It’s no secret that Google is trying to reduce its reliance on ads by advancing more and more on hardware, including Pixel phones and headphones, and its Google Nest smart home. At the same time, however, there are a couple of areas in which the company has struggled to get traction: smart watches and tablets. There have been no exclusive Wear OS devices, and Google’s most popular tablet was probably the Nexus 7 of a decade ago.
The Pixel Watch and Pixel Tablet, unveiled at I / O 2022, seem to suggest that Google is going in the right direction, at least when combined with general improvements to Android and Wear OS. But there is a difference between good luck and going all the way, so here are some things that we believe Google needs to succeed in both the tablet and watch market.
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What Google needs for a successful tablet
Some of the positive steps Google has revealed at I / O 2022 include new tablet-centric Android features, such as better multitasking and the ability to copy and paste from your phone to a tablet. It also plans to optimize more of its own applications and encourage third parties to do the same, including Canva, TikTok and Zoom. This is a software compromise that has been missing for a long time. Heck, simply announcing the Pixel Tablet (a placeholder name) a year later shows a deeper dedication to tablets and should drive additional developers to improve support.
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The elephant in the room, of course, is how Google’s product will stack up with Apple’s iPad, which is by far the most popular tablet in the world. To capture significant market share, Google has to go head-to-head with Apple in terms of features, and perhaps even surpass it. Google would draw attention instantly, for example, if it could offer more desktop applications and a better file system. IPad owners regularly complain that, with a few exceptions, the power of their devices will be wasted, making them feel more like media consuming machines than laptop replacements. This is despite the fact that the iPad Pros have laptop-level processors and support for mice and trackpads.
To capture significant market share, Google has to go head-to-head with Apple in terms of features, and perhaps even surpass it.
Competition also means better matching (though probably not matching) the huge number of iPad-optimized apps; it is often taken for granted that an app will have versions for both iPhone and iPad if the latter makes sense, despite the possibilities of Instagram. Android does a much better job of increasing non-optimized apps, but anyone who buys a Google tablet should know that if you want to do something, there’s at least one custom app for that task, and preferably a full-featured version of something you’re used to somewhere else. IPad owners can access a relatively complete version of Adobe Photoshop, for example, while Android tablet owners are stuck in search of alternatives.
Google is also committed to delivering quarterly features and monthly security patches, just as it is doing with Pixel phones. This would ensure competitive features and (hopefully) a smooth experience. The second is something that Android devices sometimes get hurt, and people will not tolerate it on a prestige tablet.
A Pixel product should be a showcase of what is possible on the platform with all the cylinders firing.
Finally, the Pixel tablet will need at least performance specifications comparable to the mid-range iPad Air and iPad Pro if Google expects to charge “premium” pricing. There are already a lot of budget Android tablets on the market, so a Pixel product should be a showcase of what’s possible on the platform with all the cylinders firing. It would also support the widest range of applications we’ve talked about: it should be natural to use an Android tablet for professional tasks such as editing images or videos.
See also: The best Android tablets
What Google Needs to Succeed in Smart Watches
The Pixel Watch seems to be finally offering all the Wear OS features you’d like to justify buying a full smartwatch instead of a fitness tracker. This includes phone-free Google Maps navigation, a dedicated Google Home app for smart home controls, and Google Assistant voice commands from the inbox. We will also have a revived Google Wallet. Although it will initially be limited to payments, we may eventually be able to carry IDs, vaccine cards, or even car keys on our wrists.
However, Google may offer more form factors, whether they are linked or not to the first-generation Pixel Watch. As attractive as this round screen is, a square option would allow for a more efficient interface. The Pixel Watch also seems quite fragile for activities like camping or weightlifting, so a robust product is likely to be needed, it is even rumored that Apple is exploring a robust version of the Apple Watch.
As with tablets, Google is committed to regular updates to Wear OS to stay competitive and ensure the best possible experience.
We’re not sure how long the Pixel Watch’s battery life will last, but we expect it to exceed the one-day limit with which many smart watches are usually stuck. Other than that it’s not convenient, especially when traveling, Google can’t expect us to take advantage of features like sleep tracking if a watch is almost dead at the end of the day. This is something that Google Fitbit devices are already right about, so the idea is probably at least in the minds of engineers.
Related: I want to love smart watches, but I can’t replace my GPS watch
As with tablets, Google is committed to regular updates to Wear OS to stay competitive and ensure the best possible experience. This may be even more important with wearables, as without perfect use, you can also remove the phone.
Health and fitness monitoring on the Pixel Watch should be at least as complete as the Apple Watch, if not better, to the point that the most demanding fitness types see an equally viable Pixel Watch. This means heart rate, blood oxygen and ECG functions, and maybe even additional metrics like skin temperature. Google promises “deep integration with Fitbit” and “world-class health and fitness,” so we know it considers this area a priority.
Google has also promised its own bands and various colors, but you have to lean a lot on personalization if you want the Pixel Watch to be treated like a rival to the Apple Watch. Part of the appeal of the Apple device is that you can treat it as a fashion accessory, as there is a wide range of own and third-party band options, and the company regularly produces unique seasonal items. A Pixel product will be less attractive if it becomes a little more than an extension of your phone.
Google has to lean heavily on personalization if it wants the Pixel Watch to be treated like a rival to the Apple Watch.
One last claim is that Google should keep the Pixel Watch reasonably priced. As a flagship device, it won’t be cheap, but Google could fire a shot at the bow by lowering the $ 399 minimum of the Apple Watch Series 7 (and the Series 8, presumably). This would improve unit sales, encourage more people to stay in the Android ecosystem, and possibly challenge rival Android watches like the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. The classic is $ 350, and I would not be surprised to see that Pixel Watch goes the same way. Pixel phones, after all, have managed to keep a decent price without sparing features.
Read more: The Pixel Watch can’t succeed if Google reuses the same 8-year-old formula
Do you think Google will become a major player in the smartwatch and tablet markets?
3 votes
Yes in both respects
33%
Yes on tablets, not on watches
0%
Yes on watches, not on tablets
33%
He will finish first again
33%
What are Google’s prospects?
Personally, I’m cautiously optimistic that Google can meet most of these demands. The company has enough failures of its own to learn, not to mention successful third-party examples that it can emulate, which we’ve already mentioned.
The company also has time. The Pixel Watch won’t ship until the fall, and the Pixel Tablet won’t arrive until 2023, so we can reasonably expect improvements before it launches.
In fact, if Google is really committed to hardware success, all it really needs to do is “get well enough” with first-generation products to learn and adapt to second-generation. Pixel phones, if you remember, didn’t come out swinging through the fences when they were first shipped in 2016, but people now consider the Pixel 6 to be a competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy S line. Give Google some time and you will be able to use your financial muscle to close the gaps.
Continue reading: The best Google products you can buy
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