If you break your Google Pixel Watch, whether it’s the first-gen 2022 smartwatch or the latest model that launched earlier this month, there’s no way to get it repaired through official channels. Instead, Google will offer you a replacement if your warranty claim is successful. Replacement Unit Instead of being repaired, you have to repair the model. This lack of repairability highlights the company’s lack of experience in the smartwatch space. You can bring your broken Apple Watch to Apple Repair broken glass Or replace the battery. Samsung Galaxy Watch.
But there is good news. At a Climate Week NYC panel focused on restorable technologies, Back Market The moderator is One 5cNicole Azores, Google’s government relations and public policy manager, said Tuesday that the company is exploring designs to make the Pixel Watch more repairable.
“Watches and wearables are still in their early stages, so we’re thinking about how to make them repairable,” Azores said during the panel. “We’re thinking about repairability more broadly than just phones and tablets. We ultimately want all of our products to be repairable. Watches are so new as a category that I think there are some design elements to consider when it comes to how to make them repairable.”
When can it be fixed?
Azores didn’t offer any additional information, such as a timeline — consumer tech products typically take two to three years to develop — but it’s unclear whether the repair-friendly framework will arrive on next year’s Pixel Watch 4 or later. Google has stuck to the same design for the Pixel Watch for the past three generations, but the Pixel Watch 3 was the first to be released in two sizes.
This is the first time the company has publicly commented on the unrepairability of its smartwatches, and Google representatives have previously said the company has no say when concerns about unrepairability are raised.
The Pixel Watch is a latecomer to the smartwatch world, but the software it runs on, Wear OS, has been around for a decade (previously known as Android Wear). Google controlled the OS, and manufacturers like Fossil and LG built the smartwatches. In 2022, Google, along with Samsung and Fitbit, released its own smartwatch in an effort to revitalize the fading platform.
Google reportedly captured 8% of wearable band market share Q4 2022, when the first Pixel Watch will be released. Research Group Canalis The company said it shipped 880,000 Pixel Watches during that period (the rest were Fitbit devices).
Just the Starting Point
Unrepairable, many of these watches are destined for landfills as e-waste, a situation that has already reached a crisis point, according to a recent UN climate report: in 2022, there were approximately 137 billion pounds of e-waste, but less than a quarter was recycled. By 2030, e-waste is expected to grow by 33%, outpacing recycling rates.
The effort to enhance the repairability of technology continues. Last year, the European Union passed regulations that will require smartphones and tablets to have long battery life or make it easy for users to replace the battery with common tools from June 2025. Although it is not required to comply with this law, Apple’s new iPhone 16 is the first to feature a new adhesive that makes it easier to remove the internal battery.
Whether it’s the Pixel Watch 4 or Pixel Watch 5, the redesign is a win for consumers. Google needs to focus on improving the repairability of Fitbit’s wearables. While its trackers are popular, the company has Repair Center Send your device in for repair.
