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The Google Pixel Watch has finally rolled out a potentially life-saving “fall detection” mode that’s good news for smartwatch owners, but less so for Fitbit users.
The feature, rolling out today (Feb 28), uses a combination of motion sensors and machine learning to tell when you’ve had a hard fall. If you don’t move or react within a certain amount of time, your Google Pixel Watch will call emergency services.
Before that happens, you’ll have a chance to avoid calling. If the Pixel Watch detects you haven’t moved for about 30 seconds, Google says it will vibrate, sound an alarm, and display a notification on the screen that you can tap. If you don’t need help, just tap “I’m fine” – or if you’re at the bottom of a canyon, tap “I fell and need help” to connect to emergency services.
Fall detection is not a new idea as most of the best smartwatches already have this feature. If you have an Apple Watch SE or Apple Watch Series 4 (or later), you can turn the feature on or off in your iPhone’s Watch app, and even decide to only turn on fall detection when you’re working out.
The most recent Galaxy Watch models, including the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, also have a drop-detection feature, an optional mode in the Galaxy Wearable app on Android phones. So the Pixel Watch is playing a big game of catching up on this front, with Google promising the feature will be back in October.
But it’s also another small slap in the face for Google-owned Fitbit and owners of smartwatches like the Fitbit Sense 2, who have recently seen community features like Fitbit Challenges and Groups removed from their fitness trackers. We’ve even gone so far as to argue that Fitbit as we know it is already dead, thanks to Google’s antics – and seeing features like fall detection added to the Pixel Watch just rubs salt in the wound for Fitbit fans.
Analysis: a lifesaver with big stars
Fall detection has now become a standard feature on smartwatches, but the different implementations all work slightly differently – and their digital safety net contains some potentially large holes.
Google says the Pixel Watch’s fall detection “depends on network connectivity and other factors”. So if you’re planning a trip to the wilderness, you might also want to pack a satellite-connected sidekick like Motorola’s new Defy Satellite Link.
Google also wants to point out that “fall detection may not detect all falls” and that “your watch may not be reliable for emergency communications.” In other words, it’s more of an added bonus for some extra peace of mind, rather than a superhero in smartwatch form.
Still, this is unfortunately more than Fitbit owners are likely to get, as even the best Fitbits don’t have fall detection or emergency SOS features. With Google actively removing features like offline music access and community extras like challenges, never mind adding new features, it seems Fitbit fans will have to move to the Pixel Watch to access the latest smartwatch tricks , or the jump to one of the best Garmin watches instead.
