Google Pixel Watch: News, specs, pricing, and availability
The Google Pixel Watch has been one of the most thoroughly leaked devices in recent memory. We’ve known practically everything about it for what feels like forever. But at its October hardware event, Google finally made it all official.The Pixel Watch is here, and we’ve got all the details you need.
Google Pixel Watch: Hardware and specs
The Pixel Watch is sporty, with a circular face, rounded edges, and aFitbit-like silicone bandincluded in the box. The watch body is 41mm wide and 12.3mm deep at its thickest point, and weighs 36g.
The watch’s case is made of stainless steel, and it’s available in four color combos: Matte black with a black band, silver with either gray or silver bands, or champagne gold with a Hazel band that matches the greenish-gray of the Hazel Pixel 7 Pro. Bands attach with a proprietary connector (evidently inspired by the way lenses twist into place on camera bodies), so you won’t be able to use standard watch bands. Google’s offering a pretty wide range of band types, though, including woven and leather options. Metal bands are planned for the spring. The Pixel Watch has a “tactile” rotating crown for navigating menus, plus a discreet hardware button positioned just above that. Google also says the watch features “premium haptics,” which should mean haptic feedback feels more like clicks than buzzes.
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We’ve waited for Google to make a watch for over a decade, and the Google Pixel Watch has finally arrived. The first Android smartwatch with Fitbit health tracking, the Pixel Watch aims to help you stay fit or get fit easily. Plus, Wear OS 3.5 brings us Google’s vision for a wearable UI and exclusive Wear OS apps for Google services, like Google Home.
There’s a round, AMOLED display in the middle of the Pixel Watch’s face that clocks in at 320 pixels per inch, covered in “domed” Gorilla Glass 5. It can hit up to 1,000 nits, so it’s plenty visible outdoors. There’s a Samsung-built Exynos 9110 CPU powering the Pixel Watch, paired with a Cortex-M33 co-processor that helps with certain tasks. That Exynos chipset debuted in 2018, making it an odd pick for a premium device — but we’ll reserve judgment on performance until we’ve spent some time with the device. On a more positive note, the Google Pixel Watch ships with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, both impressive figures for a wearable.
Google says the Pixel Watch’s 294 mAh battery should see it through “up to 24 hours” of use, which is a little troubling; smartwatches tend to fall short of their advertised battery claims under real-world use, and 24 hours isn’t especially competitive to begin with. It charges with a magnetic charging puck; Google claims it can go from empty to 50 percent in a half hour, with a full charge taking about an hour and 20 minutes. The charging puck’s cable has USB-C at the end, which should make it moderately less annoying to use (and pack for travel) than other wearable chargers.
Fitbit integration has been a major talking point in marketing materials for the Pixel Watch, and, accordingly, the watch has all the health sensors you’d expect, including a heart rate sensor, accelerometer, blood oxygen sensor, and a “multipurpose electrical sensor.” It’s also got NFC for contactless payments, a built-in GPS, compass, and altimeter, plus a microphone and speaker for Google Assistant interactions and phone calls. It’s got a water resistance rating of 5 ATM, meaning it can withstand submersion in fresh water up to 50 meters deep.
You can get the Google Pixel Watch in either Bluetooth/Wi-Fi-only or LTE-enabled flavors. Google says the LTE version is compatible with Google Fi, and won’t require a new line or cost extra to use on most Fi plans.
Google Pixel Watch: Software
The Pixel Watch ships with Wear OS 3.5, the same version found onSamsung’s newest watches— though Google’s take obviously doesn’t take UI cues from Tizen the way Samsung’s does. Wear OS confers all its usual benefits here, including access to the Play Store and all of Google’s wearable apps like Assistant, Wallet, Maps, and YouTube Music, plus the newWear OS version of Google Home. Although the watch is Wear OS-based, there’s a separate Google Pixel Watch app for setting up and managing the device.
There’s Fast Pair supportfor easy pairing with your phone, and you’ll be able tolink the Pixel Watch with the Fitbit appto take advantage of Fitbit’s features like Active Zone Minutes and sleep tracking. The watch features continuous heart rate tracking, and there are 40 workout modes to choose from. It can also take ECG measurements, but there’s no support for blood pressure tracking.
The Google Pixel Watch comes with a number of exclusive, customizable watch faces, including one thatlets you set pictures you’ve uploaded to Google Photos as your watch’s wallpaper.
Google built an emergency SOS feature into the Pixel Watch that lets you quickly get in touch and share your location with emergency responders, provided the watch has an active data connection (either through Wi-Fi, LTE, or a connection to your phone). Additionally, a fall detection feature meant to get you help if the watch detects you’ve taken a tumble is coming in an update slated for this winter.
Google Pixel Watch: Pricing and availability
The Google Pixel watch is available for pre-order starting today. In the US, the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth model retails for $350, and the LTE version is $400. The two models go for £339 and £379 in the UK, respectively, and €379/€429 throughout Europe. General availability begins Thursday, October 13 in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia.
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