We have been waiting for a wearable from Google ever since the company launched a version of their mobile operating system for the smallest screen – Android Wear. The software has gone through several iterations and always seemed to be a step behind the competition. With the rebrand to Wear OS, Google hoped to reinvigorate wearable operating system and make it as good as possible. In the same breath, it meant Google could design its own smartwatch to show how its OS is ideally meant to work – welcome the Google Pixel Watch. Here is everything you need to know about the Google Pixel Watch – the design, software enhancements and future of the platform.
Read: Google Pixel 7 Pro: Everything you need to know
The design of the Pixel Watch is, well… simple. It has a circular case with a domed display, something not everyone may be a big fan of as we move further back towards flat screens. It is also smaller than most other wearables, belying its Fitbit underpinnings. For those not in the know, Google bought Fitbit several years ago and it is clear the Pixel Watch is aimed at those customers rather than someone that wants a high-end wearable. This argument is supported by the large bezels, although the software has been tailored to hide them as much as possible.
On the right-hand side there is a rotating crown and a button to interact with the interface. The former is an element we’ve previously described as essential when navigating WearOS, and we’re glad to see its inclusion. It is difficult to imagine a wearable without such a hardware component these days (here’s looking at you, TicWatch).
On the back you see the array of sensors as per normal. All of these measurements are meant to work with the Fitbit app, although Google has said that it will work with Google Fit as well. An interesting choice is actually the wearable’s band locking mechanism, Google states it derived inspiration from a camera’s lens mounting system, and it does look quite seamless, and we hope it’s simple enough to use.
The Pixel Watch doesn’t have the most cutting edge internals in the wearable market. It has an older generation processor, the Exynos 9110, which doesn’t make a lot of sense given its price. It also comes paired with the Cortex M33 coprocessor, though we’re unsure how this will translate into day-to-day performance. The hardware is definitely dated, but it’s possible with the generous 2GB of RAM that Google has on-board, the wearable might be able to hold its own.
Alongside these internal specs, Google is also offering 32GB of eMMC storage to keep app data and other tidbits stored on the wearable. It’s a significant improvement over the nominal 16GB that Samsung has on offer, and we’re glad to see it. The number also puts it toe-to-toe with Apple Watch.
As for its array of sensors, Pixel Watch depends upon the following to serve its fitness and health-based function.
- Compass
- Altimeter
- Blood oxygen sensor
- Multipurpose electrical sensor
- Optical heart rate sensor
- Accelerometer
- Gyroscope
- Ambient light sensor
So how does all these sensors translate in terms of software and health features? Google is turning to Fitbit, providing deeper integration and what it calls its most accurate heart rate tracking to date —it also includes AFib detection via an ECG app. The wearable will offer 40 different exercise modes, letting you track steps, distance travelled, and active zone minutes, helping you understand the impact you’re having on your health.
A sleep score system is built into the wearables suite of features, helping you understand how well-rested your body is after a night of sleep. Pixel Watch will also offer buyers 6 months of access to Fitbit Premium to make the most of the available features and collected data. The wearable also offers additional safety features like SOS mode and Fall Detection. The latter will become available later this winter.