifiable to be weary about the endurance of this watch. Not only is it Google’s first “G”-branded hardware foray into the smartwatch market, Wear OS 3 continues to suffer from efficiency and stability issues despite being miles better than previous versions. Hopefully, Google is able to optimize the Pixel Watch like it does Pixel phones – blend the software and hardware on a level unlike any other competitor and provide a fast and fluid experience, plus good battery life.

Obviously, I’ll be looking into the Pixel Watch’s endurance when I review it in the fall, so stay tuned.