Google Shifts Pixel Watch Updates to Focus on Big Feature Drops
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Google's Pixel Watch has typically received updates every month or two, mainly in the form of security patches or software improvements with new features. However, this schedule is set to change. Following the latest November update, Google announced that the next major update for Pixel Watches will arrive in March 2025, marking the start of a quarterly release schedule.
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This November, Google rolled out an update to the Pixel Watch lineup, including the Pixel Watch 3. Alongside this, Google resumed the Wear OS 5 firmware rollout for the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 (review), after briefly pausing it due to issues that led some devices to become unresponsive.
No December Feature Drop Coming for Pixel Watches
With the new update schedule, Google also confirmed that the next Pixel Watch update will coincide with the March 2025 Pixel Feature Drop. This shift to quarterly updates means there will be no December Pixel Feature Drop for the Pixel Watch—a change from the more frequent updates users have seen over the past few years.
The quarterly update cycle will bring Pixel Watch updates in line with the essential update cadence of Pixel phones. Nevertheless, Pixel Watch users will still receive updates more frequently than owners of Samsung Galaxy Watches, which haven't seen a minor security update in several months.
Google didn't detail the reasons, but it is safe to say this change allows its software engineering team to focus on delivering more stable updates with fewer bugs. By spacing out updates, Google aims to pack more meaningful improvements and major features into each quarterly release.
Ongoing App and Feature Updates via Play Store
In addition to the quarterly firmware updates, Google will continue to push app and feature updates through the Play Store, delivered via server-side updates. This possibly includes the slew of changes and additions that were originally planned to come with the December Pixel feature drop.
What do you think of Google’s new quarterly update schedule for the Pixel Watch? Would you prefer fewer updates each year if it means a more stable experience? Please let us know in the comments.
Source: Google
