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A broken Pixel Watch 3 can’t be fixed

Google says it will only offer replacements for broken Pixel Watch 3s.

Google says it will only offer replacements for broken Pixel Watch 3s.

Both sizes of the PIxel Watch 3 side by side
Both sizes of the PIxel Watch 3 side by side
Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
Wes Davis
is a former weekend editor who covered tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020.

If you happen to crack the screen on your brand-new Pixel Watch 3, Google won’t repair it; the new smartwatch is “replacement only,” a Google representative told Android Authority. That means this is the third smartwatch in a row where Google won’t offer repairs.

That’s a shame, especially when you consider how Pixel Watch screens have held up in our reviews of the last two. Replacements are $49 if you happen to have bought Preferred Care, Google’s device insurance program — but that program costs $89 for two years of coverage (or $4 per month for 60 months).

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Google representative Erin Cizek confirmed to The Verge via email that those with damaged Pixel Watch 3s can “contact the Google Pixel Watch Customer Support Team to check your replacement options.”

If you didn’t buy the Preferred Care plan — which you have to do when you buy the Pixel Watch 3 or within 30 days of your purchase — then your options are sparse. Google offers a potential discounted mail-in replacement, or you can try your luck at repairing it.

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