Google Pixel Watch: Everything We Know So Far
Google revealed its first smartwatch during Google I/O 2022 and said it is coming next fall. The company explains the new smartwatch combines the best of its technology, is built on Wear OS, and has health and fitness features from Fitbit. "The first watch made inside and out by Google," is the company's mantra for the product.
Officially, Google confirmed several features for the new smartwatch. Users will be able to link the Pixel family — Pixel phones, earbuds, and Pixel Watch — to switch between devices and control everything from any device. Users will also be able to find their smartwatch using their other Google devices and control their smart home through the watch. The Google suite of products, from Maps to Gmail to Wallet and other Wear OS features are also confirmed. Those interested in getting updates on availability can sign up on Google's official product page.
The cost of the Pixel Watch has not been revealed. According to TechCrunch, users should not expect it to be a low-price product, with leaks reportedly setting the price at around $300 to $400. The company says the smartwatch will arrive this fall, which means we'll likely see it fully revealed in either September, October, or possibly as late as November.
Design and features
With the Pixel Watch's design, Google wants to differentiate itself from the square and boxy Apple Watch by utilizing circular and dome designs. The watch is made of recycled stainless steel and has customizable bands. The tactile crown is expected to be the main command, along with the touchscreen. However, Google could release it with an extra form of input: gestures.
TechCrunch reports that Google filed a patent in 2020 for motion gestures that work on the Google Pixel Watch. The watch could pick up calls, swipe songs, or recognize when a user wants its attention with this new technology. Gesture technology was first used in the Pixel 4 under the name Soli, developed by Google's ATAP research department. Soli is a small chip that uses a mini radar to allow devices to understand human gestures and human levels of engagement. From micro-finger gestures to full hand movements and even heartbeats and other biosignals, Soli enables users to skip songs, snooze alarms, and silence phone calls without touching the device. However, Google has not confirmed that the Pixel Watch will have this feature or other gesture technology.
Pixel Watch: Health and fitness integration
Through Twitter, Google revealed that the Fitbit aspect of the new Google Pixel Watch means fitness tracking with active zone minutes, stats, progress, personal fitness goals, continuous heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, and much more. In late 2019, Google took over Fitbit with a $2.1 billion deal. For the past years, the Apple Watch has been dominating the global market and was top in sales in 2021, but Fitbit and Samsung have been following close behind. As users link innovative health and fitness features with smartwatch performance, Google saw Fitbit as an opportunity due to its established experience and leadership in that area.
James Park, the co-founder of Fitbit and now leader of Google's wearables division, told CNET in an interview that the integration between both brands has a lot of potential. "For instance, if you're a runner, you could have integrated directions coming from Google right on your wrist," Park said as an example of how the two-way integration works. Park added that the health experiences created are "well beyond just one device." He described the watch as having an amazing "industrial design" with naturally smooth and intuitive technology, powerful processing, and an advanced graphics capacity. "That's important, creating that ambient experience, not just in computing, but to be a part of your life and not be a source of friction," Park, leader of the Pixel Watch development project, said.