Google Pixel Watch: Everything you need to know

More rumors and hearsay about Google's long-rumored smartwatch

Google has not had much success with Wear OS so far, and the blame largely lies with itself as it neglected the platform for years and did not roll out any meaningful updates. However, since merging Wear OS with Tizen last year, the platform is making a comeback of sorts. To make this transition successful, Wear OS needs a hero device. This year, the big G is rumored to launch the Pixel Watch to fill those shoes. Below is everything that rumors have told us about Google's upcoming wearable so far.

Google Pixel Watch: Design

The Pixel Watch is reportedly codenamed "Rohan" or "Nightlight," depending on which report you believe, and will be designed to showcase the full power of Wear OS 3. Leaked renders courtesy of Jon Prosser points to the wearable featuring a circular display with a bezel-less design. It will feature a circular knob on the right that could help you navigate through the UI and scroll through long lists. Google is seemingly planning on offering the Watch with different colored watch bands, including orange, yellow, and white. Prosser's track record is mixed, so it is better to take these leaked renders with a grain of salt.

There's no word on the display size, and current leaks suggest Google intends to offer the smartwatch in only one size. Some images found in the Wear OS 3 emulator reveal ten unique watch faces that will be possibly offered on the Pixel Watch, including one with Fitbit data integration on the watch face.

Another leak from a carrier database reveals that the Pixel Watch will feature 32GB of internal storage, double that of the Samsung Galaxy Watch4. It also suggests the watch will be sold in three colors: gray, black, and gold. Additionally, Google is seemingly planning on offering a cellular variant of the watch.

Google Pixel Watch: Health tracking and Fitbit integration

Like other smartwatches on the market, the Pixel Watch should pack a bevy of health-related sensors, including a gyroscope, accelerometer, and a heart-rate monitor. The wearable could offer a fitness tracking experience similar to other Wear OS smartwatches on the market; however, it is unclear if it will measure advanced metrics like blood oxygen levels or not.

Google is reportedly working on Fitbit integration for Wear OS 3, which should release alongside the Pixel Watch. This would mean that Pixel Watch and presumably other Wear OS 3 watch users will be able to sync their fitness data to Fitbit and compete with friends. The integration would be a lot more useful than relying on Google Fit, as it does not analyze the collected data in the same way as Fitbit. Google has not done much with its Fitbit acquisition so far, and the Pixel Watch could be a good launch vehicle for this integration.

Google Pixel Watch: Google Assistant for Wear OS

Right now, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is the only smartwatch on the market running Wear OS 3. However, it is more of a Samsung wearable than a Google one, and it misses out on Google Assistant. The company could debut its virtual assistant on the Pixel Watch, which will also help differentiate it from other Wear OS devices in the market. The virtual assistant will eventually make its way to all Wear OS 3 devices, but Google could keep some features exclusive to its smartwatch.

Google Pixel Watch: Chipset and battery life

A Tensor-branded chip will reportedly power the Pixel Watch. It will be based on the 5nm Exynos chip currently found inside the Galaxy Watch4, with perhaps some Google-specific tweaks thrown in.

Don't expect the watch to spring a surprise in the battery life department: it will apparently offer enough juice to make it through a day. That should not be surprising since that's the ballpark of how long most Wear OS watches last. More worryingly, though, there will seemingly be no support for fast charging, so topping up the battery will take a fair bit of time.

Google Pixel Watch: Price and release date

There have been conflicting reports about the release date of the Pixel Watch. The wearable could be unveiled in May during I/O 2022 or alongside the Pixel 6a in June. Recent tweets from Jon Prosser suggest a launch alongside the Pixel 7 series in the fall, and cannot be totally ruled out — Google may tease its upcoming smartwatch at I/O. Given the conflicting information, it is difficult to ascertain when Google intends to announce the Pixel Watch.

There's no word on pricing, but don't expect the Pixel Watch to be cheap. We expect a price tag similar to the $250 price tag that the Galaxy Watch4 carried at its launch, though LTE or 5G variants may cost even more. Given Google's recent habit of launching its Pixel products in only a handful of markets, don't expect the watch to be available in all major markets worldwide.

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Google has built a solid foundation for the comeback of Wear OS by merging it with Tizen. The platform now needs a hero device to showcase its full capabilities to make it a success, so it is important for the Pixel Watch to deliver on all key aspects. This is something that only time will tell, though.