If you’re into smart watches like we are, you’ve been paying attention to rumors of the upcoming Pixel Watch by Google. This watch has moved from rumor to reality as the company recently made a first-time announcement during its 2022 I/O Developer Conference that the Pixel Watch will soon be available in the market. Even though Google is still holding out on some details about the product, they have confirmed that it will be launched in the Fall, going on sale in October alongside the Google Pixel 7 series phones.
Design
Before the official announcements, there had been many leaks and rumors about what the Google pixel watch would look like. Based on what was shown off on stage during the conference, and Google’s official pictures, the Pixel Watch has round shape that is somehow reminiscent of the Apple watch. The design is quite sleek, with Google describing it as a “domed” shaped watch whose bottom is made with recycled stainless steel. The watch also features a tactile crown on the right which is used to navigate the user interface and other lists. It’s about half an inch thick, which is similar to those of other round watches including the Samsung Galaxy Watch. Overall, it has a sporty look that matches the custom rubber wristbands it comes with. These wristbands are said to be easy to attach and replace.
New Features
The soon-to-be-released watch is rumored to have several new features and upgrades. For starters, the watch is going to be the first Wear OS watch with Fitbit integration. So users of this watch will be able to access to Fitbit’s excellent metrics and stats such as the Active Minute Zone. Also, owners can expand beyond this with the newly announced Health Connect APIs, which shares data between various fitness apps such including Samsung Health and Google Fit possible. Like other smartwatches that are currently available on the market, the Google Pixel watch will most probably have several health-related sensors like a heart rate monitor, a gyroscope, and an accelerometer.
It is however not yet clear if the upcoming pixel watch is going to have more advanced sensors like those used in measuring blood oxygen levels. However, here’s a good chance that the new Google Wallet will be included on the upcoming Pixel Watch, making it possible for users to make payments electronically.
Improved UX
Talking about Wear OS, Rick Osterloh, the SVP, Devices & Services at Google revealed the Pixel Watch will come with an improved user interface that has more fluid navigation and smarter notifications. He further revealed that the new user interface has been carefully designed to be voice-enabled, tappable, and above all glanceable. A prominent feature of the user interface is the fact that it has an Assistant through which users could ask the watch to get things done. This particular feature is a big deal because it’s the first time a Wear OS 3 watch will take advantage of Google’s voice control artificial intelligence.
According to Osterloh, the Pixel Watch has an LTD (Long-Term Evolution) version that can give users directions even when they do not have their phones with them. This version will be ideal for bike riders or people who enjoy taking walks.
Better Battery?
As for the battery life, there is unconfirmed news that the Pixel Watch will be powered by a chip based on the 5nm Exynos chip which is similar to that in the Galaxy Watch4 . It will mostly likely come with some Google-specific tweaks that will make the battery last throughout the day. So while there’s likely better battery like on the way, the Google Pixel Watch won’t support fast charging, was is a strange omission considering the Apple Watch offers this.
Pricing
So far, nothing has been said about the cost of the upcoming Google Pixel Watch. But then expecting something cheap will be expecting too much. Most tech reviewers are already comparing it to the Galaxy Watch4 which costs $250. There are however suspicions that the LTE variant of the Pixel Watch could even cost as much as $400, which would place it in the same territory as the Apple Watch 7. Also, you shouldn’t expect to see the Pixel Watch in all markets worldwide, given that Google has a reputation for launching its pixel products only in specific markets.
While we are all still anxiously waiting to see and possibly buy the Pixel Watch to give our firsthand reviews about it, we’re excited to see that Google has created a solid foundation for the comeback of Wear OS. Having merged with Tizen, the platform definitely needs a great android smartwatch with amazing features like the Google Pixel Watch to showcase its full capabilities. Many people think the Pixel Watch will be one of a kind as it will deliver in all key aspects like design, functionality, and features.
