Google admits there's a big problem with Pixel Watch screens
If you're thinking of buying the Google Pixel Watch, some new information has just dropped that'll make you think twice – or at the very least, think about buying a screen protector too.
Google has confirmed that it doesn't currently offer any repair options for cracked Pixel Watch screens: there are no repair centres or service centres for any damaged devices.
As a Google spokesperson confirmed to The Verge, "At this moment, we don’t have any repair options for the Google Pixel Watch.
"If your watch is damaged, you can contact the Google Pixel Watch Customer Support Team to check your replacement options".
However, there are no replacement options for wear and tear, accidents, misuse or neglect – so you're out of luck if there's damage caused by "liquid damage, exposure to sharp objects, exposure to excessive force", and so on.
That's not too unusual in the tech industry; Apple won't replace my extremely scarred Apple Watch Series 7 display under warranty, neither. But the lack of an AppleCare-style accidental damage cover or of a repair service network is unusual –and it'd make me think twice about paying for a Pixel.
Why you don't want to whack your watch
I don't think I'm particularly clumsy, but I smack my smartwatch off things all the time. I scrape it off the wall when my dog's bouncing around, and I'm trying to get her harness clicked.
I whack it off the doorframe when I'm trying to open the door without putting my shopping down; you name it, my watch has been whacked with it. I've already had one casualty, and the current screen could do with a replacement too.
With AppleCare, that's not a huge problem: you're covered for unlimited damage with an excess of £49 per repair, which is a fraction of what a third-party repair shop charges for a replacement screen. Cover starts at £2.49 a month for the Apple Watch SE, rising to £4.99 for the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Without a similar option for the Pixel, you're potentially looking at a lot of money: I've done the rounds of a few UK smartwatch repairers, and while they don't publish Pixel prices as yet, the cost for a similarly sized Samsung is from about £120 to well north of £200 depending on the model.
If you're thinking of a Pixel Watch, it might be wise to look into gadget insurance too. I've just checked mine, and the excess on a smartwatch is £50, which is considerably less painful than the price repairers are currently quoting.
