Since the end of Google I/O 2022, I’ve had a lot of thoughts to share about what’s coming out of Google’s campus. But there is something you need to know and that is that I mainly use an iPhone and an Apple Watch on a daily basis. I’m one of those people who really believes in the Apple ecosystem, and that actually makes my job easier.
Being able to transfer things between my Mac and my iPhone or iPad is just sublime, while the Apple Watch remains my favorite smartwatch, at least for now. As I explained earlier, there is a big reason why the pixel tablet was my favorite ad done during the Google I/O 2022 opening speech.
Google finally seems to be stepping up a gear with its “Better Together” plans. And if the plan succeeds, I might end up relegating my Apple hardware to “backup gear.”
better together
I won’t rehash everything I’ve covered, but Google seems to be making the right choices in an effort to create the cohesive Android ecosystem we’ve been waiting for. the Pixel 6a solves the need for a great budget phone, and as long as the Tensor 2 is as good as the original, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will satisfy the mid-range and budget markets.
Android 13 Beta 2 introduces some long-awaited changes to the interface of apps on tablets, and we hope to see this make waves in the developer community. And despite the fact that the Pixel tablet won’t be available until next year, we should still be able to take advantage of these changes this fall with some of the best Android tablets.
I’m crossing my fingers that the Pixel tablet makes me feel the same as the Nexus 7.
Then there’s the Pixel Watch, and that’s really where I feel my continued use of Apple products might end. Everything Google showed on stage at I/O 2022 reaffirmed my desire to have a smartwatch made by Google. Even after reports surfaced that it’s using a comically outdated CPU, I’m still holding out hope.
It all depends on the watch
For me, the deciding factor in whether I leave Apple’s walled garden behind rests on the Pixel Watch. I don’t expect Google to completely break the mold, but from what we’ve seen of the promotional videos and various images, that’s what Google is trying to do.
Design-wise, the Pixel Watch seems like a masterpiece. It seamlessly blends aluminum with glass, without feeling too big and bulky once it’s on your wrist. I’m not the biggest fan of proprietary watch bands, but it’s still a one-shot and I’m sure adapters will arrive allowing us to use just about any other band we want. Plus, Google is likely to have a ton of fun watch strap colors to choose from.
Moving on to health and fitness features, I think I’m most excited about the new Google API Health Connect. It was created in partnership with Samsung to make it easier than ever to access your health data, no matter what app or service you use. For years trying to sync Fitbit data with Google Fit was a pain, and that’s just one example. There are workarounds, but they may be too cumbersome and I’d rather have an implementation that “just works”. And Health Connect might be just the ticket.
The integration of Fitbit with the Pixel Watch is extremely important and even more exciting.
This is extremely important due to the deep Fitbit integration that seems to be built into this “unique” version of Wear OS. There was even a Fitbit complication that was shown off, so it would make sense for Google to create a tool to sync your data between different services. Recently, Google began to make possible link your Fitbit and Google Fit data to the Assistant to show you activity stats on the Nest Hub. It may seem like a small step, but it’s much more important than you think.
i want to believe
For some reason, I prefer to use one ecosystem of devices at a time. My iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and MacBook Pro work great together. The same can be said for the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultramy beloved Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and a custom Windows PC.
But I keep wanting to use my Pixel 6 Pro more and more. And even though I have an associated Fitbit Sense, with the best chromebooks, that only solves part of the puzzle. The Sense, despite being a fantastic smartwatch, feels out of place. Phone Hub works great on my Chromebook and is still getting better, but it doesn’t offer quite the same functionality as using the The Your Phone app with my Z Fold 3.
If Google succeeds in running the Pixel 7 and the Pixel Watch, it will be time for me to say goodbye to the Apple ecosystem.
I want to believe that Google has finally reached the point where it is coordinating all of its attention and efforts to provide a cohesive and seamless ecosystem. All the pieces seem to be falling into place, and as long as the Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch deliver on that promise, this might be the first time in a long time that I’ve taken my SIM card out of the iPhone 13 Pro Max and start using Android all the time.
There are a lot of “ifs” and “maybe” here, so I’m going to add another “but” to the equation. Everything Google shows and tells us looks good on paper, BUT, if the execution doesn’t match, then we’re back to square one. And that probably won’t be good for the ecosystem of Pixel devices.
#Pixel #Watch #Pixel #ditch #Apple #good
