A smartwatch that cost a lower limit of $ 349 should last at least a duad of contemporaries . It shouldnotdieoutofnowhereinjustover a twelvemonth . Or have its back shell fall off . Yes , accidents are inevitable , and for those mechanically skillful human fault , users should at least have the opportunity to get their sentinel fix .
Of of course , smartwatches are slight , and repair are expensive across the board . But they ’re still an option , and with insurance or protection plans , they may or may not destroy your wallet . Of of course , they ’re also notoriously unmanageable to repair , given the complexity of fitting a gross ton of components , include biosensing assemblies , into a cramped blank .
But at the end of the twenty-four hour period , a smartwatch buyer should not be handeda deal that is usually bad than a foldable phone , which itself costs an arm and a leg to desexualize or replace their flexible showing / hinges . Within Google ’s ecosystem , smartwatches are an exquisitely craft bad yield , and depend on the land you live in , they should be unobtainable .
Carrying forward a troubled legacy
Google recently confirmed that theGoogle Pixel Watch 3is unrepairable . Just like the Pixel Watch 2 . And the Pixel Watch before that . That mean if your Pixel Watch 3 goes through an inauspicious stroke ( the variety of damage not overlay by Google ’s warrant ) , you ca n’t get it gear up — for cheap or otherwise .
Google did n’t allow for us any explicit understanding why it ca n’t rectify the Pixel Watch , but the complexity of the internal hardware belike has something to do with it . Here ’s what the family line over at iFixit compose on its smartwatch repairability splasher , which award the firstGoogle Pixel Watchan abysmal mark of 4 out of 10 :
You might also want to look at the engineering here . equate to a orthogonal smartwatch like the Apple Watch , designing and meet component inside a orotund chassis is challenging , and so is making an LCD panel that is round and curved at the sharpness . One might ask : If Samsung can do it , why not Google ?
I ca n’t comment on that . However , make the world-wide condition of the Pixel portfolio , especially from a non - U.S. perspective , Google is not investing the same form of resources as Samsung in selling its hardware . “ It ’s a display case of what Google software can truly accomplish . They ’re not concerned with the numbers , ” a market psychoanalyst lately distinguish me .
In 2024 , Google is convey its Pixel products to more countries , both sound and markets . India is one of them . With the same caution , regrettably , that the Pixel Watch 3 ca n’t be repaired . But the mart realness are dramatically different .
Different markets, different rules
In the U.S. , you could buy the Pixel Preferred Care plan , which costs $ 4 per month or $ 89 for a two - year length in one go . Once you buy this plan , projection screen replacement will cost you $ 29 , while any other inadvertent impairment will cost you $ 49 for repair ( per Google ’s support varlet ) .
Just to be clear , the above price are merely 2-dimensional charge . They are not factual repair or service cost . That ’s because , in the display case of any hardware equipment casualty , you are actually getting a replacement building block from Google , albeit one that arrive without the charging hockey puck or the band . What happens to the damaged unit ?
We do n’t know if Google can salvage something out of it . If you do n’t have the Pixel Preferred tutelage design combat-ready for your Pixel Watch 3 , you’re able to opt for a mail - in replacing that allows you to buy a new unit for a discounted Leontyne Price . But there are a couple of big caveats here . First , Pixel Preferred Care is only available in four countries : the U.S. , the U.K. , Japan , and Canada .
2d , mail - in replacements for warranty - excluded unit are only usable in the U.S. and EMEA ( Europe , Middle East , and Africa ) . It ’s also worth noting that calling in for a replacement unit , especially for non - covered social unit , can be expensive . Depending on where you go , you may actually buy a new Pixel Watch for the same price as the quote .
The Pixel Watch 3 is available in 32 commonwealth , but at least four of them do not put up the Pixel Preferred Plan or the mail - in surrogate selection . India happens to fall down in that category . It ’s the same mart where the Pixel Watch 3 starts at about $ 476 instead of its usual $ 399 asking price , and there are no trade - in tidy sum in topographic point either to ease the sting on a buyer ’s billfold .
And here ’s the worst part : The Pixel Watch 3 is not officially available via the Google Store . alternatively , it ’s third - party retail partners that are transport it in the country . “ If you buy your watch from a retail partner , you’re able to add Preferred Care to your gimmick within 30 days of purchase , ” a Google U.S. representative sound out in a financial statement to Digital Trends .
However , that option is not available everywhere . “ Google does not offer the Preferred Care plan in India . The Pixel team is working severely to take this to India in the near future , ” a Google spokesperson from its India squad distinguish Digital Trends . “ At this dot , our third - party retailers do not offer the Preferred Care Plan in India . ”
In a nutshell , if I grease one’s palms a Pixel Watch in India and it gets damaged , my only choice is to pay for a raw building block or let it sit as another glorious slice of Es - waste in my draftsman . For market place where the Pixel Preferred Care is not usable — which numeral 28 out of 32 — getting a renewal building block for a “ discounted ” price is their only option .
Google has never publicly said what this “ discounted ” price for successor Pixel Watch units actually is . The pricing situation with rival brand is n’t exactly a thanksgiving , either . Samsung can charge up to $ 300 just for screen replacement .
The prescribed repair quote for my Apple Watch Series 9 ( 41 mm ) in India was close to $ 530 , enough to buy a new whole , but with Apple Care , I can cover it for about $ 120 . Samsung Care+ also offers some semblance of a palatable repair service . The Pixel Watch 3 would just leave alone me hanging gamy and dry in India and in a few other state , as well .
How can Google fix this?
It came as a surprisal when GooglesupportedOregon ’s right - to - repair bill — and even unloose a livid paper documenting how it will ease repairs of electronic devices . Of course , the company even took a cheeky swipe at Apple , note that Google does n’t engage in “ burdensome parts pairing or registration . ” But here ’s a crucial part from thebill :
“ Fair and reasonable terms ” means terms under which an original equipment manufacturer take parts available directly or through an authorized avail provider to an independent repair provider or an proprietor at costs and on price that are equivalent to the most lucky costs and term at which the original equipment manufacturer put up the parts to an authorised service provider and that do not impose a strong term , responsibility or restriction that is not reasonably necessary to enable an sovereign mending provider or an owner to diagnose , maintain , repair or update consumer electronic equipment that the original equipment manufacturer makes or sells .
With respect to the Pixel Watch 3 , Google currently seems to be action those obligation only partially . It ’s deserving mentioning that the bill , which is now law , only ostracize part gibe and related software package cheque for equipment made after January 1 , 2025 . So , how exactly can Google fix the Pixel Watch 3 ’s repairability rabidness ?
For starter , the ship’s company should offer the Pixel Preferred Care plan in every land where the Pixel Watch 3 is available . Likewise , extend the mail - in renewal option to all mart , directly or via retail partners . In stead of that , the smartwatch is nothing more than a fancy wearable gismo that is merely an accidental jut away from becoming a piece of electronic junk . devote the complex technology that goes into make a smartwatch , we ca n’t expect to come up with a repairability boon overnight .
However , partnering with party like iFixit — which it already does for Pixel phone and tab — to repair the Pixel Watch 3 would be a hearty initiative . On the more challenging side , Google could vary the Pixel Watch ’s rudimentary shape to ease access to parts and make nucleus repairs feasible . The two most recurring number chevvy smartwatch users are a all in battery and a crack up screen . Google could , at the very least , ensure that these portion can be taken asunder and supersede in event of scathe .
I am not certain how the company think to honor replacements at scale — with or without the Pixel Preferred Care plan — while ensuring a steady profit from a product class that is much more prone to indemnity or malfunction than a Pixel telephone . While doing so , Google should universally extend important after - sale courtesies like make up care plan and push aside successor to all customer and not keep them limited to certain market place . It already stings that some of us have to pay a lot more for the Pixel Watch and still do n’t get the same story of after - sales supporting as the U.S. market .
And , maybe next time , do n’t expand the market footmark of a product without proper repair and service program in place .
