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A picture of the Pixel Watch that was left behind at a restaurant.
Image: Android Central
Google’s annual developer conference
is almost here, and with it comes rumors of new devices and speculation about what Google will announce during the opening keynote. One such rumor that’s picked up steam this year is that of the Pixel Watch, a device we’ve heard a lot about over the last few years but never actually seen released.
The unannounced smartwatch is getting a lot of attention for a good reason — a pre-production sample was left behind in a restaurant, and photos were later published online. No, you’re not having déjà vu.
Below, you’ll find everything we currently know about the Pixel Watch, which you’ll quickly realize isn’t a whole lot beyond a couple of photos.
What will it be called?
- For years, rumors have claimed Pixel Watch
- But that’s not set in stone
We’ve heard about a supposed Pixel Watch for a number of years — dating back to 2016 — and it appears Google is now, finally, maybe, going to release its first smartwatch. The watch, of course, will be called Pixel Watch to line up with the rest of its Pixel hardware offerings.
That said, until someone from the team at Google stands on stage and names the product, we don’t know for certain what Google will call the rumored watch.
What will the Pixel Watch look like?
- We have a good idea, thanks to a unit that was left behind in a restaurant
- It’s round, minimal and looks like a Google device
Stop me if you’ve heard this story before. An employee for a giant tech company has access to an unreleased product and, while out and about, accidentally leaves it behind in a restaurant. Just like we saw with Apple’s iPhone 4, Google’s Pixel Watch has made its early debut after it was left behind and someone sent photos to Android Central.
The bottom of the supposed Pixel Watch.
Image: Android Central
As rumors have indicated for a while now, the Pixel Watch will be round, have no bezels, a rotating crown and buttons on the side. There appears to be a heart rate sensor on the bottom of the watch.
As Android Central notes in its exclusive, it appears that the Pixel Watch will have some form of proprietary watch band connection similar to how the Apple Watch works.
What kind of features will the Pixel Watch have?
- It’ll reportedly run Google’s Wear OS3
- This means it’ll possibly have Fitbit integration
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Pixel Watch. Outside of the restaurant snafu, Google has done a good job keeping it under wraps. Not to mention we’ve heard rumors of an impending launch at any moment since 2016.
We can make a few guesses about what features the Pixel Watch will have, but until it’s announced, nothing is set in stone. Presumably, the Pixel Watch will run Wear OS 3, just like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4. The Pixel Watch will have Google Assistant, unlike the Watch 4, which has yet to receive an update to bring the personal assistant to the wearable.
Google purchased Fitbit and has reportedly been working on integrating its health features into Wear OS 3, and Android Central states its sources have confirmed that Fitbit integration is a go for the Pixel Watch. You can expect to see watch faces that’ll show your Fitbit health data and the like.
Outside of those educated guesses, we don’t know a whole lot more. Presumably, it’ll boast all of the staple health and fitness features we see in modern-day smartwatches. Sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and similar fitness features along with the standard Wear OS 3 suite of apps and capabilities should be included.
When will the Pixel Watch launch, and how much will it cost?
- Great questions. Google I/O is May 11; maybe we’ll hear more then
- Pricing is up in the air — but expect it to compete with the Apple Watch
Reports about when we’ll officially see the Pixel Watch are all over the place. Jon Prosser, who has a mixed track record of leaking information from Apple and Google, claims Google will announce the Pixel 6a and tease the Pixel Watch during the opening keynote at Google I/O on May 11. The Watch will see a full announcement and launch alongside the Pixel 7 line in October.
However, with units already being tested in public, it’s not out of the question that we could see a full announcement at Google I/O — including a release date. Google has used the developer conference to announce new hardware in previous years.
As for cost, that’s another thing that no one has really reported on so far. I assume it’ll cost around the same price as an Apple Watch or Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4, or around the $250 mark. There’s supposedly an LTE version in the mix, so expect that one to have a premium price for the added connectivity.
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