Personally, the Google Pixel Watch 3 was the success story of 2024. In just three generations, Google debuted the Pixel Watch, a pretty terrible smartwatch, improved it massively for the Pixel Watch 2, and then perfected it with the Pixel Watch 3. And I’ll admit, it’s a comeback story I wasn’t expecting to see. Sure, I’d noticed the Pixel Watch 2 was pretty good, but at no point did I expect it to smash through the glass ceiling in my yearning heart marked “Only Samsung Galaxy Watches here”. But smash through it did, and through the shards of raining glass it rose, like an ascending angel.

Alright, so I’m laying it on a thick. But it’s important to note quite how desirable the Pixel Watch has become in the last year. I’m even considering giving up my own hard-earned cash in return for the Google Pixel Watch 4 when it releases later this year. Except, there’s one little issue I have with the Pixel Watches, and have had since the beginning. And until that one problem is changed, I can’t see myself buying the Pixel Watch 4, or any future Pixel Watch.

That’s a strong statement, so I’m going to quickly caveat: Fitbit’s platform is solid. Great, even. I have no problems with how well Fitbit functions, and while I haven’t had the chance to play with a Fitbit product myself in the almost decade I’ve been writing about smarrtphones and smartwatches, I know that there’s rarely a bad word said about Fitbit’s ability to track health or exercise. Heck, when Google bought Fitbit in 2021, I hoped it would be the dawn of a new age for Fitbit, and the end of my most hated part of the Fitbit package. I am, of course, talking about the subscription cost.