Fitbit app readies Pixel Watch support, seemingly confirms battery life

Kyle Bradshaw | Aug 12 2022 - 12:37 pm PT

Ahead of the Pixel Watch’s launch later this year, the Fitbit app is readying support for Google’s Wear OS smartwatch, including seemingly confirming its battery life.

About APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in the case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on.

With a Fitbit Premium subscription today, you can use a Fitbit tracker or smartwatch to monitor each night’s rest. This includes your time spent awake, restless, and asleep, and if your device can check your heart rate, Fitbit Premium will also monitor your sleep stages.

We’ve known for some time now that the Pixel Watch would have some Fitbit integration, including a Fitbit-themed watch face. When the smartwatch was unveiled at Google I/O, the company confirmed that the Pixel Watch would have the full suite of Fitbit features including heart rate tracking, active minutes, and sleep monitoring.

However, unlike Fitbit wearables which can get multiple days of usage on a single charge, our reporting of the Pixel Watch’s estimated battery life puts it closer to 24 hours per charge. That being the case, you’ll most likely want to charge up your Pixel Watch before going to bed so that the sleep tracking will not be interrupted.

The latest update to the Fitbit app, version 3.65, includes new in-app text related to evening charge reminders for your Pixel Watch. When this upcoming toggle is enabled, Fitbit will send a notification shortly before your “bedtime goal,” reminding you to charge your watch.

Get a notification before your bedtime goal if your Pixel Watch battery is too low to track a night’s sleep

Notably, the notification itself seems to confirm our report of the Pixel Watch’s 24-hour estimated battery life. The Fitbit app recommends that your watch be charged to at least 30% before going to sleep. Assuming this is based on the recommended eight hours of nightly sleep, 30% of the Pixel Watch’s battery is enough for at least eight hours of heart rate monitoring.

Time to charge your watch

You’ll need at least 30% charge to track a full night’s sleep

With the Pixel Watch expected to launch side by side with the Pixel 7 series this fall, it’s no surprise to see apps like Fitbit preparing the necessary support. All the same, it’s nice to have the Pixel Watch’s battery life seemingly confirmed by the app, even if it doesn’t stand up to the 80-hour estimate of the recently launched Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

Thanks to JEB Decompiler, from which some APK Insight teardowns benefit.

Image: Google