This time around, Google is said to be making a Pixel Watch. There have been a lot of rumors about this in the past, but it's finally happening! – according to the report that details exactly how it's happening. Our skepticism stems from our exposure to several Pixel Watch rumors throughout the years, none of which have ever come to fruition.
Regardless, in 2022, the product will be available for purchase and will be manufactured (presumably in the handful of countries where Google sells Pixel phones). Codenamed Rohan, the forthcoming wearable is expected to be unveiled by the end of the year, according to execs.
In order to “showcase the latest version of Google's smartwatch software” to customers and partners, the watch will be running Wear OS 3 – which is presumably hidden under a layer of Samsung's One UI – so that the true wearable design vision of Google remains elusive, even though the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is running the same software.
According to “artistic representations” received by the source of this information and “workers who have seen it,” the Google watch will be circular with no physical bezel. Is it possible to have a screen without any bezels? That's mind-blowing. So we're talking about “artistic representations,” and those have never, ever, ever, ever been exaggeratedly small for marketing purposes, have they? Then, Lenovo?
Although no one expected it, the Pixel Watch would be able to “collect health and fitness information” and development on it has “increased this year,” with Google even allowing non-smartwatch staff members to test it and submit input. In some ways, the fact that one of the feedback sessions took place in November is significant.
There is still no guarantee that Pixel Watch will be sold, but… come on, that makes sense at the very least. Google's wearable strategy thus far has been the most innovative, and Samsung's early access to Wear OS 3 was actually a smart move, so there's that.
The Rohan will not be a Fitbit-compatible gadget. Wear OS watches are yet to be built by Fitbit, despite the fact that Google purchased the wearable tech company last year and the deal was completed in January. Fitbit, on the other hand, hasn't been shut down yet.
However, Fitbit has since been amalgamated with Google's Devices and Services division, which includes the Fitbit group. We haven't seen anything yet from Fitbit's previously mentioned Wear OS integration, but it's possible that it will launch with Rohan.
The Rohan has a heart rate monitor and a step counter, but “in its current configuration” it “requires daily charging”. According to one employee who tested the smartphone, the charging process is slow. There will be no standard bands for the watch since the band business is far too lucrative to give away.
However, a launch could occur as early as the Spring of 2022, but only if the most recent test run is successful. Designed to compete with Apple's Watch, the Rohan appears to be doing quite well on the battery life front if this claim is correct. If the Sense was priced at $299, the Pixel Watch will be at least $349 or more, which means it will be more expensive than any Fitbit.
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