Google has confirmed that the Pixel Watch 3 is not repairable. If you have a hardware problem, you will have to get it replaced. This should come as no surprise to anyone, as this is the third version of the Pixel Watch and the third that is “not” repairable.
While I’m sure someone with enough determination and a steady hand could take a Pixel Watch 3 apart to replace broken or faulty components, realistically, Google is telling the truth when it says it can’t be repaired. All wearables are packed with small parts that are put together in a way that requires machinery to assemble, so it’s not easy to break open. It would be far more cost-effective to offer a replacement. Samsung and Apple do offer some types of service for their wearables, but it’s not cheap. It can’t be cheap.
Something still seems odd to me about the whole thing, though. Google suggests that you get Google Preferred Care insurance when you buy a device from the Google Store. Like insurance offers from companies like Best Buy or your phone provider, it’s not crazy expensive: Preferred Care for a Pixel Watch 3 costs $89 for two years, or $4 per month.
I don’t know if it’s worth it for you, because I’m not you. You decide how you spend your money and whether you think you want or need something like appliance insurance. If you say yes, no one will think twice about it. Lots of people do that.
I have a thought or two on the whole thing. I think it’s crazy to charge customers an insurance premium for a relatively “cheap” device and then charge them when they need to use it. If you break the screen on your Pixel Watch, you’ll pay $89 for insurance plus $49 for a new watch, and unless you read about it somewhere, you might think your insurance will cover the replacement. Remember when insurance companies did crazy things like that?
Watch on
I don’t like this system. Google could give you a total coverage amount like you see in car insurance policies and none of us would like that, but at least we would know exactly what we’re paying for. Or Google could try to include the cost of service in the price itself and nobody would be happy because the unit price goes up by $10.
Or, now listen to me: Google could build a device that could fix it. They could Fix the screen on the first Pixel Watch if you could find one and were careful, even if Google said it couldn’t be done. If some random guy on Reddit can do it, surely Google can do it. They could even hire some random guy from Reddit.
“Unrepairable” devices exist because tech companies believe everything has to be thin, light, and waterproof. Maybe they’re right, and that’s best for the people who buy them.
However, companies have found ways to make phones thinner than ever before while also making them more repairable, so this is possible. This could also impact wearables as the techniques used to make them are refined. Technology works like this; not all engineering goes into product design, and How Things are built is also important.
In any case, you should be aware that you can’t get your Pixel Watch 3 repaired, and even if you spend the money on “GoogleCare,” you’ll still have to pay for the replacement. Let’s hope the Pixel Watch 3 is built tough enough that things like broken screens aren’t too common.
