The largest smartwatch fails and flops of 2023

Because the yr attracts to a detailed, it’s a good time to take inventory of the pivotal occasions and units that formed the final 12 months. 2023 has largely seen some sizeable positives for the smartwatch trade, with the Apple Watch shifting ahead, the Pixel Watch 2 stunning us with its refinement, and Fitbit proving that it’s not lifeless beneath Google’s management. However not every part was value remembering; there have been some notable failures, too. To this finish, here’s a checklist of the largest smartwatch fails and flops of 2023.

Apple had a reasonably good yr by all accounts and almost averted inclusion on this checklist. However that every one modified within the ultimate few weeks of December.

As a consequence of a patent dispute, Apple was compelled to halt gross sales and import of the Collection 9 and Watch Extremely 2 in its residence market. The dispute pertains to these two units’ blood oxygen monitoring expertise, which, in response to the US Worldwide Commerce Fee, has infringed on patents filed by medical tech agency Masimo. The information broke abruptly, leaving potential Apple Watch patrons simply days to get their palms on one in every of these new wearables.

It may not be all doom and gloom for Apple but. The corporate is now awaiting a Presidential Overview, which might permit the corporate to bypass the ban. Nonetheless, past the minor inexperienced tint points we detailed earlier within the yr, that is by far the largest smartwatch fail of 2023.

The Fitbit Cost sequence is arguably the corporate’s bread and butter. Its inexpensive, easy, and dependable units revolutionized the health monitoring trade. The Cost 5 was not the very best entry, but it surely at the least ticked the final field.

In July, Fitbit rolled out a long-awaited replace to the health tracker. The changelog was promising, bringing new clock faces, a extra intensive checklist of workout routines, and smarter textual content notifications to the wearable. However when it arrived, customers quickly discovered obvious points. The patch, numbered v194.61, as a substitute introduced excessive battery drain, unresponsive wearables, and, in some instances, it bricked many Cost 5 models throughout the globe. So as to add insult to harm, Google and Fitbit acknowledged these points however nonetheless haven’t pushed a brand new replace as of December 2023.

The Cost 5 points weren’t Fitbit’s solely fail in 2023. Underneath Google’s wing, the corporate launched a redesigned Fitbit app for Pixel Watch and legacy Fitbit customers. Out with the acquainted interface and in with the Google Match-like aesthetic. Many customers hated (and nonetheless hate) the modifications made.

Whereas the app appears to be like nice, and I fairly just like the discount to 3 foremost tabs, it hides information fields that had been as soon as simply accessible behind extra faucets and menus. The quantity of data displayed on the house display screen and subsequent sections is hindered. The change was primarily for aesthetics fairly than performance, which by no means appears to go down effectively with customers.

Worst of all? You’re compelled to undertake the redesign, because the previous app is not practical or out there. This, together with Google stripping a number of group options and Challenges from Fitbit, had been among the many extra notable smartwatch fails of 2023.

I preferred what Samsung did with the Galaxy Watch 6 sequence. Not solely did the corporate develop the gadget in all crucial areas, but it surely additionally reintroduced the Basic mannequin with its bodily bezel. It was additionally the primary sequence to function Put on OS 4 — even forward of Google’s Pixel Watch 2. Nonetheless, the pair launched one obvious flaw that the pre-release part seemingly didn’t uncover.

The Galaxy Watch 6 sequence makes use of a brand new band fastening system that ditches the push pin in favor of a one-click button. This makes switching out watch bands way more handy (and requires shorter nails). It additionally made the watch extra more likely to fall off customers’ arms, whereas some customers discovered you can launch the watch by making use of strain through your wrist bone. You’ll be able to perceive why this may be an issue whereas figuring out.

This isn’t a game-breaking flaw on Galaxy Watch 6, and customers can simply swap to an older push-pin band with out fuss. Nonetheless, it’s ridiculous that nobody at Samsung seen this problem earlier than launching the brand new band design.

Citizen’s second-generation CZ Smartwatch debuted with loads of promise. It packed {hardware} much like the Fossil Gen 6 and included an alertness monitoring function developed by IBM and NASA. Nonetheless, a number of weeks after its launch in Could, the product was unceremoniously pulled from shops after reviewers highlighted efficiency and battery life points with their units. This was simply the tip of the iceberg. Some customers, like The Verge‘s Victoria Music, acquired a unit that struggled to file workout routines, with wonky information logging and a GPS that struggled to attach.

Granted, Citizen dealt with this effectively, however launching a tool on this state is inexcusable. The CZ Smartwatch stays unavailable on Citizen’s official retailer, however the CZ Sensible Hybrid is plugging the hole to some extent.

The Pixel Watch 2 impressed me and my colleagues with its sweeping enhancements over its predecessor. It’s now competing with the Put on OS elite from Samsung and extra established gamers from Garmin and Apple. However, if there’s one factor Google failed to handle with this iteration: its restore coverage.

The watch’s dome design makes it inclined to break, however Google has no official or self-repair program. Should you harm your watch, that’s it. Contact Google Help for alternative choices or purchase one other one. In 2023, when many corporations concentrate on decreasing e-waste, it is a remarkably short-sighted transfer from Google.

Notably, the Proper to Restore legislation adopted by a number of US states might change Google’s stance on this sooner or later, however for now, one of the best ways to maintain your Pixel Watch 2 protected is with a case.

What do you assume was 2023’s greatest smartwatch failure? Be sure you tell us within the remark part under.