It’s been a few weeks since Google’s original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 received an update to the latest Wear OS…and a few weeks since Google suspended the update after users complained because their watches were annoyed. A new statement indicates that you may have to wait a while before seeing Wear OS 5 on your watch.
While some Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 units have been smoothly updated to the same version of Wear OS 5 that comes with the new Pixel Watch 3, others haven’t been so lucky. They were greeted by a blank screen displaying a Bluetooth logo, with the only solution being a gentle reboot of the watch’s firmware and a soft wipe of the device, which meant starting all over again. Obviously, this is far from ideal, and it’s a support nightmare on Google’s part.
According to a recently published support page for Wear OS 5 (spotted by 9to5Google), Google will patch the software update and roll it out to the Pixel Watch and Watch 2 “later this year.” Note that this is a range of approximately eleven weeks at the time of writing. The message links to instructions on how to reset your watch if it was knocked out of service by the faulty update.
Owners of older Pixel Watches probably aren’t too happy to hear about a less-than-ideal update to the latest operating system, right as the more expensive Pixel Watch 3 launches. Pixel wearables, like the phones of the same name, are supposed to offer you top-notch software support straight from Google itself. A quick update to the latest version of Android is supposed to be part of the package… not to mention a pretty hefty price tag for Wear watches running Android. But then the phones are also getting a somewhat pokey upgrade to the latest version of Android this year.
Matthias Inghé
Matthias Inghé
Matthias Inghé
It’s a shame. I happened to buy a Pixel Watch 3 earlier this week and I can say that it definitely feels faster and more stable than the original Pixel Watch, even though it lasts about twice as long on a charge . (This is partly due to the 45mm model’s physically larger battery, but I suspect the hardware has also become more efficient.) Given the poor battery life compared to competition from Samsung and from Apple, I expect many Pixel Watch owners have been eagerly awaiting this Wear OS 5 upgrade.
I appreciate that Google doesn’t want to commit to a specific date until it has ironed out all the kinks in the software. But Pixel devices are supposed to be Google’s first hardware experience… and benefit from its first support. Pixel Watch owners are more than justified if they feel annoyed by a somewhat indefinite wait after a faulty software update.
Since these watch owners are probably planning to purchase an upgrade within a year or two at the latest, I would do everything in my power to keep them happy if I were in Google’s shoes right now. moment.
