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Google officially announced its first smartwatch at I/O 2022 in May, but only gave a “first look” at the full reveal this fall alongside the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. 9to5Google has since revealed a slew of new details, and here’s everything we know about the Pixel Watch.
Design, display and materials
The Pixel Watch is made up of three distinct layers, starting with a domed top glass that curves to the recycled stainless steel sides. According to an early measurement, the round watch case is around 14mm thick and over 40mm wide, while the actual flat display appears to be around 30mm wide (or 1.18 inches). Google hasn’t revealed what the screen’s resolution is or what type of glass it protects.
There’s a bottle cap-shaped crown that rotates and can be pushed in at the 3 o’clock position with a button just above it. The case also has a long speaker grille on the left edge and two small circular cutouts.
The top and bottom house fairly large strap slots, with the 20mm straps being attached by a proprietary mechanism that involves inserting it at an incline and then locking it in place.
colors and ribbons
Google showed off the Pixel Watch in three stainless steel colors:
- Silver: Shiny, polished finish
- Black: Non-reflective, a possible matte finish
- Gold: Dark shade
We reported in June that Google is working on an extensive collection of watch straps, although not all may make it to market or be made directly by the company:
- Silicone Band: Already shown by Google and very similar to Fitbit’s Infinity Bands
- cloth tape
- stretch band
- Two leather straps: Differentiated by style and lighter/darker shades
- Link bracelet: metal
- Milanese Style Mesh Band: Made of stainless steel in colors to match the three case colors
Pixel Watch Specs
9to5Google in May reported that the Pixel Watch will be powered by Samsung’s Exynos 9110. It has a co-processor and over 1.5GB of RAM, which should surpass what’s on offer on Wear OS today. Meanwhile, the 32GB storage space is double that of existing devices and allows users to store many songs offline.
This chip dates back to 2018 with the Tizen-powered Galaxy Watch, but various tasks should be offloaded to the co-processor. It’s unclear how Google will identify this SoC and if tensor branding will be applied.
We’ve also reported that the Pixel Watch has a battery that’s just under 300mAh and should last a day. Charging is via a magnetic puck with USB-C on the other end.
In addition to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, Google will offer an LTE cellular model of the Pixel Watch. Other well-known specs include built-in GPS and 50-meter water resistance.
Fitbit and Health on the Pixel Watch
A big focus of the Pixel Watch is on health, fitness and exercise. There’s the Fitbit integration, of course, which offers a dashboard view of all your stats – just like on existing Fitbit devices, while Google Fit is also offered.
The sensor array beneath the Pixel Watch looks identical to that found on the Fitbit Luxe and Charge 5. There’s a heart rate sensor and hardware support for SpO2 (blood oxygen) and ECG (electrocardiogram) readings.
Wear OS and apps
The Pixel Watch runs Wear OS 3, but it remains to be seen how much Google will customize the experience. It will be significantly different from what Samsung has done (One UI Watch) and could be closer to the upcoming launch of Montblanc or Fossil upgrades.
For example, there should be a simple list of apps instead of a circular bubble launcher, while you can swipe up to see notifications. The pull-down for quick settings remains unchanged, while the tiles are accessed by swiping vertically from the watch face.
We’ve already previewed some of the watch faces Google is working on. Designs include both digital and analog models, with most slots offering complications such as: B. for Fitbit.
Google Assistant will certainly be a big focus, while there’s Google Pay/Wallet tap-to-pay and Maps navigation. All of those apps exist today, but the company also showed off a Google Home app with a feed of gadgets and the ability to get doorstep alerts.
Your Pixel Watch can unlock your Android device and Chromebook, while there will be a companion app, Google Pixel Watch. Fast Pair should also be available to speed up the process of connecting and switching Bluetooth headphones.
Pixel Watch price and availability
Google will launch the Pixel Watch with the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro this fall. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the use of stainless steel could increase costs.
For comparison, the Galaxy Watch 4 in aluminum (Bluetooth + Wi-Fi) starts at $249.99, while you can get the Classic in stainless steel for $309.99. The Apple Watch Series 7 starts at $399 for aluminum and $699 for stainless steel (with cellular).
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