I’m thrilled not to have to wait until the fall for a 45mm Pixel Watch

Since its debut, I’ve been waiting for a larger size of the Pixel Watch. Sure, I wore the original for a while, but it always bugged me how small it looked on my wrist. After having worn the larger Fitbit Versa and now the Samsung Galaxy Watch, I know there’s simply no going back to a 41mm watch on my arm again.

And that makes me profoundly sad. Aside from the diminutive size of the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2, I had little to complain about. I like the rounded, pebble-like exterior, the watch band mechanics, and most notably, the software experience.

I’ve said it time and time again, but I absolutely loved using the Pixel Watch’s software. The way Google implemented Wear OS for its first-party watches is far and away my favorite version of the Android watch experience, and every time I use the Galaxy Watch 5 on my arm, I’m reminded how much better Google’s vision for this form factor is. And I miss it.

The wait is nearly over

That being said, when the rumors of a larger Pixel Watch 3 emerged and were solidified, I began making plans for what life would look like moved back to the Pixel Watch in the fall. Though I don’t really love the Galaxy Watch 5, I knew I’d be fine dealing with it for a few more months until the Pixel Watch 3 was officially introduced.

And then came the news of the Pixel Hardware Event slated for a full 2 months earlier than we thought. I was excited about the quirky move by Google to shake things up and the fact that we’d get some new Google-made hardware quite a bit sooner than normal. But what I was most happy about is the far-earlier arrival of the Pixel Watch 3 on my arm.

It’s tough to believe, but we’re only 6 weeks away from the hardware event, and that means only 6 weeks from experiencing what I already feel will be the best overall Wear OS experience on my arm that I’ve ever had. Instead of a 3-and-a-half month wait, I’m finally going to get to experience what I’ve been waiting on for nearly two years at this point.

And I’m beyond excited. And you should be too! While the date move will hopefully be a good thing for Google’s hardware portfolio in 2024, the biggest thing I’ve noticed that not many people are considering is the fact that all the hardware you usually have to wait until mid-fall to see will be here before you know it!

While bummed not to see any hardware of any sort at Google I/O 2024, this move more than makes up for it and is a product release cycle I really hope continues moving forward. Sure, it won’t be quite as surprising next year if the event sticks to an August timeline, but you always have to love seeing new hardware arrive sooner rather than later. I know I can’t wait!