Google is getting ready to unveil its latest Pixel line-up tomorrow, August 12. The Pixel 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and 11 Pro Fold are expected to make an appearance, as well as the new Pixel Watch 5 and some extra accessories, too.

As someone who's worn every Pixel Watch every day since the first model was released in 2021, I have a lot of love and a lot of opinions about Google's smartwatch. Clearly, though, I like it enough to come back to it every day.

Many of my original issues have been squashed over several generations, updates, and hardware upgrades, but there's still one issue with the Pixel Watch that Google hasn't addressed yet, and I'm afraid it won't fix it with the Watch 5 either.

A smartwatch needs to be more durable than this

Google hasn't upgraded its watch glass since 2021

Google Pixel Watch 4 glass scratches, top middle

All four smartwatch generations from Google have had the same type of glass protection on top of the display: Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The quality and durability of that glass hasn't improved once since 2021 — that's astonishing, given everything else that got upgraded.

Even the Google Pixel Watch 4 upgraded the display under the glass to a domed panel, but still left the same Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with a Mohs durability of 6 on top of it. That barely cut it in 2021, but it definitely doesn't in 2025 and 2026.

The latest rumors say that the Pixel Watch 5 will also carry the same Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and I'm honestly a little furious about it, especially when I look at the competition and see that they're doing better.

Both Apple and Samsung have upgraded their smartwatches to Sapphire glass, which is much more durable and has a Mohs score of 8-9. Their glass is less likely to scratch and much more likely to resist side impacts. The Pixel Watch is stuck behind.

Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge

Pixel Watch series history
Trivia challenge

From the first-gen debut to the latest model — how well do you know Google's smartwatch journey?

HardwareHistoryFeaturesDesignSoftware
01 / 8
History

In which year did Google officially launch the first Pixel Watch?

Correct! The original Pixel Watch launched in October 2022 alongside the Pixel 7 series. It marked Google's long-awaited entry into the smartwatch market after years of speculation and leaks.
Not quite. The first Pixel Watch arrived in October 2022, debuting at the same Made by Google event as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. It was Google's first in-house smartwatch after years of running Wear OS on partner hardware.
02 / 8
Hardware

Which processor powered the original Pixel Watch (2022)?

Correct! The original Pixel Watch used Samsung's Exynos W920 chip, the same processor found in the Galaxy Watch 4 series. It was a notable choice given that Google had its own Tensor chips for phones at the time.
Not quite. Despite Google using its own Tensor chips in Pixel phones, the original Pixel Watch relied on Samsung's Exynos W920 processor. The Tensor chip family was not adapted for smartwatch use in the first generation.
03 / 8
Design

What distinctive design shape defines the Pixel Watch series across all generations?

Correct! Every Pixel Watch generation has featured a perfectly circular, domed watch face with a curved glass display. This rounded pebble-like aesthetic has become a signature of the Pixel Watch identity.
Not quite. Google chose a perfectly circular, domed case design for the Pixel Watch lineup, setting it apart from the rectangular Apple Watch and Samsung's more angular recent designs. The curved glass gives it a smooth, pebble-like look.
04 / 8
Features

Which fitness and health platform did Google integrate into Pixel Watch by acquiring it in 2021?

Correct! Google completed its acquisition of Fitbit in January 2021, and Fitbit's health tracking software became a core feature of the Pixel Watch experience. The integration brought features like sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and Fitbit Premium.
Not quite. Google acquired Fitbit in early 2021 and made it the health and fitness backbone of the Pixel Watch. Rather than building health features from scratch, Google leveraged Fitbit's established platform and algorithms.
05 / 8
Hardware

How much RAM does the Pixel Watch 2 (2023) contain?

Correct! The Pixel Watch 2 features 2GB of RAM, doubling the 1GB found in the original Pixel Watch. This improvement helped deliver snappier performance and smoother multitasking on Wear OS.
Not quite. Google doubled the RAM in the Pixel Watch 2 to 2GB, up from just 1GB in the original model. The original Pixel Watch received criticism for occasionally sluggish performance, which this upgrade was designed to address.
06 / 8
Software

Which version of Wear OS shipped on the original Pixel Watch at launch?

Correct! The original Pixel Watch launched with Wear OS 3.5, a refined version of the unified Wear OS platform that Google and Samsung developed together. It brought a cleaner UI and better app support compared to earlier versions.
Not quite. The first Pixel Watch shipped with Wear OS 3.5, not the full Wear OS 4 that arrived later with the Pixel Watch 2. Wear OS 3.5 was an incremental update to the unified platform Google co-developed with Samsung.
07 / 8
History

What was the original retail starting price of the Pixel Watch 3 (45mm) at its launch in 2024?

Correct! The Pixel Watch 3 in 45mm launched at £349 in the UK. The Pixel Watch 3 also introduced a larger 45mm case option for the first time, alongside the standard 41mm size, giving users a choice of screen real estate.
Not quite. The Pixel Watch 3 (45mm) launched at £349 in the UK. The Pixel Watch 3 generation was significant because it was the first time Google offered two size options — 41mm and 45mm — in the Pixel Watch lineup.
08 / 8
Features

Which emergency safety feature, also found on Pixel phones, was added to the Pixel Watch 2?

Correct! The Pixel Watch 2 introduced car crash detection, a feature that uses the watch's sensors to identify the sudden deceleration and impact patterns associated with a vehicle collision. It can then automatically contact emergency services.
Not quite. Car crash detection was one of the headline new features of the Pixel Watch 2, mirroring the capability already available on Pixel smartphones. The watch uses its accelerometer and other sensors to detect collision events and trigger emergency calls.
Challenge Complete

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My Pixel Watch 4 is an example of scratches gone bad

I've tried to pay attention, I swear

Google Pixel Watch 4 glass scratches, top left

I know I'm a bit clumsy and I tend to hit my arm on door frames or things while walking, but all of my technology has survived over the last 20 years (minus a Pixel 4 XL that fell on uneven sidewalk and cracked its glass once despite being in a TPU case).

I've babied all four of my Pixel watches. The first, second, and third were kind of fine after a year. They had surface scratches, but nothing egregious. That's not the case with my Google Pixel Watch 4 at all.

There's a huge scratch pattern on the top left (around the 11-hour marker in the photo above) as well as two thin, long, and deep scratches. One of them is toward the top (over the date in the image above) and the other is around the 4- or 5-hour marker.

When the display is on and I'm looking at it head-on, I don't notice them, but when it's slightly at an angle or the display is not on, I can easily see all the scratches. And they're terrible. I have to Photoshop them out of any photo (I didn't here) so they don't distract readers.

Plus, I can feel their rough texture or scratched glass effect disturbance when I'm swiping something on my watch. Not the nicest feeling, either.

What baffles me is I don't even remember when these occurred. There was no huge drop, crash, or anything. They slowly popped up over time, just to annoy me.

It's possible to keep a Pixel Watch in good condition

But do we have to?

Google Pixel Watch 3 glass scratches, screen off
Google Pixel Watch 3 glass scratches, screen off

When I noticed these scratches on my Google Pixel Watch 4, I went to check my Watch 3. I wore it for a year, then passed it on to my husband, so it's been used much longer.

As I remember, there were no terrible scratches on the Pixel Watch 3. Sure, there are some surface-level scratches, but nothing as egregious as my Watch 4. Definitely nothing as deep, as pronounced, or as terrible as the large scratches on my Watch 4.

We've both worn this watch on hikes, to the beach, and to some rough environments. It made it through. I'm not sure why my Watch 4 didn't.

But that's the issue. We shouldn't have to babysit a watch. It sits on our wrist all day long, it's bound to inadvertently hit obstacles or rough objects. Google should've made it more resistant and durable by design.

Repairability is cool, but give me durability too

Google Pixel Watch 4 glass scratches, right

Some of the Pixel Watch 5 leaks have been very disappointing. No processor upgrade, no external changes, no reason to upgrade? Google will surely launch a bunch of new features with it, but those will likely make it to the Watch 4 soon with a Pixel Drop.

There are several Pixel Watch features I'd want, and better durability is top of the list. I love that Google is the first company making an actually easily repairable smartwatch now — that's incredibly cool — but let's try not break it as a start? How about that?

Sapphire glass, or something more durable than Corning Glass 5, should've made it to the Pixel Watch several generations ago. It's sad that it hasn't because my gorgeous-looking domed glass display just looks ugly with all those scratches.