release date, price, technical sheet, all about Google’s connected watch

The Pixel Watch, Google’s first connected watch, is now a reality. Release date, price, technical sheet, design… Here is everything you need to know about the latter.

Google has just released its very first connected watch. Included in the Pixel range, it comes with Wear OS, Google’s operating system. Summary of what there is to know about this product.

What is the Google Pixel Watch release date?

We’ve been talking about the imminent release of a Pixel Watch for years. We thought for a time that the Pixel Watch would be launched in October 2021, along with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. But it has not happened. In April 2022, Google carried out a facelift of its online store, putting its “watches” section forward.

The company finally announced during Google I / O on May 11, 2022 that the watch would be officially presented at the same time as the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro on October 6, 2022. It is now done. It is available today.

A total of 4 colors are available. The Wi-Fi/Bluetooth model is available in a black case with an Obsidian strap, in silver with an anthracite strap and in gold with a hazel strap (hazelnut), in silver with a charcoal strap (charcoal). For its part, the LTE model is available in black with an obsidian bracelet, in silver with an anthracite bracelet and in gold with a hazel bracelet.

At what price is the watch marketed?

The Pixel Watch is available in two versions, Wi-Fi + Bluetooth and LTE. The connected watch is marketed from 379 euros in its Wi-Fi version, and 429 euros in its LTE version. It would therefore be much more expensive than equivalent models from competitors such as the Galaxy Watch 5.

What is the design of the watch envisaged by Google?

Google opted would opt for a design built arounda rounded borderless screen. The edges around the touch screen are very curved. A physical touch similar to the Apple Watch crown would be visible on the right border. Google would accompany the watch case with a silicone strap available in several colors: white, black, blue, orange and blue. Note that the silicone strap is directly in contact with the case of the smartwatch.

This one sports a very curved screen on all sides. We also find a physical crown between two buttons on the side of the watch. On the back of the device, you can see an optical heart rate sensor. Finally, on the dimension side, the Pixel Watch measures approximately 12.7 mm thick and 38.1 mm in diameter.

The watch measures 41mm in diameter and is made up of metal and stainless steel. The back of the watch will use glass around the sensors. Three colors for each version: shiny silver, shiny gold and matte black. In the short trailer published by Google before the presentation, we notice the Gorilla Glass which protects the back of the watch.

What is the spec sheet of the Pixel Watch?

Like Apple, Google is betting on an AMOLED screen. The Pixel Watch embeds an integrated circuit for power management directly in the chipset, the purpose of which is to allow the connected watch to listen constantly thanks to the microphone. It is therefore possible to invoke Google Assistant without having to press a button beforehand while maintaining good autonomy. The name of this feature is “Blackghost”.

The Pixel Watch benefits from the same sensors as the Galaxy Watch 4, including the electrocardiogram (ECG). Inside the watch we find a Samsung Exynos 9110 processor, the same used for the original Galaxy Watch. Even more, this Pixel Watch has 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, which is huge for a connected watch.

In terms of autonomy, the Pixel Watch has a 264 mAh battery, which gives it 24 hours of autonomy according to Google. However, the latest information seems to indicate that the charge would be particularly slow. 9to5Google reports that the watch will take longer than the Galaxy Watch 4, i.e. over 110 minutes, to fully charge.

What software and features are embedded in the connected watch?

With its Pixel Watch, Google aims to promote the qualities of its operating system: Wear OS 3.5 (formerly Android Wear), a version of Android designed for wearables. And of course, that starts with seamless integration with Google’s ecosystem and services. As announced by the company, the Pixel Watch benefits from Google Assistant, with the possibility of displaying on the screen via a voice command information such as the weather, upcoming appointments registered in Google Calendar, reservations , flight status information…

In addition, users can use a companion app to make different adjustments to their Pixel Watch. On November 15, 2022, Google rolled out the first update to the Pixel Watch app. Via this patch, the manufacturer offers better integration of FitBit services, while it has solved several problems, particularly on the e-SIM side.

Another essential feature for a Google connected watch, the possibility of paying contactless by NFC. It’s the fastest and easiest way to make a physical purchase today: no need to take out a bank card or a smartphone, just put your wrist near the reader. Wear OS already manages Google Pay, so it is normal for the Pixel Watch to have such a feature.

The Google Calendar calendar as well as the Google Keep notes will also be available at any time on the watch screen. To find your way, you will no longer need to take out your smartphone every two seconds thanks to Google Maps. You can also monitor the status of your Uber ride without having to take your mobile out of your pocket. On the communication side, Wear OS supports Gmail, Messages and Telephone, with the display of emails, SMS or calls that you receive, but also the possibility of answering them thanks to voice input from the smartwatch equipped with a microphone. Note that Google is currently working to complete the functionality of Gmail on Wear OS. As of December 1, 2022, these are limited to simple notification of the arrival of emails.

Thanks to the March 2023 software update, the Pixel Watch received some additional features such as fall detection, a tool offered since 2018 by Apple Watches.

The Pixel Watch will obviously not be able to ignore the functionalities related to sport or activity monitoring: step counter, heart rate measurement, number of calories burned, distance traveled, travel time… All your results will be able to be displayed via Google Fit but also via third-party applications such as Runastic, Strava or Lifesum.

And finally, the music. Changing songs or adjusting the volume is not very convenient from the smartphone in full physical activity. Not all audio devices (headphones or earphones) have a simple control to perform these actions. Being able to manage Spotify, Play Music or others from your watch is a real comfort.

Another feature related to music and audio functions, the Pixel Watch will be Fast Pair compatible. This technology makes it easy to pair a pair of headphones with a connected device. To do this, all you need to do is pair the headphones for the first time with a product associated with the user’s Google account. From there, any other devices associated with the same account will be able to instantly connect to the same headphones (which will also be associated with the account).

Google has filed a patent documenting a technology for control your connected watch with gestures rather than the touchscreen or Google Assistant. This would be the most convenient way to stay focused on your activity while using the features of your smartwatch. Imagine running and skipping to the next song with only a clenched fist, for example. The possibilities are enormous, especially if the controls are customizable.

Björn Kilburn, director of product management for Wear OS, confirmed that the watch should regularly benefit from new features. Indeed, Google has committed to deploying at least one big update per year for watches running Wear OS. In addition to these major updates, Google also plans quarterly updates “to bring new experiences throughout the year”.