If you crack the Pixel Watch’s screen, getting it officially fixed by Google isn’t in the cards.
Several Pixel Watch owners have voiced their frustrations over the inability to replace cracked screens, both on Reddit and Google’s support forums. The edge also reviewed an official Google support chat from a reader who broke the Pixel Watch display after dropping the wearable. In it, a support representative states that Google “does not have any repair centers or service centers” for the device.
“We currently do not have a repair option 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,” Google spokesperson Bridget Starkey confirmed. The edge.
This Limited Warranty does not apply to damage caused by: (1) normal wear and tear; (2) accidents; (3) misuse (including failure to follow product documentation); (4) neglect; (5) disassembly; (6) changes; (7) service other than by Google authorized technicians; and (8) external causes such as, but not limited to: liquid damage, exposure to sharp objects, exposure to excessive force, abnormalities in the electrical current supplied to the Google Product, and extreme thermal or environmental conditions.
That warranty leaves owners to deal with damage caused by drops or accidental hits, and according to the Google Store, there is no extended warranty option for a Pixel Watch. If your Pixel Watch gets damaged accidentally, that’s it.
This despite the fact that repair would be technically possible. iFixit notes in its Pixel Watch teardown that while the screen isn’t easily accessible, the watch itself shows promise for future repairability. The site also has a detailed guide to replacing a cracked, broken or dead screen. However, it’s unclear where the average person would get a replacement part, especially since Google doesn’t offer any repair options for the device. One commenter in the iFixit guide suggests buying an intact Pixel Watch on eBay, but that seems only slightly cheaper (and perhaps more wasteful) than buying a used or new Pixel Watch replacement.
This is troubling considering the Pixel Watch has a round, domed glass display. Although it is an attractive design, it can easily crack if you are not careful. During our review period last year, my colleague Chris Welch cracked his within a few days, even though he hadn’t done anything unusual or bumped the device against hard surfaces. I haven’t experienced a crack despite dropping mine several times, but our different experiences are more likely due to luck than anything else.
Google isn’t the only one guilty of making smartwatch repairs difficult. Repairing an Apple Watch has traditionally been an expensive and difficult endeavor. For example, without AppleCare Plus, Apple quotes a flat estimate of $299 for a Series 8 and $499 for an Apple Watch Ultra. With AppleCare Plus, that price drops to $69 for the Series 8 and $79 for the Ultra, not including the cost of AppleCare itself. That said, at least you do can send an Apple Watch in for repairs, even if buying a new one might be more cost-effective in the long run.
This isn’t great considering Google is expected to launch a new Pixel Watch 2 in October with a nearly identical design. The good news is that Google may not have much choice about this practice in the future. Earlier this week, California passed a repair law that requires companies to make replacement parts available for electronics for three years if they cost $50 and more, and seven years for devices costing $100 or more.