Last year, Google unveiled its new Pixel Pass program, a subscription service designed to give new Pixel owners access to all of Google’s best apps and services. The Pixel Pass includes 200GB of Google One storage, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium, and Google Play Pass. All of this is combined with the cost of the pixel you want and bundled as a supercharged monthly subscription.
Now that the Pixel 7 lineup and Pixel Watch have been announced, you can already sign up for the Pixel Pass with the Pixel 7 or 7 Pro. But I really feel like Google missed an excellent opportunity to get the Pixel Watch on the wrists of as many users as possible.
Resolution of Pixel Pass
If you look at the price of buying the Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch, it starts at $599 for the 128GB phone and $349 for the non-LTE watch. That’s about $950 before tax, and of course the price only goes up if you either increase the Pixel 7’s storage or switch to the Pixel 7 Pro. There’s also an LTE-enabled version of the Pixel Watch priced at $399, with no additional watch bands. Then there’s the monthly cost of each Google subscription, and before you know it, your wallet might be cursing you up and down.
As it currently stands with Pixel Pass, the Pixel 7 is available for $45 per month, saving you “up to $176 over two years,” while the Pixel 7 Pro is $55 per month for a savings of “up to $294 more” is available over 2 years.” While this “subscription” may not be the cheapest option for some, there was definitely a window for Google to include the Pixel Watch in the bundle. An easy one Splitting Watch payments over 24 months would result in an additional $15 per month.
It could have been “Pixel Pass Plus”.
There are two trains of thought here. The first of these is that not everyone wants to spend $950 right away to get a phone and smartwatch. Bundling everything in the Pixel Pass while adding YouTube Premium and additional Google One storage seems like a no-brainer. All of your services and the cost of the phone and watch would all appear on a single monthly bill, without the hassle of a terrible cell phone contract locking you in. And Google makes it easy to upgrade after two years, similar to Apple’s iPhone upgrade program.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, is getting the Pixel Watch into everyone’s hands. As is well known, the smartwatch market is dominated by Samsung’s Galaxy Watch and the Apple Watch. But if Google wants to make a serious game, which it seems after the $349 price tag, the company should have made it more accessible. Yes, there are carrier subsidies, but that only applies to the LTE version of the Pixel Watch.
Pixel Pass is a great concept, but Google definitely missed the boat with the launch of the Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch.
It’s pretty obvious from the start that Google is trying to lean on Fitbit’s recognition among the best smartwatches and fitness trackers to get this launch off the ground. And it really is the right move, as you get access to the best features Fitbit has to offer along with the included 6 months of Fitbit Premium for free.
And that leads us to something else that might be included in the Pixel Pass. Imagine if Google introduced a “Pixel Pass Plus” that included:
- Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro
- pixel clock
- 200 GB Google One cloud storage
- Preferred care
- YouTube Premium
- YouTube Music Premium
- Google Play Pass
- Fitbit Premium
Realistically, all of this could be bundled into a subscription for less than $100 a month, giving you one of the best Android phones, what we’ve come to expect as one of the best Android smartwatches, and access to Google’s services.
It is too late?
With the scenario above, you wouldn’t have to worry about signing up for Fitbit Premium after six months either, since it’s only included in the bundle. Google might even go so far as to lower the cost of the six-month subscription to give users free Fitbit Premium.
During the launch event, Google digged deep into the Fitbit integration and everything Pixel Watch owners will enjoy. But it could have taken less time to spoil the fun of the Pixel tablet and delved even further by explaining why the Pixel 7, Watch, and Fitbit Premium combo would be such a good decision.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and we can’t help but feel that Google botched one of the most important device launches of the year. And when sales reports come out over the next few months, we won’t be surprised if this will be the first and last Pixel Watch.
The first Google Watch
If you’re looking for the perfect smartwatch to pair with your Pixel 7, the Pixel Watch is definitely for you. From its beautiful design to all the different watch straps, the Pixel Watch hits pretty much every brand.
#Googles #Pixel #Pass #included #Pixel #Watch #Pixel
Leave a Comment