After trying its hand at phones, tablets, smart speakers, and more, 2021 may finally be the year that Google dives into smartwatches with the long-rumored Google Pixel Watch. Pixel Watch rumors tend to pop up in some regard almost every single year, but this time around, a new leak has provided a lot of insight into the Pixel Watch's design, features, and even a possible release date.
The current state of smartwatches in 2021 is pretty interesting. Apple continues to dominate with the Apple Watch, and for anyone that has an iPhone, it just makes sense as the smartwatch to buy. For everyone else, the market can be a bit complicated. Fashion brands like Fossil and Skagen continue to release products running Google's Wear OS operating system, but countless software bugs and glitches have held the platform back over the years. Samsung has found solid success with its Galaxy Watch lineup, though it's lacking considerably when it comes to third-party app support. There are also a few Fitbit smartwatches to choose from, and while those are great for fitness-tracking, they leave a lot to be desired when it comes to virtually anything else. The Android space doesn't really have a go-to smartwatch the way iPhone owners do with the Apple Watch, but if this latest Pixel Watch leak is believed, that could be changing.
Apple and Google leaker Jon Prosser from Front Page Tech recently published a video providing a lot of information about the upcoming Pixel Watch — including device renders based on actual images of the watch Prosser claims to have seen from his source. As seen in the images above and below, the Pixel Watch could have a really striking design. There's a round display with hardly any bezel, a physical dial/crown that can likely be used for navigating the UI, and what appears to be a proprietary watch band design. It's sleek, minimalistic, and looks a lot like an Apple Watch with a circular screen.
Google Pixel Watch Features & Release Date
In addition to the impressive aesthetics, the Pixel Watch could also have a lot going on under the hood. Marketing for the wearable apparently touts "unity to software and hardware," possibly suggesting that the Pixel Watch will be powered by Google silicon similar to the upcoming Pixel 6. While the Pixel Watch likely won't have the exact same chipset found in Google's upcoming flagship phone, a Google-made chip of some kind would make sense given the previous Google silicon rumors.
Even more interesting is the Pixel Watch's software. Wear OS hasn't been in the best position for a few years now, but with the upcoming Pixel Watch, Google may finally be giving the platform the updates it so desperately needs. Prosser says that Wear OS will be "getting a facelift" for the Pixel Watch, including things like new watch faces and redesigned UI elements that make information more glanceable. While all that stuff is great, it remains to be seen if Google can improve things like sluggish performance and poor connectivity. Any updates to Wear OS will be greatly appreciated, but if the Pixel Watch is to succeed, the software will need just as much attention as the hardware.
And, of course, there's the release date. Prosser says the Pixel Watch could be released as soon as October 2021, but as with all upcoming hardware, that may be pushed back. Regardless of when the Pixel Watch is finally ready for launch, everything being shown off here looks really impressive. The design is clean, the possibility of Google silicon for the chipset is exciting, and updates to Wear OS is exactly what the platform needs. It remains to be seen how all of these leaks come together in the final product, but assuming they're accurate, the Apple Watch may finally be faced with a worthy adversary.
Source: Front Page Tech