See Google’s New Pixel Smartwatch
Google unveiled its new New Pixel Smartwatch at the latest showcase event.
This article is more than 2 years old
Great news for tech lovers! At a press event on Thursday, Google unveiled a brand new product line-up. And the star of the show was the Google Pixel Smartwatch.
By now, you are likely familiar with Google Pixel. The phone is available in both standard and Pro styles. It is popular among people looking for an alternative to Samsung or Apple, which dominate the market for mobile devices.
Google has struggled to make inroads in the market and consistently makes up only about 1% of annual global mobile phone sales. That does not deter its loyal customer base, however. So the tech giant ensures consumers have regular updates to their aging devices.
But this year, Google decided to do something a little different. When they unveiled the latest iterations of the Google Pixel, they also announced a brand new product – the Google Pixel Smartwatch. It is the first wearable the company has produced and comes on the heels of its recent acquisition of Fitbit.
Early last year, Google made waves in tech news when it spent $2.1 billion to acquire the leader in smartwatches. Not much has changed since the deal closed. And Google had not really made any moves into the world of wearables, at least not that anyone knew of.
It turns out that Google has been quietly working on the Google Pixel Smartwatch. And that work will likely pay off in dividends. The new watch comes with a lot of fantastic features.
The 41mm watch has a circular, domed display made of Gorilla Glass. It is water and scratch-resistant. Additionally, it boasts a long battery life of up to 24 hours.
The Google Pixel Smartwatch is compatible with most new devices, starting with the Android 8. The company incorporated some of the tracking abilities Fitbit watches are known for. So it offers a slew of workout modes, monitors sleep and heart rate, and learns the user’s behaviors.
Additionally, it connects the wearer to Google services such as Gmail, text, Google Wallet, calendar updates, and even talking. The new watch will feature a new tech called Wear OS. It is an operating system uniquely designed for wearable technology and developed in collaboration with Samsung.
An analyst for CC Insight, Ben Woods, does not believe the Google Pixel Smartwatch will impact the overall market share in the short term. He said, “Pixel Watch poses zero threat to the Apple Watch, but it has an important role to play in raising the awareness of smartwatches for Android smartphone owners. Given the success of the Apple Watch, there has to be a bigger market for smartwatches in the Android segment and together with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch, the new Pixel Watch should be a key driver for growth.”
But with the wealth of features and good looks, it may sway consumers. There will be three finish options for consumers – silver, black, and gold. And there are two price points for the Google Pixel Smartwatch – the standard Bluetooth version comes in at $349, and the 4G LTE version is $399.
Thankfully, you can get a sneak peek at the brand-new smartwatch. Google showed off its sleek design on Twitter to tempt its customer base. And the best news for eager fans is that they don’t have to wait long, as the official release date is October 13.
