Jon Prosser/Front Page Tech
Even the rumored name, Pixel Watch, could shift. Insider’s report says Google has been referring to the watch by a few different names and it’s unclear what branding it may choose.
My biggest question is whether the Pixel Watch will have Google-specific features similar to its Pixel phones. Google has found creative ways to incorporate Google Assistant into the phone experience on Pixel phones, so I’m hoping it can do the same for its Pixel Watch.
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We don’t know anything for certain yet, but there are plenty of possibilities based on Google’s other recent moves. For example, Google said that Wear OS will have “the best of Fitbit” when it announced its new smartwatch software back in May, so we can likely expect to see more Fitbit features. Insider’s report provides some evidence of this direction, as it says Google is working on a specific Fitbit integration for Wear OS that will debut with the watch. However, we don’t know anything else about what that could entail yet.
The Pixel Watch may launch in the spring or fall
Google’s smartwatch will at least offer basic health tracking like heart rate and step counting, according to the reports from Prosser and Insider. However, given the big focus on health that we’re seeing across the smartwatch industry, I imagine we’ll see more advanced metrics as well.
One way Google’s Pixel Watch models could differ is in colors, as well. The Pixel Watch is said to come in black, gold and gray versions with 32 GB of storage, according to a leak via a carrier’s inventory system reported on Android Police.
Like the Apple Watch, the battery in Google’s smartwatch might only last for about one day. An internal feedback document referenced in Insider’s report suggests the watch might have to be charged daily. However, there’s always a chance Google could improve this before the watch actually launches.
It could have a round design
We also don’t know what the difference between those three models will be. It’s possible that the watch could come in three different sizes, for example, or that Google is launching a specific model with cellular connectivity.
The Pixel Watch has surfaced in various rumors over the years, but it’s never come to fruition. As such, Google’s position in the smartwatch market is similar to its previous standing in the smartphone space before the first Pixel phone was released and the since-retired Nexus line before that. Those devices gave Google the opportunity to show what the ideal Android experience should be like on phones. A Pixel Watch could let Google do the same for smartwatches.
There might be three different versions
Although rumors about a Pixel Watch have circulated over the years, many details about Google’s reported plans for its own smartwatch are still unclear. That being said, there’s a lot we can infer about Google’s approach to smartwatches based on its new version of Wear OS and acquisition of Fitbit.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 already runs on the new Wear OS, so the Pixel Watch wouldn’t be the first. But it could be the smartwatch that Google points to as being the blueprint for the Wear OS experience that third-party companies could build on, just as Pixel phones have done for Android devices. The Galaxy Watch 4 runs on Wear OS, but a lot of features are still tied to Samsung’s own apps and service, as my colleague Scott Stein wrote in his review.
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Google could launch the Pixel Watch this year, according to Insider. The device may debut in the spring, but that’s subject to change based on how internal testing goes, the report says. YouTuber Jon Prosser suggests Google will tease the Pixel Watch in May at Google I/O before formally launching the device in October. He previously said the Pixel Watch would launch on May 26.
It will likely have health tracking features
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While the leaks have given us a baseline of what to expect from the Pixel Watch, a lot of important details are still unknown.
We also know that the Google Nest Hub 2 can detect snoring and monitor breathing at night, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see these features incorporated into the Pixel Watch in some way. But given Fitbit’s recent focus on Premium, there’s also a chance that more sophisticated health features on the Pixel Watch could require a subscription.
If these images are accurate, it looks like the Pixel Watch could have a crown for navigation similar to the Apple Watch and a design without bezels or buttons. Google may also offer changeable bands that are specific to the Pixel Watch, say the reports from Prosser and Insider.
For more, check out all the rumors we’ve collected for Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel Fold phones.
Since Google owns Fitbit and makes software for Android smartwatches (known as Wear OS), it already has a significant role in the wearables market. Still, Google has yet to release a smartwatch of its own. But that could change this year, as rumors, leaks and reports point to a Pixel Watch arriving sometime in the spring or fall.
