For 2025, Google Needs to Make the Pixel Watch More Durable

Google’s Pixel Watch is still one of the best looking smartwatches on the market, with excellent Fitbit integration and a clean Wear OS skin. With the Pixel Watch 2 and onto the Pixel Watch 3, Google also made a positive switch to Qualcomm’s newest wearable chip to improve performance and battery life, plus they released the Pixel Watch 3 in a larger size. Overall, the Pixel Watch has become a solid alternative on Android to Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line, even if it does have weaknesses.

One of those weaknesses is a borderline dealbreaker for me and I really hope Google does something to address it for a potential Pixel Watch 4. Specifically, I’m talking about the glass that Google is covering the Pixel Watch with – it is far too soft of a material for a device that needs to be able to take some abuse throughout a day.

As many of you know, the Pixel Watch is not a reparable device. If something happens to any Pixel Watch model’s display, it cannot be repaired by Google and instead needs to be replaced. It’s a truly odd situation, knowing Google spends quite a bit of effort in improving its stance with the planet, from promising to be carbon-free in the near future to constantly improving things like packaging of its hardware, to the point where they are now 100% plastic free.

The Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 are both covered by a “Custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5” and I can confirm that it sucks. When the Pixel Watch 2 launched, I reviewed the device and generally liked it, but noted at the time that I had durability concerns. You see, I took a short trip shortly after getting a version that I purchased for personal use and managed to scratch it within days. It pissed me off to the point that I basically tossed it back in a drawer, knowing that nothing could be done. With the Pixel Watch 3, I was close to ordering my own after reviewing it, but I took a trip to Vegas with my review unit and noticed a scuff on it when I came back home. I decided to not waste my money.

You can see the Pixel Watch 2 scratch in the picture below and the scuff on the Pixel Watch 3 up top.

These devices still work just fine, but when you wear a watch throughout the day, nothing brings on sadness as quickly as the glare of light showcasing the damage allowed by the shitty display that Google put on their watch. Like, both of these watches scratched on me and I did nothing unique in wearing them. I just wore them throughout life and then scratches were there. This hasn’t happened with any of the other dozens and dozens of smartwatches I’ve warn over the years. The problem is probably partly because of the domed, bubbly display, but it’s also just on the soft material choice.

Gorilla Glass 5 is awful. Look at this thread from Pixel Watch 2 owners and this one from Pixel Watch 3 owners where the stories of scratches showing up within days or weeks of ownership are quite common. I didn’t even have to look hard to find these.

Sure, there are plenty of responses in those threads of people suggesting their watch is fine because they put a screen protector on the watch or one of those goofy af cases. Watches are such personal reflections of your style, which for me means that I wear a watch in many ways because of its design. In other words, I’m not interested in dressing up my watch to protect it. Ever. I wouldn’t do it with a mechanical watch or my Garmin sports watches, so I shouldn’t have to do it with Google’s Pixel Watch either.

Apple doesn’t sell screen protectors, nor does Samsung, because their top watches have Sapphire Crystal glass. You can’t scratch them. You might be able to do some case damage with a good bonk against an object, but that glass isn’t scratching. Google does sell screen protectors for its watches, because well, it knows it needs to. That’s just so unfortunate.

I’d love to wear a Pixel Watch. I think the design is exceptional and the way it fits so nicely with the Pixel 9 Pro experience is exactly what I’m looking for. But paying for a watch that typically starts at $349 and then either being forced to put some awful case on it or worrying about scratching it at any moment is not something I want to do. For 2025, I’d love to see Google step up their glass game on a Pixel Watch 4. We’ll be 4 versions into this idea and it is time for them to take it more seriously.