The new year always brings with it new hope — new hope for new gadgets to come our way. After all, we are all suckers for moments of great tech metanoia. And as the new year came, so are the rumors on the long-awaited Google Pixel Watch release date. But of course, with Google itself keeping these rumors at bay without so much as dropping Easter eggs, we can’t help but speculate what this flagship timepiece would bring about, especially when tech experts say this is also an Apple Watch buzzkill.
Word has it, Google has been spending time going from the dashboard to developing rooms to presentation rooms then back to the dashboard for a time now. Google, it seems, is on the move to develop a device that will put its Wear OS to its full potential in the same way it released Google Pixel to show off Android’s full potential.
Pixel Watch Rumors: How It Started
Let’s connect the dots. In retrospect, many Google and Android fans have been speculating a Google smartwatch could be released alongside the Google Pixel. But obviously, it did not happen. And with Apple and Samsung well ahead of the smartwatch game, Google is pressured to play catchup.
It certainly did not help when these rumors have been fanned like a wildfire when Evan Blass took to Twitter to drop an Easter egg in 2018 to say a Google smartwatch is in the works, a tweet backed up by saying it came from Google insiders. And the world heaved a collective groan when it did not happen along with the release of Google Pixel 4 and 5.
Besides the Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, and second-gen Pixel Buds, a reliable source tells me — with high confidence — that Google's fall hardware event will also introduce a Pixel-branded watch. Have a great summer!
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) May 10, 2018
Also read: Google Pixel 5 Review
With a long-overdue anticipated release, fans are keen to know whether 2021 will be the year this flagship smartwatch will hit the markets.
Pixel Watch Release Date and Other News
A quick Google search would tell anyone of the following:
- Pixel Watch is going to be Google’s first flagship watch.
- Pricing remains to be a mute area but experts think it will be pricey.
- The release date is yet another mute area.
The closest we had an idea for the Pixel Watch release date was 15 October 2020, alongside the eventual release of the Pixel 4. And if you have been keeping up with the news, Google itself confirmed it will release a flagship smartwatch in 2018. And the anticipation was exacerbated when the news of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, acquired smartwatch developer Fitbit. That seems to put a lid on the rumors and just leave excitement to build up but with the deal still not closed, we might have to put a cap on that excitement for a little long while.
Furthermore, as if to continue fanning the flames, it has been reported that Google purchase processors from Samsung — processors that are capable of detecting bodily movements. This seems to be concrete evidence of Google developing a smartwatch that incorporates three powerful tech players.
Pixel Watch Rumored Specs
We’ll go through some of the components that are rumored to make the Pixel Watch. We just want to make it clear that these components are, as of this writing, buying in the water as rumors. Nonetheless, we all can bask in their possibilities.
Wear OS
Similar to Apple Watch, the rumored Pixel Watch will also boast its own operating system. Google’s Wear OS (previously known as Android Wear) will be responsible for syncing your smartwatch and phone. From getting proactive help from Google Assistant, getting messages and calls, and Google alerts among others directly from your smartwatch, Wear OS will get the job done.
In a nutshell, the Wear OS integrates your smartwatch and phone seamlessly. Here’s a quick rundown of what Wear OS offers:
- You can seize your day by properly organizing your schedule and take a glance on your wrist when your next meeting is up.
- Connect with a glance and send a quick text or make a quick call without you necessarily fishing your phone out in public.
- Stay healthy and pack your smartwatch with fitness partner apps and workout music.
- Stay fashionable with customizable accessories for your watch.
If the Google Pixel Watch release date remains to be a murky subject, it seems running Wear OS is the one thing that is hardly a rumor.
Also read: Wear OS Apps: The Best to Have for Your Smartwatches
Chipset
As for specs, it won’t be a surprise if Pixel Watch will be running with a powerful chipset, preferably Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Wear. This means better battery life for enjoying your favorite apps in a way you have never done so before.
Google might also bring in an AI that listens to voice commands while wearing the device without draining the device’s battery. Experts say Google might need a newer chipset for this to happen because this feature is not yet included in Snapdragon Wear 3100 so to speak. Other rumors suggest the Pixel Watch will have a variant that will come in 1GB of RAM.
Google Assistant
There is no smart in smartwatches if not because of Artificial Intelligence assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Bixby. Experts speculate Pixel Watch will come with a smarter Google Assistant; so smart it will have the ability to suggest a restaurant based on your previous dining experiences. The Google Pixel Watch could just be the device to house this development that has the ability to pattern out your normal routine.
Google Fit / Google Coach
One feature that draws people to get a smartwatch is a smartwatch’s ability to accurately track one’s fitness patterns. After all, fitness is one thing we have all become so particular about these days. And with this thesis, rumors of Google Coach replacing Google Fit hit tech blogs — a development, experts say, will tip the scale for those who want to work out better.
Google Coach has first been coined when rumors of the Pixel Watch release date hit the airwaves. But, as we all know by now, both are still missing-in-action. Nonetheless, we all can speculate Google plans to launch Google Coach at the same time it will finally release Pixel Watch as leverage. And with its launch comes features like diet and lifestyle trackers.
Google Fi
With Google Pixel 2, 3, and 4 phones already using eSims, it seems inevitable for Pixel Watch to be using it as well to make communications more efficient.
Also read: Google Fi: What Is It and Is It Worth the Money?
In case this is true, this will totally tip the scales in favor of getting a Google smartwatch, especially to the demographic that enjoys international travel too much. This is particularly leveraging considering Apple Watch Series 3, 4, and 5 do not support cellular capabilities. Furthermore, the idea of having a high-end smartwatch that can connect anyone, anywhere, without using a cellphone is very enticing.
Fingerprint Scanner
Google will effectively play the smartwatch catchup and put its flagship watch on the map by integrating an in-display fingerprint scanner. It would be revolutionary considering smartwatches running Wear OS and Apple Watches secures the device through PIN codes, which isn’t necessarily the most encrypted security protocol available.
However, experts speculate the addition of this technology would result in a bulky smartwatch and that isn’t exactly going to sell in terms of aesthetics and will push the price tag to a point where buyers might develop a soft spot for a price-worthy alternative. Still, if Google could find a workaround for these roadblocks, you might not need any convincing to pre-order one ahead of the Pixel Watch release date.
Chic Design
Design is also another point of contention. Why wouldn’t it be? The Apple smartwatch series do combine the looks of professionalism and chic in their bands of releases. It does put increasing pressure on Google’s design department to come up with looks to buzzkill its competition. After all, who would want to wear a watch that will throw your outfit-of-the-day over and earn you being disinvited to every high-end party ever thrown?
Wear OS smartwatches do have a precedent and reputation of not always being pleasing to the eye. Spending money for a watch does come with the hope it will look good on your wrist. So, here’s to the hope that Pixel Watch to have slimmer looks and have options for when you want to go professional or just warm under the sun.
Takeaways
The Pixel Watch release date might seem so near yet so far. And as we wait with wide-eyed optimism and anticipation, the excitement just keeps getting higher and higher. Well, Google might or might not release a flagship smartwatch this year and just focus on developing its flagship mobile phones instead. Nonetheless, it will surely cement its reputation in the tech world if it decides to release its own smartwatch series, one way or the other. Will Google finally put an end to our waiting? Time will only tell.
