If the rumours are true, these will be the first wearable Android devices made by Google
For a long time, Google left the smart tech to the big players; it developed Android but didn’t make its own phones, leaving the manufacture of the Nexus and Pixel lines to HTC, LG and Huawei. The next step was purchasing HTC’s mobile division, through whom Google will likely continue to produce its Pixel phone range.
And now it looks like Google will be doing the same with an as-yet-unannounced Pixel Watch. After allowing Android-wear giants Samsung, LG, and Motorola (among others) to dominate the smartwatch market, Google now appears to be developing its own smartwatches to be released under the Pixel brand name.
This news comes courtesy of serial tech news leaker Evan Blass. Blass’ tips have proved incredibly accurate time and time again, so we can take his word for it when he says that, alongside the announcement of the Google Pixel 3, Google will also reveal a brand-new Pixel watch, likely in October.
And if this isn’t news enough, German technology website Winfuture.de has reported that there will be not one, not two, but three Google Pixel watches released at the same time. They claim to have found three codenames for the Google watches currently in production: Ling, Triton and Sardine. These names tell us next to nothing, but if Winfuture is right, each Pixel Watch will be packing a brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 processor – one that focuses on battery life improvements, allowing the watch to constantly listen out for voice commands without draining the battery.
Hold onto your horses, though: it’s possible that not all three will see the light of day. In the buildup to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL releases, there were also three codenamed devices in production, yet only two came out.
Google Pixel Watch: What you need to know
Google Pixel Watch release date: When will it come out in the UK?
While we don’t know for sure, we can make an educated guess: October or November 2018. Assuming that the Pixel watches are announced at the same time as the Google Pixel 3 smartphone – which will be at the company’s annual autumn hardware event in October – then we can expect them within a couple of months. That’s based largely on Google’s track record of releasing products – including previous Pixel phones – following their announcement.
A report from This is Tech Today’s Brandon Lee in recent days has seemingly confirmed this October release date. According to the report, Google posted a call on its influencer marketing platform Famebit. In the posting, in which Google asks for content creators in Canada who are willing to switch to the Pixel 3 smartphone and document the process for their audience. At the bottom of posting there’s a 4 October 2018 reveal date listed.
So with Blass – and his excellent track record of accuracy – saying that the Pixel 3 smartphone will be accompanied by a Google smartwatch, we can assume the same reveal date for the Pixel Watch.
Google Pixel Watch: How much will it cost?
If the Pixel smartphone line is anything to go by, the Pixel Watch will most likely be positioned at the upper end of the smartwatch market. Google doesn’t tend to make budget versions to accompany their flagship devices, and Google’s Rick Osterloh has spoken out to say that there will be “no cheap” Pixel phone in the future. It’s safe to assume the Pixel smartwatches will not be cheap either.
If we look at the current market-leading Android-wear devices, such as the Fitbit Ionic, the Samsung Gear S3 or the Huawei Watch 2, it’d be reasonable to suppose that the Google Pixel smartwatches will cost around £300 and up.
Google Pixel Watch design: What will they look like?
More than anything, this is the area about which we know least. But looking at the designs of other Google-made devices, like the Pixel 2 and the Pixel Buds, we’re expecting a stylish and minimalist smartwatch which prizes functionality over frills. The Google Pixel Watch may be the Android Wear equivalent of the Apple Watch that we’ve been waiting for – an exciting prospect indeed!
Google Pixel Watch features: What will they do?
Besides telling the time, Google Assistant will take centre stage. You’ll be able to issue all manner of voice commands, dictate messages and ask all the questions you’d usually direct towards your nearest voice assistant
Winfuture say that some variants will have heart rate sensors, a stress tracker, and other health features such as sleep logging, while a fingerprint scanner and facial recognition are also possible. The website says that GPS, LTE and VoLTE will also be supported.
Source: expertreviews.co.uk