Google will launch its own in-house Google Pixel smartwatch in 2022. Though, Google since 2014 has had a companion wearable platform for Android, it never designed its own smartwatch. The smartwatch, codenamed “Rohan”, is being worked on by the Google pixel hardware group separately from Fitbit. Google bought Fitbit for $2.1 billion earlier this year. Insider reported that the smartwatch will serve the same purpose as Pixel phones does for Android- an example for consumers and hardware partners of what’s Google’s software is truly capable of when provided with the right hardware.
Google Pixel Smartwatch will run on WearOS
The device is expected to cost more than a Fitbit and compete more directly with the Apple Watch, according to The Verge’s source. The watch will come with some basic fitness tracking features, like a heart rate monitor, and step counting. Also, Google is working on debuting a Fitbit integration into the wear OS, codenamed “Nightlight” with new watch after its launch. Currently, Google is in the middle of reinvention of its smartwatch platform with Wear OS 3. Wear OS 3 was developed as a partnership with Samsung and merged the Tizen platform into Google’s own. Wear OS has only launched on Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4. However, Samsung Galaxy watch 4 runs on heavily customized version of the new OS and eschews most of Google’s services for Samsung’s own. Google nearly launched a “Pixel Watch” in the past, a 2019 report said. The LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style, released in 2017, were originally supposed to be marketed as part of the Pixel brand, but an employee told Insider that Google hardware boss Rick Osterloh axed the idea because they “didn’t look like what belonged in the Pixel family.” Both devices didn’t impress us when they came out.
Google Smartwatch launch news is not surprising
Google developing a smartwatch didn’t come up as a surprising news. Earlier this year, Osterlo said “you’ll see them [the Fitbit team] build wearables on Wear OS in the future,” with the team already “hard at work at that”.
Chip to be used in the smartwatch
Its not yet decided which chip Google is going to use to power its smartwatch. But it’s quite possible that Google could use Qualcomm Inc.’s popular wear processor series, which is designed especially for devices like smartwatches. It might also design its own silicon. Along with smartwatches, Google’s long-term consumer hardware roadmap could also involve a new internally developed operating system known as Fuchsia. It was released by Google to few Nest devices in an August update. Unlike Android, Fuchsia is not based on Linux but rather a very lightweight Kernel- Zircon. Zircon features extensive cybersecurity optimizations.
Pixel Watch launch date
Though the reports have confirmed that Google will launch Pixel smartwatch but the release date is not confirmed. However, Google Pixel smartwatch may launch in spring of 2022. This means possibly the smartwatch will be launched in the second half of the year 2022.
What Google Pixel smartwatch will look like?
As per the renders, the smartwatch is a circular smartwatch with a bezel-less display. It has no buttons and a single physical crown on the right side. The renders also recreate the suggested interface, including a watch face with radial time markers, giving it an analog timepiece look. Google Pixel smartwatch could be an elegant minimalist design. However, according to New reports from tech YouTuber Front Page Tech, the smartwatch will have a metal casing around its face and a dial.
