The Pixel Watch has been officially launched, after its brief appearance on the scene at the Google I/O conference last May, and continues to generate mixed feelings. Prior to its officialization, much expectation was generated for being the first Mountain View smartwatch, but the arsenal of leaks that we have seen in recent months has generated a lot of misgivings about how capable the device will be compared to the competition.
In terms of design, there are no major surprises. The Pixel Watch will be available in three finishes —black, gray and gold— and will include a 20-millimeter strap as a default option. However, users will be able to choose from a selection of different materials and colors for customization. Even metal straps for this watch are expected to be released in the winter. An interesting fact is that the fixing of the straps is done internally, with a mechanism in which the smartwatch case must be slightly rotated so that it makes a click.
The 1.4-inch screen of the Pixel Watch is one of the points that has generated the most controversy prior to the event. The promotional images that were leaked in recent days revealed such prominent bezels that they took away space that could have been used for the panel. The diameter of the sphere is 41 millimetersbut the region used by the screen is much smaller.
As for the rest of the technical specifications, the Pixel Watch has more than 2 GB of RAM, up to 32 GB of storage, and a Samsung Exynos 9110 processor. The aforementioned chip has also been the subject of controversy, as it is a piece of hardware launched in 2018. The battery, meanwhile, is 294 mAh, and promises to last all day. And when it comes to connectivity, it includes Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, WiFi and LTE.
The Pixel Watch promises to compensate with the software
If the Pixel Watch’s hardware isn’t too compelling, Google promises to make up for the experience with the software. As expected, the smartwatch uses an “improved version” of Wear OS 3.5 that integrates several of the most important services of the Mountain View firm. Among them: the Google Assistant, Google Home, Maps and Wallet. This means that the watch can be used to make payments and receive directions, among other features.
Although the smartwatch also boasts the long-awaited integration with FitBit to record and monitor health and physical activity data. According to what Californians showed, the Pixel Watch allows you to monitor heart rate and sleep in real time. Plus, it’s compatible with FitBit’s Active Zone Minutes feature.
On the other hand, Google will allow you to customize the Pixel Watch with a wide selection of watch faces, and will offer support for Fast Pair. The latter will make it much easier to pair the watch with the Pixel Buds headphones or any Android mobile, although in the latter case it will be necessary to download a specific app.
Price and availability
The Pixel Watch will go on sale in Europe in two models: with and without cellular connectivity. The version without access to mobile networks will cost €379while the LTE variant will start from the €429. The bad news is that, unlike the new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, Google’s first smartwatch will not be sold in Spain.
Pixel Watch reservations start today, while deliveries will be from October 13. It will be available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland – where only the version without LTE will be sold -, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Australia.