The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have now been unveiled and while it was rumored that the almighty Pixel Watch might arrive at the same time, it was not to be. Given all we have heard about a Google Watch, we can assume that it’s been in development, but the big question then is when it will arrive.
The latest report says it will arrive at some point in 2022, so you can likely expect to be able to buy the Pixel Watch next year.
As we all know that Pixel phones use Android, the Google Pixel Watch is expected to use Wear OS, and given the wearable operating system’s big update was shown off at Google IO, we figured the watch was not far behind.
Below is everything we know about the upcoming Google smartwatch. Then, further down, we have put together a list of the features we would like from the first flagship Google Watch.
A new report suggests the Google Pixel Watch remains in development, and it may be set to arrive in 2022.
Google Pixel Watch: Release Date and Price
An exact release date for the Google Pixel Watch is not clear – just predictions based on leaks. The latest report from Insider claims to have spoken to people familiar with the matter who suggest it’s coming in 2022.
That matches what we have heard from other sources in recent months, but the Pixel Watch has been rumored to be in development for a good number of years now.
A tweet from noted leaker Evleaks claiming a “reliable source” said it would be announced alongside the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL back in 2018, then a rumor claimed the Google Watch would land on October 15 2019 at the Pixel 4 launch – but of course, neither happened and we are still waiting.
Pixel Report
We are fairly confident that such a watch is in the works though, and it’s possible that the Pixel Watch could benefit from Google’s acquisition of Fitbit, which could see the latter company’s wearable skills put towards Google smartwatch hardware, but that deal was only finalized in January 2021.
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A smartwatch based on Fitbit’s tech is probably unlikely to land in the near future – though Google has announced that a premium Fitbit running Wear OS is in the works.
Better still, at Google IO 2021 the company announced that Wear OS is integrating features from Samsung’s Tizen OS, which could suggest what is coming in the Google Watch.
According to ETNews, we have heard that Google has reportedly ordered processors from Samsung which would be capable of detecting body movements. There is no guarantee that these are for a smartwatch but a wearable would be an obvious fit. That, then, is strong evidence that some form of Pixel Watch is in the works.
As for price, we don’t currently have any idea how much this watch will cost. Considering the Pixel range is usually high-end products with generally flagship-level prices, we would expect that but we do not currently have any evidence supporting it.
Google Pixel Watch: News and Rumors
There is not much known about the Google Pixel Watch, in terms of spec. Though one source suggests it will use a 5nm chipset – likely the same one as the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 4 is rumored to have. You can expect a 5nm chipset to be much more powerful than the ones we have seen in current Wear OS watches.
We have seen a Google patent, which details a gesture control system that would allow a smartwatch to detect movements you make with your arm, wrist, or fingers.
For example, you could make a fist to launch Google Assistant and open the fist to dismiss it. These gestures would be done on the arm or hand that the watch is worn on. However, patents aren’t always used, so there’s no guarantee we’ll see this.
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There could also be a big focus on fitness, both because Google is buying Fitbit, and because Google sent out a survey asking people about features they would like to see in Wear OS, and those features included things like SPO2 (oxygenation) tracking, sleep apnea detection, heartbeat alerts, sleep analysis, recovery time monitoring, stress tracking, pairing for medical devices and gym equipment, rep detection, and calorie tracking.
Of course, it is unlikely they would all be added, but some may well be, and it shows that Google is thinking about health and fitness.
The Pixel to Run Qualcomm
The Pixel Watch is likely to run Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Wear 4100 Plus chipset that will mean lots of power for running your favorite apps on your wrist.
One rumored feature was something codenamed ‘Blackghost’. It was thought to be a power management integrated circuit built into the chipset itself that will allow the watch to listen out for voice commands at all times without draining the battery.
That is not a feature on the Snapdragon Wear 4100 Plus, but it may be Google has found a way to make it an exclusive feature for the Pixel Watch when it launches – or that the watch will use a newer chipset.
If this is true, we expect to be able to ask Google Assistant questions without either draining your smartwatch after a few hours or having to press a button beforehand.
Another report has it that – this time from WinFuture has suggested there may actually be three versions of the Pixel Watch in development. The website has heard the word of devices with code names Ling, Triton, and Sardine all in development at Google HQ.
Google Pixel Watch RAM Space
Exactly what the differences for the devices would be are currently unclear. It may mean we will see three variants of the Pixel Watch. That same report also suggested at least one version of the watch will come with 1GB of RAM.
This report could mean there will be one watch in the range with LTE or another that’s designed to be more focused on fitness, but so far we have yet to hear any rumors of what those different versions will be. This report is also quite old now, so it may no longer be relevant.
Rumors died down for over a year until April 2020, when a leak suggested the Pixel Watch could have a feature typically reserved for analog timepieces: a physical crown, according to an image from leaker Jon Prosser.
Prosser followed up with a batch of rendered images based on the info provided by a source which shows potentially the first full looks at the Pixel Watch’s supposed design.
Per the renders, the Pixel Watch looks like a circular smartwatch with a bezel-less display, no buttons, and a single physical crown on the right side. The renders also recreate the suggested interface, including a watch face with radial time markers, giving it an analog timepiece look. The apps look very simple, suggesting Google could be going for a more elegant minimalist design.
What we expect from Google Pixel Watch.
In-display fingerprint scanner
If Google really wants to put the Pixel Watch on the map, adding an in-display fingerprint scanner would go a long way to doing that. Currently, Wear OS watches (and the Apple Watch) allow you to secure them with a PIN code – but that’s not the most secure form of protection available.
With an in-display fingerprint scanner, the secure biometric technology would fit seamlessly into the wearable without disrupting the visual appeal of the watch. It would also allow you to approve purchases over the current contactless limit (assuming the Pixel Watch comes with NFC).
There are a couple of potential negatives here though. Firstly, the addition of this fledgling technology could increase the thickness of the watch – and no one wants an overly chunky wearable – but secondly, it’ll also likely push the price tag way up.
If Google can overcome these two things though, you can sign us up for a Pixel Watch right now.
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NFC payments
Another simple one here, but quite a few Wear OS watches don’t come with NFC built-in so you are not able to use Google Pay features on your wrist. That is a frustration for a lot of people, so we are hoping Google will include an NFC chip inside the watch.
That will especially be useful when you are out for a run and you need to buy a bottle of water, but you have left your wallet at home.
Rotating crown or bezel
Before the switch to Wear OS, Android Wear 2.0 put a big focus on how the design had been reworked to play well with rotating bezels and crowns, but then we haven’t seen many watches embrace that.
Why not use it for the Google Pixel Watch? Those features may be far in Google’s rearview mirror as the Wear OS updates take precedent, but we’d love to see an innovative way of interacting with the watch such as a rotating crown or bezel.
Three-day battery life
This is a simple one, but we want the Google Pixel Watch to last as long as it can. Imagine a fully-fledged smartwatch that doesn’t need charging after two days of intensive usage.
Wear OS is integrating a useful enhanced battery saver mode that should give you a lot more time with your smartwatch, but it will limit the number of features you can use when it’s on.
Clearly, Google wants to improve how long your watch will last from one charge, but we’d love to see a big battery inside the watch and well-optimized software that offers the best battery for a smartwatch on the market right now.
Swimproof
We’re used to smartwatches coming with a level of dust and water resistance, but few carry an IP certification high enough to ensure their survival when we cannonball into the local pool. A fully swim-proof Google Pixel Watch would not only allow you to keep the wearable on in the bath, but also allow you to track workouts in the pool without fear of malfunction.
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