Curved screens are the bane of cheap screen protectors, and that is certainly true of the Pixel Watch. While the design looks gorgeous, the pebble shape means that there is a sizable portion of the chassis that is exposed to use and abuse day-in-day-out. What’s more annoying is those good screen protectors are hard to come by. If you want full protection and don’t mind added bulk, then Ringke makes a solid clip-on case, but it does detract a little from the svelte curves of the Pixel Watch.

Third-party Pixel Watch straps are few and far between. Because of the quality and consistency issues, at least for a little while longer, it’s hard for us to wholeheartedly recommend unofficial watch straps for the new wearable.I’ve tested a few and most are in a word: terrible. While the adapters I recommend are not 100% perfect, I think they are pretty solid and make it easier for you to use more standard watch straps and accessories with your Pixel Watch. You may need to play around with your existing straps though. Due to the smaller size of the Pixel Watch chassis, I’ve found that sometimes bands can look a little out of place. This is a super cheap way to just add more “unofficial” Pixel Watch accessories to your daily lineup, and one that I do recommend if you can’t stomach the high official strap prices. Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel Buds Pro and Pixel Watch all charging at the same time. I was able to charge just fine as if I was using normal wireless chargers for all of these things. The watch base IS magnetic, just like the OEM charger. It can shift around a little more though, but it aligns just fine without any issues. My P6P is in a Peak Design case. I initially tried charging the phone on its own and it went from 10 to 20% in about 10 min. The watch was then added and it went from 52 to 62% in 5 min while the phone kept going. Those times are not necessarily representative of actual total charging times. Point is, it's capable of charging at those speeds.

That said, there are options that will provide a base level of edge protection and keep your watch slim or lightweight. These options also mean that other Pixel Watch accessories are still compatible and touch controls still work perfectly fine. Reducing screen bubbles is always going to be tough though. Hopefully, third-party Made for Google certified Pixel Watch charging stands, if not a first-party accessory, are coming. One of the more reputable third-party accessories that has popped up is an affordable stand where you slot in the charger from Spigen. An integrated powered solution would be better.

Qi charging is not supported on the Google Pixel Watch,” the company said in the statement. “There may be some charging configurations where reverse wireless or Qi charging appears to work.” As part of Golden Week, which is a seven-day period that contains several Japanese holidays, the local Google Store is running a series of discounts from April 28 to May 7. In addition to taking 8% off the Pixel Watch, you’ll get a “‘Space Brothers collaboration limited watch stand.” In a statement to 9to5Google today, Google offered clarity. The company said that although users may enjoy some success with alternate options, the official charger is the only way to go if you want a strong and consistent charging experience.