The Biggest Smartwatch Fails And Flops Of 2023
Caitlin Cimino/Android Authority
As the year draws to a close, it is a good time to take stock of the important events and activities that have marked the last 12 months. The year 2023 was marked by many positive events for the smartwatch industry: the Apple Watch advances, the Pixel Watch 2 improves and Fitbit proves that it is not dead with Google leading the way. But not everything was memorable. There are also obvious errors. To that end, here is a list of the biggest smartwatch misses and misses in 2023
Apple is forced to stop selling watches
Caitlin Cimino / Android Authority
Apple had a pretty good year globally and almost missed this list. However, everything changed in the last week of December.
Due to a patent dispute, Apple was forced to stop selling and importing the Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the domestic market. The dispute concerns the two devices' blood oxygen monitoring technology, which the U.S. International Trade Commission says infringes patents owned by medical device company Masimo. The news came out of the blue and potential Apple Watch buyers only have a few days left to get their hands on one of these new wearables.
It may not be all doom and gloom for Apple. The agency is now awaiting a presidential review that could allow it to circumvent the ban. However, aside from the green issues we detailed earlier in the year, this is the biggest smartwatch bug of 2023.
Broken Fitbit Charge 5 update
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
The Fitbit Charge series is definitely the company's bread and butter. Its affordable, simple and reliable devices have revolutionized the fitness tracking industry. The Charge 5 wasn't the best entry, but it at least ticked the last box.
In July, Fitbit released the long-awaited update to the fitness tracker. The changes were promising, bringing new watch faces, a more comprehensive exercise list, and smart text notifications to wearables. But when it arrived, users quickly discovered problems with the well-numbered version 194.61, which instead led to massive battery drain, wearables, and in some cases, crashes to multiple Charge 5 devices around the world. To make matters worse, Google and Fitbit have recognized these issues but have not offered a new update as of December 2023.
The Fitbit app redesign went wrong
Caitlin Cimino / Android Authority
The Charge 5's problems weren't the only setback for Fitbit. In 2023, the company launched a redesigned Fitbit app for Pixel Watch and former Fitbit users under the leadership of Google. Gone is the familiar interface and Google Fit-like aesthetic. Many users hated (and still hate) the changes made.
The app looks great and I like the reduction to three main tabs. It hides data fields that were easily accessible after additional clicks and menus. The amount of information displayed on the main screen and subsequent sections is limited. The change was more aesthetic than functional, which users did not like.
Is this all bad? You are forced to accept the upgrade because the old application no longer works or is no longer available. This, along with Google removing many features and community challenges from Fitbit, was one of the most notable smartwatch bugs of 2023.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 band defective
Caitlin Cimino / Android Authority
I love what Samsung has done with the Galaxy Watch 6 series. The company has not only improved the device in all the necessary areas, but also reissued the classic model with its physical structure. It was the first series to offer Wear OS 4 before Google's Pixel Watch 2. However, the pair introduced a glaring error that apparently wasn't revealed in the pre-release phase.
The Galaxy Watch 6 series uses a new band connection system that eliminates fingerprints in favor of a one-click button. This makes changing watch bands much more convenient (and requires smaller studs). This causes the watch to fall more heavily from the wearer's hands, while some users have found that one can loosen the watch by applying pressure to the wrist bone. You can see why this might be a problem during your training.
This isn't a game-breaking bug with the Galaxy Watch 6, and users can easily upgrade to an older 1-inch band. Ironically, however, no one at Samsung noticed this problem until the new bracelet design was introduced.
Citizen stopped selling smartwatches after their launch
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
The second generation of the Citizen smartwatch CZ made a promising debut. It has similar hardware to the Fossil Gen 6 and has a signal monitoring feature developed by IBM and NASA. However, a few weeks after its release in May, the product was suddenly pulled from stores after reviewers noted issues with their device's performance and battery life. This was just the tip of the iceberg. Some users, like Victoria Gunn , have noted that the device has difficulty recording workouts, poor data logging, and a GPS device that won't connect.
Of course the citizen did a good job, but operating a device in this condition is inexcusable. The CZ smartwatch is still not available in the official Citizen store, but the CZ Smart Hybrid fills the gap to some extent.
The essential Google Pixel Watch 2
Ryan Haynes/Android Authority
The Pixel Watch 2 impressed me and my colleagues with its radical improvements over its predecessor. It now competes with Samsung's elite Wear OS operating system and better-known players from Garmin and Apple. But there's one thing Google hasn't been able to fix in this iteration: its repair policy.
The watch's dome design makes it vulnerable to damage, but Google does not have an official or independent repair program. If you damage your watch, that's it. Contact Google Support for replacement options or to purchase a different version. In 2023, when many companies are focused on reducing e-waste, this is an extremely short-sighted move by Google.
It's worth noting that right-to-repair laws passed by some US states may change Google's stance on this matter in the future, but for now, the best way to protect your Pixel Watch 2 is with a case.
What do you think was the biggest smartwatch failure of 2023? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
