Google has finally confirmed that the Pixel Watch is real after years of speculation from tech pundits’. Today’s announcement doesn’t reveal much, however, with the watch arriving later this fall alongside the Pixel 7.
Given that the Pixel Watch is the worst-kept wearable secret of 2022, there wasn’t anything too surprising in terms of design. As suspected, the Pixel Watch has a circular, domed design and features a “tactile” crown and side button. It’s made of recycled stainless steel and has swappable proprietary bands. It’ll also run on an “improved” Wear OS 3 that features a “refreshed UI” with better navigation and smart notifications. You’ll also have the option to pick a cellular version of the device for standalone connectivity.
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The Pixel Watch will have native Google apps you’d expect as well as great Fitbit integration. That includes staples like Google Maps and Assistant but also apps like Google Wallet and Google Home that are new to Wear OS. Another feature coming to Wear OS is Emergency SOS. We’ve seen this feature on other smartwatches, and the idea is that you can use your watch to contact a trusted friend or family member as well as call emergency services. As for the Fitbit integration, you’ll be able to view insights for heart rate, sleep tracking, and Active Zone Minutes.
The Fitbit integration is the most notable collaboration between the two companies we’ve seen since Google bought Fitbit. (Technically, adding Google Assistant to the Fitbit Versa 3 and Sense was the first.) According to Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president of devices and services, this Fitbit integration will go beyond customizing watch faces and be “imbued throughout” the Pixel Watch experience. Users will be able to sync their data with a Fitbit account, meaning they’ll be able to view it within the Fitbit app and on the web. The watch will use all of Fitbit’s latest algorithms for health and fitness.
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Fitbit and Google data will stay private and separate due to promises it made to regulators during the Fitbit acquisition, meaning that any health data collected on the Pixel Watch will remain under Fitbit’s purview, separate from Google. Osterloh also added that while the Fitbit team was deeply involved with the Pixel Watch, Fitbit still has plans for its own Wear OS watch and will continue making its own products.
And that’s about it in terms of concrete details that we have right now. In terms of how much it’ll cost, Google says that it’ll be a “premium-priced product.” Another potential snag is that the Pixel Watch will require a phone running Android 8.0 or later, and you’ll need a Google Account. So, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the Pixel Watch will not be compatible with iPhones as previous Wear OS watches were. Otherwise, the company said nothing about the watch’s specs, including what chip it’ll run on or if it will come in different sizes or colors, and so on. Those details, the company says, will be shared in the coming months.
