Given the reasonable MSRP of Google’s flagship phones, the premium price tag of the Pixel Watch comes as a surprise. The company’s first smartwatch starts at $350, which is $71 more than the 2022 Apple Watch SE and the cheaper Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, and just $49 off the entry-level Apple Watch 8.
Now Google has updated the file Official Store (Opens in a new tab) With accessories available for pre-order. Prices range from $30 to $200 for the most expensive belt.
The cheapest item is a backup charger for the Pixel watch, which comes in at $30. While it charges wirelessly, the smartwatch cannot be charged via any old Qi charger, so a small magnetic dial is essential.
Of course, it comes with one in the box, but a desk backup sure is handy, since the all-day battery can get you an extra nine hours quick from 45 minutes on the charger.
Also for $30, you can get the ZAGG InvisibleShield screen protector for the Pixel watch, which comically gets a gallery of three images, despite being completely transparent. Google promises a “glass-like” feel that mimics the feel of the Pixel Watch’s screen while providing “maximum touch sensitivity.”
But Google’s real money spinners are the different official Pixel Watch bands for sale. With its own cutting mechanism, Google clearly wants you to feel comfortable changing things up frequently, using different bands for exercise and formal wear.
At $50, the fluoroelastomer active range is the cheapest. It’s the plastic color that comes with the Pixel Watch, so you should already have one on the outside, but if you want to mix things up, you can buy options in Lemongrass, Charcoal, Obsidian, Chalk or Hazel.
For another $10 at $60, you can get a woven or Stretch tape. The first – made from recycled polyester and spandex – is “soft, stretchy and comfortable” and comes in shades of linen, pink or obsidian. The latter is made with recycled yarn for a “personal touch while running errands or meetings.” It’s available in Lemongrass, Coral, or Ivy.
Hopping from $20 to another $80 takes you to the leather difference: made or two-tone. The first is made of premium Italian leather that is suitable for formal occasions and comes in obsidian or ivy.
The latter is also made of Italian leather but, as the name suggests, comes in slightly different shades on each half of the strap. However, it is not very different, and each can still be described as one color: flax, charcoal or chalk.
That’s all available for pre-order with the watch itself, but as Google has already indicated, more expensive options will follow in the spring. The stainless steel mesh band “combines grace with durability” $130. Available in champagne gold, matte black or brushed silver.
Then for $200 — a very high price Google suggests a $16.67 per month payment plan for one year — there’s the Metal Links band. Available in brushed silver or matte black, it “embraces the classic style of the watch” according to Google. I would have liked it, given that it costs 57% more than the actual Pixel Watch itself.
While the Google-owned strap mechanism seems like a smart innovation, one of the attractive things about smartwatches from Garmin, Samsung, and others is that they use standard and widely available spring-loaded watch straps. This means that almost any strap is supported whether it is designed for a smartwatch or not.
It’s not hard to see why Google (and others like Apple and Fitbit) are keen to stick with something more proprietary, as it drives a healthy income stream from accessories directly to them. The popularity or lack of popularity of the Pixel Watch will see the number of third-party alternatives coming out in the coming weeks and months.
Next: Check out Hands-on experience with Pixel Watch.
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