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Google confirmed to Android Authority that a fix for the severe Pixel Watch battery drain issue is rolling out over the next few days. The bug had cut battery life to about 12 hours on largely idle devices across multiple Pixel Watch generations. Users can apply the fix immediately by manually updating their apps through the Play Store on the watch.
The 41mm Wi-Fi Google Pixel Watch 5 has dropped to $300 from $400, its lowest price since launch, while the 45mm version is down to $330 from $430. The 25% discount is currently available at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store ahead of the official Black Friday period.
The 41mm Wi-Fi version of Google's Pixel Watch 5 is now selling for $299.99 on Amazon, down $100 from its $399.99 list price. That marks a 25% discount and the lowest price the smartwatch has seen since its release.
Google has acknowledged reports of sudden, severe battery drain affecting a range of Pixel Watch models, from the Pixel Watch 2 through the current generation. The company told affected users on Reddit that it has identified the cause and is working on a fix, though it gave no timeline.
Android Authority ran a reader poll asking which wearable people would buy instead of the newly launched Fitbit Edge. Among over 2,000 votes, the screen-free Fitbit Air won with 26%, followed by the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 (22.5%), Fitbit Charge 6 (20.9%), Pixel Watch 5 (20.3%), and Oura Ring 5 (6.1%), with 4.2% naming other devices like the Garmin Venu 3 and Fitbit Sense 2.
Reddit users report that Pixel Watch 2, 3, 4 and 5 devices are suffering sudden, severe battery drain, with runtimes dropping from 24-48 hours to under 12 hours. Some users report losing up to 20% charge every four hours even with Always-on Display disabled and background activity minimized. Google has not yet publicly acknowledged the problem.
Android Authority published a roundup recommending five wearables as alternatives to the Fitbit Edge, which launches soon after its earlier announcement this month. The list includes the Google Pixel Watch 5, Fitbit Air, Samsung Galaxy Fit 3, Oura Ring 5, and Fitbit Charge 6, with the Pixel Watch 5 highlighted for its full Android Wear app support, larger display, and Google Gemini integration versus the Edge's simpler feature set.
A comparison of Google's two new Fitbit wearables finds that the $179.99 Fitbit Edge, which includes a 1.34-inch AMOLED touchscreen and GPS, offers largely the same core health and fitness metrics as the screenless $99.99 Fitbit Air. Neither device currently supports Sleep Breathing Quality tracking, though Google says it may add that feature to the Edge in the future.
Google has released version 5.11 of its Google Health app for Android and iOS, broadening automatic activity detection from roughly 10 workout types to more than 100, including strength training and swimming. The feature works on Fitbit Ace, Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5, and the upcoming Fitbit Edge, logging workouts automatically once heart rate stays elevated for a set period. The app also adapts its detection over time based on how users correct or manually add workouts.
Amazon is selling the LTE version of Google's Pixel Watch 5 for $399.99, a $100 reduction from its standard price. The cellular model allows calls, texts, and streaming without a paired phone nearby, and Google rates the watch's battery life at up to 30 hours.
Google researchers tested their personal health agent framework against the WEAR-ME study, which collected Fitbit and Pixel Watch data, questionnaires and blood test results from 1,165 participants. From this dataset, the team worked with clinicians to identify the ten most common health profiles and built 50 user personas, five per profile, to run multiple evaluation tasks for the agent across data science, data exploration, health coaching and personalization categories.
Google has launched the Fitbit Edge, a $179 fitness tracker featuring a 1.34-inch OLED display, built-in GPS, ECG support, week-long battery life, and Fitbit's first user-replaceable battery. The device works with both Android and iPhone through the Google Health app, and also adds an altimeter and a far-field skin temperature sensor borrowed from the Pixel Watch. Google Maps turn-by-turn navigation is planned for later this year.