Wear OS 7’s battery life upgrades are more important than you think

Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

Google has been busy reshaping its wearable strategy. Earlier this month, the company launched the new Fitbit Air, a screenless fitness tracker anchored by multi-day battery life. Then at Google I/O this week, Google announced Wear OS 7, including battery optimizations that could improve Pixel Watch battery life by up to 10%.

At a glance, the two updates might seem unrelated and even aimed at completely different users. Back-to-back, though, they paint a pretty clear picture of where Google hopes its wearables are heading next. After spending the last few days with both devices, it’s hard not to see Google’s timing as clearly intentional.

Would you trade a display for significantly longer battery life? 28 votes Yes, absolutely 18 % Maybe, depending on the features of the tracker 25 % No, I want a full smartwatch experience 57 % I already prefer minimalist trackers 0 %

The Fitbit Air proves why endurance is so important

Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

The Fitbit Air is a pleasantly restrained product, and easily Google’s clearest attempt yet at a WHOOP-style tracking experience. Unlike the Charge or Inspire lines, the Air strips things back considerably. It offers lightweight comfort, passive health and fitness tracking, access to Fitbit’s robust analytics, and 7-day battery life — all while eliminating most of the temptation that comes with strapping a display to your wrist. I mostly just let it collect data and check in through the new Google Health app as needed.

My Pixel Watch battery suddenly feels a lot more demanding next to the Fitbit Air.

More than anything else, the Fitbit Air highlights how convenient true multi-day battery life actually is. I’ve been wearing the device for nearly a week now, and I’m no longer checking the battery percentage before bed or strategically topping off the tracker while showering. Meanwhile, the Pixel Watch 4 on my other wrist suddenly feels much more demanding by comparison.

Battery life at the heart of Google’s new experience

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