Google has officially confirmed the Pixel Watch 2 existence, teasing the wearable with a video and picture on its website.
The watch appears to be fairly identical in style to the original Pixel Watch, and no additional functions have been confirmed.
Here’s all we know about the Google Pixel Watch 2 so far.
When will the Google Pixel Watch 2 be released?
We will see the Pixel Watch 2 announced at the Made By Google event Google has announced for 4 October.
Big fall launches are stressful, but Pixel helps its friend stay cool as a cucumber. #BestPhonesForever
The w8 is almost over. Rest up for #MadeByGoogle on October 4th and sign up for updates: https://t.co/hcAzJ83ajV pic.twitter.com/NWBP2RTdSn
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) August 30, 2023
The new Watch has already been introduced, along with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, which will also be discussed at the event.
Google released a teaser film for the goods it will unveil on October 4th, with text confirming that the Watch 2 would be available for pre-order on that day.
How much will the Google Pixel Watch 2 cost?
Google has not announced any pricing specifics at this time. With the first Pixel Watch only being introduced in October 2022, we don’t expect the price of that wearable to alter much:
- Google Pixel Watch (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) – $349/£339/€379
- Google Pixel Watch (LTE) – $399/£379/€429
What new features will we see in the Google Pixel Watch 2?
As well as the image at the top of this article, Google posted an image of the Pixel Watch 2 on its store:
Aside from that, we don’t yet know the official specifications of the Google Pixel Watch 2, so we’re still depending on the rumors that have surfaced so far to give us an idea of what we could see when the new model comes.
In typical Google tradition, the Pixel Watch 2 has most certainly already been leaked. The business unintentionally shared the photograph below of a man using a Pixel 8 Pro on its own website. However, it may be the new Watch on his wrist, which is thinner than the original and has a less rounded glass display:
Here's a look at the Google Pixel 8 Pro in Porcelain.
This image is from the Google Store website, which inadvertently published this image early in the promo page for "Google Subscriptions & Services".
Thanks to @android_setting for the tip! pic.twitter.com/nARd4Hz8hk
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) August 30, 2023
However, there hasn’t been much else leaked so far, and things are complicated by the fact that Jon Prosser has reported Google is working on two models: a standard Pixel Watch 2 and a separate version for kids, though he admits that the latter may end up being released under the Fitbit brand, possibly as a follow-up to 2021’s Fitbit Ace 3.
We believe there will be only one Pixel Watch 2 model, maybe in a single size, similar to the original.
The chip within the watch is the other big story so far. According to 9to5Google, unidentified sources indicate that the Pixel Watch would be powered by one of the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 CPUs, a departure from the Samsung Exynos chip utilized in the first version. According to a subsequent Android Authority story,it will be the W5 Gen 1.
The most significant impact of the change is expected to be on battery life, with the site stating that Google is now aiming for more than a day’s battery life with the always-on display activated – a significant improvement considering the original generation could only survive 24 hours without the always-on display.
Given that the Pixel Watch 2 is expected to be the first watch to come with Wear OS 4, which Google has already suggested would include battery life improvements and a more colorful user experience based on Material You, the battery might also be enhanced by software upgrades.
Aside than that, there hasn’t been anything going on. So here are some of the features we hope Google improves with the Pixel Watch 2.
Better battery life
If the Google Pixel Watch had a major flaw, it was its battery life. The modest 294mAh cell is a fairly standard size for a smartwatch, but when we tested it, we found irregularities in performance, which meant that longevity ranged from 48 hours to 12 hours, with no discernible difference in how we interacted with the device.
Software improvements will undoubtedly improve on this, but we hope that Google can nail down this critical feature in the new model. As previously said, there are rumors of a new processor in the Pixel Watch 2, and if this is supported by software optimization, the second edition of Google’ wearable might live far longer than the one it replaces.
Support for Qi wireless charging
Although the Pixel Watch comes with its own wireless charger, it does not allow Qi charging, therefore it cannot be used with third-party solutions. This is especially galling when you consider that the Pixel 7 supports reverse wireless charging yet the Pixel Watch does not.
This is something we’d want to see changed with the Pixel, as it seems like a curious error from Google in the first place.
Fitness tracking improvements
While the Watch has a wide selection of fitness monitoring choices, it lacks the auto start, stop, and pause functions seen on other contemporary Fitbits, such as the Fitbit Sense 2. This implies it may skip exercises and fail to deliver the results you’ve achieved through your efforts. Again, this appears to be a matter of software enhancements, which we expect to see done in the Pixel Watch 2.
That’s all we know for now about Google’s forthcoming wristwatch, but we’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.
