The smartwatch market has a new entry and it’s been a long-rumored, and long-confirmed one. Google’s Pixel Watch is officially official, starts at $349, and boasts a circular design with the latest version of Wear OS by Google. It is the first smartwatch made by Google (GOOGL) as well.
And ahead we’re breaking down everything you need to know about the Pixel Watch, including preorders and everything it can do.
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How to Preorder the Google Pixel Watch
If you’re already sold on the Pixel Watch -- maybe even eagerly awaiting since Google teased the smartwatch back in June -- you don’t have to wait long. Preorders for the Pixel Watch, with or without cellular and in all colors, are open now. Deliveries for Google’s first smartwatch will begin on Oct. 13.
And remember, the Pixel Watch only works with Android phones, specifically those running Android 8.0 or newer. iPhone owners will need to opt for an Apple Watch.
- Pixel Watch, Bluetooth ($349.99 at Amazon and BestBuy)
- Pixel Watch, Cellular ($399.99 at Amazon and BestBuy)
A Circular Design in Three Shades
As Google’s teases have suggested, the Pixel Watch is a circular smartwatch. It comes in one size, a 40.8mm case and only comes in stainless steel. You can pick from a Polished Silver Stainless, Matte Black Stainless, or a Champagne Gold Stainless in terms of colors.
Google seems to be going after a luxurious on-wrist feel with stainless steel and a custom-developed 3D glass. The rear of the watch is curved a bit to comfortably sit on the wrist naturally. And this should let the sensor stack get clear measurements. The display on the front is covered with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass and from images does appear to have a thick bezel. But hey, at least it’s not the flat tire design of the Moto 360 smartwatch. Like the Apple Watch with a Digital Crown, there’s an “active crown” on the right hand side. Along with touch, it will be a main form of input and control for Google’s smartwatch.
And regardless of color, you’ll be able to attach Pixel Watch bands in a manner that is similar to how you attach a lens to a DSLR camera — here though that attachment bar will be inside the housing on the top and bottom of the watch. The Pixel Watch carries a 5 ATM water resistance rating as well.
Like the Apple Watch or a Galaxy Watch, you’ll also charge the Pixel Watch from the rear with a wireless charging puck. The Pixel Watch will come with one in the box and Google is saying that you can expect up to 24 hours of battery life from the watch. You should be able to place the Pixel Watch on the charger for 30 minutes to get 50% battery as well or 45 minutes for about nine hours of use.
Wear OS Software with Some Fitbit Features
Google and Fitbit have been merging closer together since the search giant acquired the fitness tracker maker a few years ago. And Google dubs the Pixel Watch as the “best of Google and Fitbit together” in the same device. And that starts with health features.
The rear of the Pixel Watch features a sensor stack including an optical heart rate and blood oxygen sensor. With gyroscopes and other motions sensors baked in, you’ll be able to track more core health stats within the Fitbit app. Things like steps taken, overall activity, and the ability to track over 40 workout types. The Pixel Watch can also track sleep with the ability to even breakout sleep stages like light, deep, and REM.
Google also says that it’s offering Fitbits most advanced heart rate tracking ever on the Pixel Watch. This is thanks to the physical sensors, software optimizations, and a machine learning algorithm. We’ll of course be putting this to the test and see how the measurements compare to other leading wearables. You’ll get six months of Fitbit Premium with the purchase of a Pixel Watch as well.
The 40.8millimeter display here is always-on, meaning that you can always glance at it to see your watch face, a notification or the time without raising your wrist. From a technical perspective, it’s an AMOLED display that is capable of reaching 1,000 nits of brightness. This display will showcase watch faces, apps on your wrist, and all of Wear OS by Google. Including taking calls on the go, texting a message back to someone, controlling an aspect of your smart home, and even asking the Google Assistant for something.
The software experience here should be pretty similar to that of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 with some Google changes. With a Pixel phone -- like the new 7 or 7 Pro -- you’ll be able to control the camera shutter from your wrist, get a full navigation experience with Google Maps, and swipe through YouTube Music for playback. And if an application on your phone has a Wear OS counterpart, it can automatically install it on your wrist as well. The Pixel Watch comes with 32GB of onboard storage.
Google will also offer a Pixel Watch with Cellular, starting at $399, for a fully on the go experience with a 4G LTE connection. Powering either model of the Pixel Watch is a custom system-on-a-chip that should deliver a smooth experience and it’s paired with 2GB of RAM.
Let’s Recap the Pixel Watch
And that about sums up the Pixel Watch -- it’s a lot of what we expected, along with a few surprises. For the $349 starting price, it’s a good amount of value but not without a tremendous amount of competition in the space. It’s also lacking some more advanced health features that other Fitbit trackers and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line delivers. It is a very Google experience throughout and one that should work seamlessly with Pixel phones and other Android smartphones.
Google’s Pixel Watch is up for preorder now starting at $349 for Bluetooth and for $399 with Cellular. Both models will begin shipping on Oct. 13. And we’ll be back soon with a full review on the Pixel Watch as well as how it compares to other leading smartwatches.
- Pixel Watch, Bluetooth ($349.99 at Amazon and BestBuy)
- Pixel Watch, Cellular ($399.99 at Amazon and BestBuy)
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.
