It has always felt a bit strange that despite Google creating Wear OS that powers many smartwatches today that the company doesn’t have their own wearable. The company already makes all manner of products ranging from smartphones, tablets, laptops, and smart home devices, so a smartwatch doesn’t seem entirely out of the question.
The good news is that soon Google could actually unveil their very own smartwatch in the form of the Pixel Watch. Rumors have been flying around the Pixel Watch for years, but this year could be the year we finally get some official answers, and here’s everything we know about the device so far.
Table of Contents
Design
The design of the Pixel Watch is a bit odd, to be honest. From the leaks we’ve seen, Google has opted for a very circular design. We’re not talking about a regular circular watch that usually has flat edges, but the leaks all seem to suggest that the wearable could have some rather curvy edges.
This gives the watch a bit of an odd appearance, but it is possible that the leaks we’ve seen might be a prototype or they might not even be the real deal, but assuming they are, this is definitely not a watch design that could easily be mistaken as a traditional timepiece, unlike some of the other smartwatches we’ve seen in the market.
If anything, it almost feels like Google is following in Apple’s footsteps with the Apple Watch which at a glance makes it clear that this is a smartwatch. Is that a good or bad thing? That really boils down to your personal preference and taste, but maybe there could be more models in the works so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Hardware
In terms of hardware, this is where things are a little hazy. We know that Google has developed their own Tensor chipset for smartphones, but unless Tensor can somehow be used in the Pixel Watch, there’s a very good chance that Google could be turning to one of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets to power the device.
Alternatively, according to a report from 9to5Google, the watch could be powered by a Samsung Exynos chipset. This actually makes more sense than using a Qualcomm chipset because Google and Samsung worked together to revamp Wear OS, so it stands to reason that the Pixel Watch might use an Exynos chipset to take full advantage of the changes.
It has also been suggested that it will come with 1.5GB of RAM and according to Android Police, it could come with 32GB of storage and might support eSIM which means there will be cellular connectivity.
Features
Not much is known about the features of the Pixel Watch and how it might stand out from the competition. Seeing as it is a smartwatch, it’s almost a given that we can expect some basic smartwatch features like a heart rate monitor, step counter, sleep tracking, calorie tracking, exercise modes, and so on, and pretty much everything you might expect from Wear OS 3.
Also, seeing as Google now owns Fitbit, there have been talks that Google could potentially integrate some Fitbit features into the Pixel Watch, like watch faces, so that might be something to look forward to. At this point in time it’s hard to say if the Pixel Watch might come with more advanced health features like a body temperature sensor or ECG monitor, so that’s something we’ll have to wait and see.
Pricing and availability
For the Apple Watch, it is priced starting at $400, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 retails at $249, so there is a good chance the Pixel Watch might either land somewhere in between or be priced even lower than the Galaxy Watch 4 if they’re hoping to remain competitive.
Seeing as not much is known in terms of features, it’s hard to gauge how much Google might try to price it.
As for its availability, there is speculation that the watch could be unveiled at I/O 2022 which takes place later this week. I/O is usually a software and services focused event, but given the amount of leaks we’ve already come across, it does feel like it could be a good time to make the watch official, so check back with us tomorrow for any official updates.
