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.
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And if this isn’t news enough, German technology website Winfuturev 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 processor – one that balances power efficiency with the processing demands of an always-on voice assistant.
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: 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, based on Google’s track record of releasing products following their announcement.
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 watches 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. If it’s to have any chance of competing with Samsung and Fitbit, it will require in-built GPS tracking and optical heart-rate sensors to tackle everything from fitness tracking to sleep logging.