Using the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2

October 29, 2023

UPDATE Nov 17, 2023:

The Pixel 8 Pro is great….the Pixel Watch 2 took a couple of updates to “Fitbit” and the Watch itself to get it ALMOST right.

I have been using it since the last update (a couple weeks) and it is MUCH BETTER than I describe below. It is usable as long as I select “Walk” from the long list of excercises and not use the quick start.

Read the below as an interesting technology lesson on how NOT to ship a product (the Watch).

One is pretty great…..the other is pretty, but, sucks.

Setting up the Pixel 8 Pro (that arrived October 12, 2023) was a breeze. I just placed the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro next to each other, answered a few questions and waited about 30 minutes or so.

Except for a few additions (and giving up on the eSIM installation) like a couple of credit cards, my bluetooth Garmin watch (more on the Garmin later), and connecting a few web sites….the Pixel 8 Pro worked and has been working perfectly since (I’m writing this October 29, 2023).

Here is the second picture I took with the Pixel 8 Pro on my morning walk the next day.

Also along for the walk was the very pretty Pixel Watch 2 which was a bitch to install the day before, and it still wasn’t right when the above picture was taken, and STILL is not right as of this writing (October 29, 2023).

There is sooo much wrong with the Pixel Watch 2 / Fitbit (at least for my use) that I will summarize just a few things below:

It took 5 reboots of the watch to get it to talk to the phone!

Then when it was “working” it really was not!

I was happy that it has GPS to measure the mileage on my walks.

But sad to find out that the Fitbit app really really sucks as initially the maps were wrong, then the mileage was wrong, then the duration was wrong.

By October 18, 2023 (after 6 days of struggle)…..I was ready to put the watch in the drawer and go back to my trusty Garmin.

Then….a Fitbit update rolled out and I figured I’d give it a try.

Initially the new update seemed to fix the issues I had, so, just to be sure, I tested it everyday (I got lots of exercise…) until today (October 29, 2023) when it got a simple out and back short walk totally RIGHT!

Yeah!

Then a few minutes later…..got it WRONG!

WTF????

First try…..

A few minutes later…..

Bad software design!

Repeat after me: TEST before releasing.

I decided to test the exact same course with the Garmin.

I looked a few hours later and it was the SAME!

How about that?!

More Problems with the Fitbit / Pixel Watch 2

Look at the time I took to walk the course with the Pixel Watch 2 and the Garmin.

The Garmin gives me the time to the second (8.10) while the Pixel Watch 2 / Fitbit rounds off to 8 minutes. How dumb…..is this Y2k where a few bits were dropped to save memory? Imagine running a race and twenty runners are tied with the exact rounded off time: 8 minutes. Arrrghhh…..

Another software mistake: The Pixel Watch 2 gives you the “Quick Start” option. It would be great EXCEPT that: The seconds start ticking off BEFORE the GPS is connected. If you start running or walking when the time starts ticking off…..the GPS might kick in 500 feet later (Figure 7)!

Then nothing is correct; the time, the map, or the mileage. Yikes!

Repeat after me: TEST before releasing.

I work around that issue by hitting “More” and selecting walk from the long list of exercises. Then the time waits until the GPS is connected AND you press the start button. See Figure 4 above where the GPS start and end are exactly right.

Summary

The Pixel 8 Pro is a great phone, I’m glad I purchased it and I’m pretty sure it will perform as well as the Pixel’s before it have.

On the other hand, the free Pixel Watch 2 / Fitbit……sucks…..and a lot of work needs to go into them before runners / walkers can use it!

Repeat after me: TEST before releasing.

Since I don’t need a watch (my Pixel 8 Pro has the time)…..have fun in the drawer Pixel Watch 2. I may come to get you in a year or so to test any new software developments. 😉

In the meantime……I love my Garmin!

As a runner, now walker, for nearly 50 years……and a GEEK…..I can talk! 🙂