Google's Pixel Watch in under 2 minutes

Google’s Pixel Watch has been in the works for years, and Google’s been quite happy to drop hints about what it’s been cooking up. Today, however, is the first time that Google has really lifted the lid on its new flagship wearable, and the first time we can see if it can make up for so many false starts in the watch race.

The Pixel Watch comes in a single size, with a 41mm case with a domed, scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 5 crystal. At first blush, the watch looks comically overinflated, but the benefit is to hide the bezel when you’re looking at it from your wrist. The screen is a 320ppi, always-on AMOLED display with a max brightness of 1,000 nits. It’s powered by a 294mAh battery that Google says will last 24 hours on a charge, but can re-juice up to 50 percent after 30 minutes on its magnetic charging plate.

There are two versions: WiFi/Bluetooth, or one with its own LTE modem, which costs just $50 more. Both pack an Exynos 9110 SoC, originally released in 2018 and found in Samsung’s Galaxy Watch through to the Watch 3, paired with a Cortex M33 co-processor, 32GB storage and 2GB of RAM. Both versions run Wear OS 3.5.

Fitbit-branded fitness features include activity, heart-rate and sleep tracking, although Google has said its own machine learning know-how has improved accuracy here. One of the more notable features is life heart rate, which will measure your vitals by the second. There’s also a built-in ECG, and integrations with Fitbit Premium both for additional insights and guided workouts.

Would-be Pixel Watch buyers can also count on getting the usual six-month free trial of Fitbit Premium, as well as three months of YouTube Music Premium thrown in. That will let you store plenty of tunes on your wrist to go alongside the app integrations, including Adidas Running, MyFitnessPal and Strava, as well as Spotify and Calm.

Aside from the Gorilla Glass crystal, the only other durability promise is that it's water resistant up (or down) to depths of 5ATM. Google also says that by 2023, the Watch will be able to detect falls and, should you have the LTE version and prove unresponsive, will call the emergency services on your behalf.

The Google Pixel Watch is available in Matte Black, Polished Silver and Champagne Gold stainless steel colors. They are complemented by a variety of watch bands, which attach not with lugs, but with a camera lens-esque internal locking system that should make switching faster. The watches will ship with an “Active” fluoroelastomer band, but Google says that there will be 20 available choices coming in future. These include modern, woven and leather-styles, with metal bands due to land in Spring 2023.

It is available to pre-order right now, with the WiFi/Bluetooth model is priced at $350, while the LTE model will set you back $400, with both expected to begin shipping on October 13th.

Read our full story on Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-watch-2022-announcement-141418770.html

And check out our hands-on with the new watch: https://www.engadget.com/pixel-watch-hands-on-wear-os-fitbit-152556235.html

If you buy something through one of our links, Engadget may earn a commission.

You can preorder the Google Pixel Watch here: https://store.google.com/us/product/google_pixel_watch?hl=en-US

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