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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024
Having tried a TicWatch Pro5 and a OnePlus2 over recent weeks and having sent both back as i could never Google Wallet to work consistently across either of those two watches…I have great hope for the Pixel2 watch. I have a Pixel7 phone, so with a Pixel7 phone, Pixel2 watch and Google Wallet….what could go wrong? Nothing, I hope.
I wont try to use Google Wallet for another 2 days yet on the Pixel2 watch. i will update the review once i try that a few times. I have used my Pixel7 phone with Google Wallet for a long time now and whenever the Ticwatch or the OnePlus watches did not work, my Pixel7 phone worked with Google Wallet every time. So, obviously an issue with those other two watches. I “assume” that Google will get this correct on the Pixel2 watch.
I did end up using the longer strap that comes with the watch. Taking the strap off is a bit of a pain, probably for most men who keep their nails short. I had my wife use her nail to push the very small “button” and slide the shorter strap off. Putting the longer one was a bit of a pain also until i read the very small manual again and actually used the longer strap to push the button (and not my own short finger nail), then the longer strap went on first time. For me, not the best design for changing straps.
But, in general, the installation was a breeze. Probably better than the other two watches. I did buy a foldable charger which will charge both my phone a Pixel2 watch. Looks pretty good on the nightstand.
I'm keeping an eye on how long a charge on the watch holds. Last night it was fully charged when I went to bed and was at 88% when I woke up after about 7 hours of sleep. During the day, I get various notifications, an odd phone call or two. As the watch his new, I am obviously playing with settings etc, but that should settle down once I get used to the watch.
With Google Wallet, I used the Pixel2 watch twice yesterday. Once at WaWa for gas and once at Publix (groceries). Neither of the two other watches worked at Publix. What was interesting is that when using Wallet on my phone at Publix I get the blue and white check mark very quickly but when using the watch, the checkout terminal showed me a "please wait" or similar message and was accepted once the cashier finished ringing up the purchases. I'll check that out again in future Publix purchases.
Alarms...I have 3 alarms set on my phone for Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 06:30 and had to set these manually on the watch so alarms o NOT sync between the phone and the watch. I think I have the standard clock app on my phone but not sure...I just looked at it on the phone but not obvious if I added this app or if it is the standard app.
UPDATE 7/11/2024
Google Pixel2 Watch – Battery Loss and Google Wallet Observations
Battery loss
Day2
06:00 to 18:00 battery 88% -> 69%
23:30 to 06:45 battery 100% -> 88%
Day3
06:00 to 18:00 battery 88% -> 54%
Day4
23:00 to 06:30 battery 100% -> 93%
Sleep mode enabled by time setting
FitBit enabled (NOT premium) – For my purposes (I’m 74), premium doesn’t seem worth it.
I get a phone call or two, notifications and time checking
Took cat to the vet for yearly checkup
Watch Google Wallet did NOT work, Pixel7 phone also did NOT work.
Turns out that they take Apple Pay but NOT Google Pay (why would a vendor do this?)
Day5
Hyundai dealer, Pixel2 watch accepted for service payment. Had to hold the watch almost touching the pay terminal
Day6
Watch lost 9% of battery while sleeping over night (22:15 to 06:00) from 100% to 91%
Treadmill this morning, FitBit seems to disagree with the figures that my treadmill provides
Treadmill – 31 Minutes, 1.53 miles, 111 calories
FitBit – 21 minutes, 1.32 miles, 274 calories
It’s interesting that the watch seems to recognize that I am exercising and prompted me to select a mode. I chose “treadmill”…this was after I had been walking for a number of minutes. That may explain some of the differences shown above…but not the calories I would think. You should wipe your wrist and watch dry after exercising.
UPDATE 7/16/2024
IF I press start on the watch as I start walking, the treadmill and watch statistics are pretty close. Heartbeat (obviously changing) is pretty much the same between treadmill and watch). Miles walked (treadmill says 1.5 miles, watch says 1.4 miles). Treadmill doesn't count steps although the watch does.
Google Wallet/Pay or whatever they are calling it today. It seems that there are some stores that take Apple Pay but NOT Google Wallet/Pay. My vet is like that, local Chinese restaurant last night was the same. From some web searching, it seems that Apple Pay is used a lot more than Google Wallet/Pay. My local Publix supermarket takes the Pixel2 watch but refused the earlier smart watches I tried (TicWatch nPro5 and the OnePlus Pro). So, it would appear that this Pixel2 watch is more reliable than the other two using it for credit card charges. What make this watch even better is a larger unit. I read that the Pixel3 may have two sizes.
Watch accepted for payment at the Olive Garden yesterday. I had to hold the watch very close to the pay terminal. It seemed to accept it as I kinda tapped the watch on the pay terminal gently. Not sure if tapping it actually did the trick or not.
UPDATE 7/24/2024
The Pixel2 watch accepted at more places with Google Wallet than either of the two previous watches I tried although still has rejections occasionally when the phone works straight away.
Treadmill use and tracking
I notice that when turning treadmill mode on for the watch that it does update the FitBit app on some sort of basis (not sure on what basis though). Sleeping the phone and then immediately waking it up again updates the FitBit app on the phone. Tracking seems relatively close to the readings on my treadmill but certainly NOT the same. I guess I should expect that. The watch also buzzes a LOT while I am walking on the treadmill. It is NOT obvious why this is. Multiple notification buzzes at a time. No actual notifications showing on the watch. I presume that is must be FitBit related but it sure isn't obvious why. Maybe some parameter exceeded on FitBit?
UPDATE 8/1/2024
On the treadmill this morning. Fitbit seems to disagree with my treadmill.
Treadmill figures
29.29 minutes, 1.5 miles, 107 calories
Fitbit figures
26 minutes, 1.42 miles, 781 calories
I don’t understand the calories difference.
One thing to remember is to always stop treadmill activity on the watch. The one time that I forgot to do this..FitBit congratulated me for walking for 122 hours!
UPDATE 9/1/2024
Still mostly pleased with the watch. The Google Pay is somewhat hit and miss. Some places like Panera (at least my local one) seem to have a hard time with the watch but not with my Pixel7 phone. I have used the watch to pay at my local Ruby Tuesday several times. Tonight, neither the watch or the phone worked there and the server tried 2 different pay terminals. Had to use the credit card…make sure you still carry one with you and don’t rely on the watch or phone 100%!
I wont try to use Google Wallet for another 2 days yet on the Pixel2 watch. i will update the review once i try that a few times. I have used my Pixel7 phone with Google Wallet for a long time now and whenever the Ticwatch or the OnePlus watches did not work, my Pixel7 phone worked with Google Wallet every time. So, obviously an issue with those other two watches. I “assume” that Google will get this correct on the Pixel2 watch.
I did end up using the longer strap that comes with the watch. Taking the strap off is a bit of a pain, probably for most men who keep their nails short. I had my wife use her nail to push the very small “button” and slide the shorter strap off. Putting the longer one was a bit of a pain also until i read the very small manual again and actually used the longer strap to push the button (and not my own short finger nail), then the longer strap went on first time. For me, not the best design for changing straps.
But, in general, the installation was a breeze. Probably better than the other two watches. I did buy a foldable charger which will charge both my phone a Pixel2 watch. Looks pretty good on the nightstand.
I'm keeping an eye on how long a charge on the watch holds. Last night it was fully charged when I went to bed and was at 88% when I woke up after about 7 hours of sleep. During the day, I get various notifications, an odd phone call or two. As the watch his new, I am obviously playing with settings etc, but that should settle down once I get used to the watch.
With Google Wallet, I used the Pixel2 watch twice yesterday. Once at WaWa for gas and once at Publix (groceries). Neither of the two other watches worked at Publix. What was interesting is that when using Wallet on my phone at Publix I get the blue and white check mark very quickly but when using the watch, the checkout terminal showed me a "please wait" or similar message and was accepted once the cashier finished ringing up the purchases. I'll check that out again in future Publix purchases.
Alarms...I have 3 alarms set on my phone for Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 06:30 and had to set these manually on the watch so alarms o NOT sync between the phone and the watch. I think I have the standard clock app on my phone but not sure...I just looked at it on the phone but not obvious if I added this app or if it is the standard app.
UPDATE 7/11/2024
Google Pixel2 Watch – Battery Loss and Google Wallet Observations
Battery loss
Day2
06:00 to 18:00 battery 88% -> 69%
23:30 to 06:45 battery 100% -> 88%
Day3
06:00 to 18:00 battery 88% -> 54%
Day4
23:00 to 06:30 battery 100% -> 93%
Sleep mode enabled by time setting
FitBit enabled (NOT premium) – For my purposes (I’m 74), premium doesn’t seem worth it.
I get a phone call or two, notifications and time checking
Took cat to the vet for yearly checkup
Watch Google Wallet did NOT work, Pixel7 phone also did NOT work.
Turns out that they take Apple Pay but NOT Google Pay (why would a vendor do this?)
Day5
Hyundai dealer, Pixel2 watch accepted for service payment. Had to hold the watch almost touching the pay terminal
Day6
Watch lost 9% of battery while sleeping over night (22:15 to 06:00) from 100% to 91%
Treadmill this morning, FitBit seems to disagree with the figures that my treadmill provides
Treadmill – 31 Minutes, 1.53 miles, 111 calories
FitBit – 21 minutes, 1.32 miles, 274 calories
It’s interesting that the watch seems to recognize that I am exercising and prompted me to select a mode. I chose “treadmill”…this was after I had been walking for a number of minutes. That may explain some of the differences shown above…but not the calories I would think. You should wipe your wrist and watch dry after exercising.
UPDATE 7/16/2024
IF I press start on the watch as I start walking, the treadmill and watch statistics are pretty close. Heartbeat (obviously changing) is pretty much the same between treadmill and watch). Miles walked (treadmill says 1.5 miles, watch says 1.4 miles). Treadmill doesn't count steps although the watch does.
Google Wallet/Pay or whatever they are calling it today. It seems that there are some stores that take Apple Pay but NOT Google Wallet/Pay. My vet is like that, local Chinese restaurant last night was the same. From some web searching, it seems that Apple Pay is used a lot more than Google Wallet/Pay. My local Publix supermarket takes the Pixel2 watch but refused the earlier smart watches I tried (TicWatch nPro5 and the OnePlus Pro). So, it would appear that this Pixel2 watch is more reliable than the other two using it for credit card charges. What make this watch even better is a larger unit. I read that the Pixel3 may have two sizes.
Watch accepted for payment at the Olive Garden yesterday. I had to hold the watch very close to the pay terminal. It seemed to accept it as I kinda tapped the watch on the pay terminal gently. Not sure if tapping it actually did the trick or not.
UPDATE 7/24/2024
The Pixel2 watch accepted at more places with Google Wallet than either of the two previous watches I tried although still has rejections occasionally when the phone works straight away.
Treadmill use and tracking
I notice that when turning treadmill mode on for the watch that it does update the FitBit app on some sort of basis (not sure on what basis though). Sleeping the phone and then immediately waking it up again updates the FitBit app on the phone. Tracking seems relatively close to the readings on my treadmill but certainly NOT the same. I guess I should expect that. The watch also buzzes a LOT while I am walking on the treadmill. It is NOT obvious why this is. Multiple notification buzzes at a time. No actual notifications showing on the watch. I presume that is must be FitBit related but it sure isn't obvious why. Maybe some parameter exceeded on FitBit?
UPDATE 8/1/2024
On the treadmill this morning. Fitbit seems to disagree with my treadmill.
Treadmill figures
29.29 minutes, 1.5 miles, 107 calories
Fitbit figures
26 minutes, 1.42 miles, 781 calories
I don’t understand the calories difference.
One thing to remember is to always stop treadmill activity on the watch. The one time that I forgot to do this..FitBit congratulated me for walking for 122 hours!
UPDATE 9/1/2024
Still mostly pleased with the watch. The Google Pay is somewhat hit and miss. Some places like Panera (at least my local one) seem to have a hard time with the watch but not with my Pixel7 phone. I have used the watch to pay at my local Ruby Tuesday several times. Tonight, neither the watch or the phone worked there and the server tried 2 different pay terminals. Had to use the credit card…make sure you still carry one with you and don’t rely on the watch or phone 100%!
Having tried a TicWatch Pro5 and a OnePlus2 over recent weeks and having sent both back as i could never Google Wallet to work consistently across either of those two watches…I have great hope for the Pixel2 watch. I have a Pixel7 phone, so with a Pixel7 phone, Pixel2 watch and Google Wallet….what could go wrong? Nothing, I hope.
I wont try to use Google Wallet for another 2 days yet on the Pixel2 watch. i will update the review once i try that a few times. I have used my Pixel7 phone with Google Wallet for a long time now and whenever the Ticwatch or the OnePlus watches did not work, my Pixel7 phone worked with Google Wallet every time. So, obviously an issue with those other two watches. I “assume” that Google will get this correct on the Pixel2 watch.
I did end up using the longer strap that comes with the watch. Taking the strap off is a bit of a pain, probably for most men who keep their nails short. I had my wife use her nail to push the very small “button” and slide the shorter strap off. Putting the longer one was a bit of a pain also until i read the very small manual again and actually used the longer strap to push the button (and not my own short finger nail), then the longer strap went on first time. For me, not the best design for changing straps.
But, in general, the installation was a breeze. Probably better than the other two watches. I did buy a foldable charger which will charge both my phone a Pixel2 watch. Looks pretty good on the nightstand.
I'm keeping an eye on how long a charge on the watch holds. Last night it was fully charged when I went to bed and was at 88% when I woke up after about 7 hours of sleep. During the day, I get various notifications, an odd phone call or two. As the watch his new, I am obviously playing with settings etc, but that should settle down once I get used to the watch.
With Google Wallet, I used the Pixel2 watch twice yesterday. Once at WaWa for gas and once at Publix (groceries). Neither of the two other watches worked at Publix. What was interesting is that when using Wallet on my phone at Publix I get the blue and white check mark very quickly but when using the watch, the checkout terminal showed me a "please wait" or similar message and was accepted once the cashier finished ringing up the purchases. I'll check that out again in future Publix purchases.
Alarms...I have 3 alarms set on my phone for Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 06:30 and had to set these manually on the watch so alarms o NOT sync between the phone and the watch. I think I have the standard clock app on my phone but not sure...I just looked at it on the phone but not obvious if I added this app or if it is the standard app.
UPDATE 7/11/2024
Google Pixel2 Watch – Battery Loss and Google Wallet Observations
Battery loss
Day2
06:00 to 18:00 battery 88% -> 69%
23:30 to 06:45 battery 100% -> 88%
Day3
06:00 to 18:00 battery 88% -> 54%
Day4
23:00 to 06:30 battery 100% -> 93%
Sleep mode enabled by time setting
FitBit enabled (NOT premium) – For my purposes (I’m 74), premium doesn’t seem worth it.
I get a phone call or two, notifications and time checking
Took cat to the vet for yearly checkup
Watch Google Wallet did NOT work, Pixel7 phone also did NOT work.
Turns out that they take Apple Pay but NOT Google Pay (why would a vendor do this?)
Day5
Hyundai dealer, Pixel2 watch accepted for service payment. Had to hold the watch almost touching the pay terminal
Day6
Watch lost 9% of battery while sleeping over night (22:15 to 06:00) from 100% to 91%
Treadmill this morning, FitBit seems to disagree with the figures that my treadmill provides
Treadmill – 31 Minutes, 1.53 miles, 111 calories
FitBit – 21 minutes, 1.32 miles, 274 calories
It’s interesting that the watch seems to recognize that I am exercising and prompted me to select a mode. I chose “treadmill”…this was after I had been walking for a number of minutes. That may explain some of the differences shown above…but not the calories I would think. You should wipe your wrist and watch dry after exercising.
UPDATE 7/16/2024
IF I press start on the watch as I start walking, the treadmill and watch statistics are pretty close. Heartbeat (obviously changing) is pretty much the same between treadmill and watch). Miles walked (treadmill says 1.5 miles, watch says 1.4 miles). Treadmill doesn't count steps although the watch does.
Google Wallet/Pay or whatever they are calling it today. It seems that there are some stores that take Apple Pay but NOT Google Wallet/Pay. My vet is like that, local Chinese restaurant last night was the same. From some web searching, it seems that Apple Pay is used a lot more than Google Wallet/Pay. My local Publix supermarket takes the Pixel2 watch but refused the earlier smart watches I tried (TicWatch nPro5 and the OnePlus Pro). So, it would appear that this Pixel2 watch is more reliable than the other two using it for credit card charges. What make this watch even better is a larger unit. I read that the Pixel3 may have two sizes.
Watch accepted for payment at the Olive Garden yesterday. I had to hold the watch very close to the pay terminal. It seemed to accept it as I kinda tapped the watch on the pay terminal gently. Not sure if tapping it actually did the trick or not.
UPDATE 7/24/2024
The Pixel2 watch accepted at more places with Google Wallet than either of the two previous watches I tried although still has rejections occasionally when the phone works straight away.
Treadmill use and tracking
I notice that when turning treadmill mode on for the watch that it does update the FitBit app on some sort of basis (not sure on what basis though). Sleeping the phone and then immediately waking it up again updates the FitBit app on the phone. Tracking seems relatively close to the readings on my treadmill but certainly NOT the same. I guess I should expect that. The watch also buzzes a LOT while I am walking on the treadmill. It is NOT obvious why this is. Multiple notification buzzes at a time. No actual notifications showing on the watch. I presume that is must be FitBit related but it sure isn't obvious why. Maybe some parameter exceeded on FitBit?
UPDATE 8/1/2024
On the treadmill this morning. Fitbit seems to disagree with my treadmill.
Treadmill figures
29.29 minutes, 1.5 miles, 107 calories
Fitbit figures
26 minutes, 1.42 miles, 781 calories
I don’t understand the calories difference.
One thing to remember is to always stop treadmill activity on the watch. The one time that I forgot to do this..FitBit congratulated me for walking for 122 hours!
UPDATE 9/1/2024
Still mostly pleased with the watch. The Google Pay is somewhat hit and miss. Some places like Panera (at least my local one) seem to have a hard time with the watch but not with my Pixel7 phone. I have used the watch to pay at my local Ruby Tuesday several times. Tonight, neither the watch or the phone worked there and the server tried 2 different pay terminals. Had to use the credit card…make sure you still carry one with you and don’t rely on the watch or phone 100%!
I wont try to use Google Wallet for another 2 days yet on the Pixel2 watch. i will update the review once i try that a few times. I have used my Pixel7 phone with Google Wallet for a long time now and whenever the Ticwatch or the OnePlus watches did not work, my Pixel7 phone worked with Google Wallet every time. So, obviously an issue with those other two watches. I “assume” that Google will get this correct on the Pixel2 watch.
I did end up using the longer strap that comes with the watch. Taking the strap off is a bit of a pain, probably for most men who keep their nails short. I had my wife use her nail to push the very small “button” and slide the shorter strap off. Putting the longer one was a bit of a pain also until i read the very small manual again and actually used the longer strap to push the button (and not my own short finger nail), then the longer strap went on first time. For me, not the best design for changing straps.
But, in general, the installation was a breeze. Probably better than the other two watches. I did buy a foldable charger which will charge both my phone a Pixel2 watch. Looks pretty good on the nightstand.
I'm keeping an eye on how long a charge on the watch holds. Last night it was fully charged when I went to bed and was at 88% when I woke up after about 7 hours of sleep. During the day, I get various notifications, an odd phone call or two. As the watch his new, I am obviously playing with settings etc, but that should settle down once I get used to the watch.
With Google Wallet, I used the Pixel2 watch twice yesterday. Once at WaWa for gas and once at Publix (groceries). Neither of the two other watches worked at Publix. What was interesting is that when using Wallet on my phone at Publix I get the blue and white check mark very quickly but when using the watch, the checkout terminal showed me a "please wait" or similar message and was accepted once the cashier finished ringing up the purchases. I'll check that out again in future Publix purchases.
Alarms...I have 3 alarms set on my phone for Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 06:30 and had to set these manually on the watch so alarms o NOT sync between the phone and the watch. I think I have the standard clock app on my phone but not sure...I just looked at it on the phone but not obvious if I added this app or if it is the standard app.
UPDATE 7/11/2024
Google Pixel2 Watch – Battery Loss and Google Wallet Observations
Battery loss
Day2
06:00 to 18:00 battery 88% -> 69%
23:30 to 06:45 battery 100% -> 88%
Day3
06:00 to 18:00 battery 88% -> 54%
Day4
23:00 to 06:30 battery 100% -> 93%
Sleep mode enabled by time setting
FitBit enabled (NOT premium) – For my purposes (I’m 74), premium doesn’t seem worth it.
I get a phone call or two, notifications and time checking
Took cat to the vet for yearly checkup
Watch Google Wallet did NOT work, Pixel7 phone also did NOT work.
Turns out that they take Apple Pay but NOT Google Pay (why would a vendor do this?)
Day5
Hyundai dealer, Pixel2 watch accepted for service payment. Had to hold the watch almost touching the pay terminal
Day6
Watch lost 9% of battery while sleeping over night (22:15 to 06:00) from 100% to 91%
Treadmill this morning, FitBit seems to disagree with the figures that my treadmill provides
Treadmill – 31 Minutes, 1.53 miles, 111 calories
FitBit – 21 minutes, 1.32 miles, 274 calories
It’s interesting that the watch seems to recognize that I am exercising and prompted me to select a mode. I chose “treadmill”…this was after I had been walking for a number of minutes. That may explain some of the differences shown above…but not the calories I would think. You should wipe your wrist and watch dry after exercising.
UPDATE 7/16/2024
IF I press start on the watch as I start walking, the treadmill and watch statistics are pretty close. Heartbeat (obviously changing) is pretty much the same between treadmill and watch). Miles walked (treadmill says 1.5 miles, watch says 1.4 miles). Treadmill doesn't count steps although the watch does.
Google Wallet/Pay or whatever they are calling it today. It seems that there are some stores that take Apple Pay but NOT Google Wallet/Pay. My vet is like that, local Chinese restaurant last night was the same. From some web searching, it seems that Apple Pay is used a lot more than Google Wallet/Pay. My local Publix supermarket takes the Pixel2 watch but refused the earlier smart watches I tried (TicWatch nPro5 and the OnePlus Pro). So, it would appear that this Pixel2 watch is more reliable than the other two using it for credit card charges. What make this watch even better is a larger unit. I read that the Pixel3 may have two sizes.
Watch accepted for payment at the Olive Garden yesterday. I had to hold the watch very close to the pay terminal. It seemed to accept it as I kinda tapped the watch on the pay terminal gently. Not sure if tapping it actually did the trick or not.
UPDATE 7/24/2024
The Pixel2 watch accepted at more places with Google Wallet than either of the two previous watches I tried although still has rejections occasionally when the phone works straight away.
Treadmill use and tracking
I notice that when turning treadmill mode on for the watch that it does update the FitBit app on some sort of basis (not sure on what basis though). Sleeping the phone and then immediately waking it up again updates the FitBit app on the phone. Tracking seems relatively close to the readings on my treadmill but certainly NOT the same. I guess I should expect that. The watch also buzzes a LOT while I am walking on the treadmill. It is NOT obvious why this is. Multiple notification buzzes at a time. No actual notifications showing on the watch. I presume that is must be FitBit related but it sure isn't obvious why. Maybe some parameter exceeded on FitBit?
UPDATE 8/1/2024
On the treadmill this morning. Fitbit seems to disagree with my treadmill.
Treadmill figures
29.29 minutes, 1.5 miles, 107 calories
Fitbit figures
26 minutes, 1.42 miles, 781 calories
I don’t understand the calories difference.
One thing to remember is to always stop treadmill activity on the watch. The one time that I forgot to do this..FitBit congratulated me for walking for 122 hours!
UPDATE 9/1/2024
Still mostly pleased with the watch. The Google Pay is somewhat hit and miss. Some places like Panera (at least my local one) seem to have a hard time with the watch but not with my Pixel7 phone. I have used the watch to pay at my local Ruby Tuesday several times. Tonight, neither the watch or the phone worked there and the server tried 2 different pay terminals. Had to use the credit card…make sure you still carry one with you and don’t rely on the watch or phone 100%!
Images in this review
