Why I Am Returning My Pixel Phone and Watch and Buying Apple

Apple products just work.

Google products do not.

Let me explain. I am a user of Google Workspace, or G Suite as it was known for while and a couple other names I think. I am also a Fitbit user and use it to track steps, heart rate, sleep score. In fact I'm a premium account on Fitbit. I log into Fitbit with my Google Workspace account and no problems.

As and aside, I also have a Macbook Pro and and I pad, and I still have my iPhone 13 from work.

Imagine my excitement when I heard that if I upgrade to a Pixel 8 Pro I can get a Pixel Watch 2 for free from Google. Particularly since my current fitbit battery life is beginning to rundown. So I execute an impulse buy. Pixel 8 and Watch arrived today. Began the set up which started out pretty easy to all appearances. Then it failed. Turns out I have to turn off device management in Google Workspace to allow the watch to use my account (huh? that makes sense, not). But I did it and goes forward, updates software, syncs with my phone, good to go. Two gotchas, the first is that T-Mobile doesn't allow you to use the cell service you have to add another line for your phone (I don't know if this is true for all carriers, don't care because it actually kind of makes sense if annoying). The second is Fitbit on the Pixel Watch WILL NOT WORK if you don't sync it with a Google Account. Cool, I gotta Google Workspace account to use.

Large bu-buuuuuuu. (Imagine the sound they play on a red x on Family Feud when you read bu-buuuu)

Apparently you cannot use Fitbit with a Google Workspace account. I've been wracking my brain and thinking through why they would block that from happening. I log into pretty much anywhere, anytime with that exact same account. I am guessing it is the same reason that I cannot use Google Nest (which I've had before Google bought Nest) with a Workspace account either.

This is a repeated pattern of Google and I'm guessing it is a product backlog prioritization issue. Google Workspace is for "business" and Google has a clear idea of what types (and size) of businesses are willing to pay money for and thermostats and fitbit are not one of those things. At least those wouldn't hit a top level priority. So I get that part, cool. Bummer but I get it.

As a Fitbit Premium customer though the only option I am being given is to create ANOTHER gmail account. Why the fuck would I do that. I already above that I can login pretty much anywhere using that Google Workspace account - i.e. I am using Google workspace as a SSO authenticator. Google actively gives me prompts to do so and I happily take advantage it. Unless it is a Google product? Huh?

So I am thinking that it is a user story/user case problem. They don't understand the use case I am desiring. I think they have an all or nothing, black or white, conception. I don't need to "Google Account Sync" it I need to be authenticated with my Google account. I ALREADY do this. On Fitbit.com. So basically I got a nice new phone and a brick of a watch that a what $100 "dumb" fitbit does.

I say brick because I have now found out that I cannot set up my Google Payments for the same reason. MY FUCKING PHONE (Pixel 7) USES THAT ACCOUNT AND MULTIPLE FUCKING CREDIT CARDS with no problems. In fact, the Pixel Pro 8 I am syncing the watch to has those set up.