Pixel Watch Teardown Shows Off 'Ugly' Insides, Gives Strong First-Gen Vibes

What secrets does the inside of the Pixel Watch hold? iFixit -- Google's new repair partner -- tore down Google's first self-branded smartwatch to see exactly how this thing was put together. From a report: Like us, iFixit came away with strong "first generation" vibes. The good news is that it does not look impossible to replace the display. The usual bit of heat and prying pops the top off, but the less-than-ideal layout means you'll have to remove the battery, too, since the connector is buried under the soft battery pouch. A display replacement is a real concern here, considering the entire top half of the watch is glass. If you bang the watch against something or drop it, there's a good chance you'll shatter the all-glass corners. [...] iFixit took a good amount of time in the four-minute video to call Google's internal construction "ugly." After cracking open the front, iFixit's Sam Goldheart noted, "Right away, it's obvious we're in Android country. The silver battery pouch and Kapton tape are almost a shock after all our Apple teardowns," later adding that the welds holding together the haptic feedback buzzer were "kind of ugly."

Re:Vibes

[omnichad]

I think the important thing to note is that no matter how many watches she has, she will not be giving YOU the time of day.

Re:

[Waccoon]

First one was off-topic. Second one was funny.

It's all in the timing!

Link to Source

[necro81]

Since the submitter and editors couldn't bother to link to the original iFixit source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpLNbC1v4Yc [youtube.com]

Designed obsolescence?

[Locke2005]

Sometimes I wonder if the glass parts of phone, tablets, watches, etc. isn't designed to be easy to break, just so they can sell more of them. Of course, that's nothing compared to the fact that women now have to buy an iPhone to be able to tell if someone has slipped on AirTag into their purse to follow them home!

Re:

[drinkypoo]

A watch with a glass-cornered face like this is a sign that you don't have to do anything serious in your life. If you have to work for a living then you have to put protectors on stuff like that, and then it winds up looking like a Casio anyway.

Re:

[thegarbz]

isn't designed to be easy to break

Given the amount of R&D that goes into making glass displays tougher it's not something you should be wondering.

Re:

[Locke2005]

If they make the top of the phone with curved glass corners instead of a bezel that protects the glass, that looks "designed to break" to me. The pixel watch is designed the same way; the top half of the watch is glass, so most likely if the watch hits anything, the glass will take the full impact.

Re:

[Daemonik]

Really it depends on the type of glass (window pane vs gorilla glass, for instance) and how it's engineered to handle stresses. Even a bezel can only take so much before the underlying structure takes damage.

Re:

[vivian]

I have been wearing my citizen eco-drive every day since I got it 12 years ago, and the bezel has taken quite a battering in that time - but there's not a scratch on the glass, which is recessed slightly below the level of the rim of the bezel. Since it's an eco-drive I'v never had to worry about changing batteries or winding it either. It's got a date function and also stopwatch function with lap timer.

When they can make a smart watch with these specifications and durability as minimal functionality, I'll

Re:

[exomondo]

You already have a solution that works for you, why would you need a smartwatch?

So what?

[Petersko]

It's a first gen product (for google) that when you open it up - surprise! - looks like first gen.

All that modern design...

[Fly Swatter]

And they could have just used the classic screw on back watch case design, just put a clear window in the back for the sensors to peek through. Nope we have to double sided PSA tape everything together.

Only needs to last

[hdyoung]

18 months before google discontinues service, so who cares about the bubble gum and duct tape?

Re:

[Local ID10T]

Derp....

I'm on the outside, I'm looking in ...

[fahrbot-bot]

TFA/S: iFixit took a good amount of time in the four-minute video to call Google's internal construction "ugly." ... Right away, it's obvious we're in Android country. ... The inside is a far cry from the color-coded Apple products iFixit usually looks at.

And playing on the radio ...

I'm on the outside, I'm looking in
I can see through you, see your true colors
'Cause inside you're ugly, you're ugly like me
I can see through you, see to the real you
-- "Outside", Staind

Good product production

[scalptalc]

Built like crap; as a short-lived, throwaway, digital garbage device should be.

BWBP

[dohzer]

Why do they feel the need to sacrifice build quality to make things compact when we all know the truth: Bigger Watch, Better Person.

Re:

[Fly Swatter]

Anyone remember the fad of a clock necklace? Something that sized could do everything a phone can do, and hang it around your neck instead of shoving it in your pocket.

"Ugly" build?

[Daemonik]

Who wrote this article, teenage mean girls? The classism is palpable. Let's be honest, this is a proof of concept test bed for everyone who makes an Android phone to gauge the interest in an Android watch, and to plan their own versions around, so Google can continue to do what brings Google profits.

Re:

[dunkelfalke]

This is far from the first Android watch on the market. IIRC the first one was the Motoactv, and I still use it on my bike.

"Smart" watches come & go, my Casio just works

[a-zA-Z0-9etc]

Casio F-91W for the win. It cost about 12 euros and has been running on the same set of batteries for more than 10 years. It's not obsolete, it just works - every single day without any problem at all. It's also not got a broken screen, which appears to be a problem with smart watches, nor has it gone wrong in any other way despite being worn in the shower, for swimming, outdoors in the hottest (35 C) and the coldest (-20 C) weather, while hammering fence-posts, soldering, getting covered in oil doing maint

I"m pretty sure..

[groobly]

I'm pretty sure it was fairy dust and cockle shells.