Speculation about a Google smartwatch that could potentially rival Samsung and Apple has swirled around social media and industry outlets for years. Now, it is finally a reality, with the wearable device officially unveiled during Google IO 2022.
It has been a long time coming. Chatter about Google’s venture into the wearable space – which is dominated by the Apple Watch – has existed for years, becoming heightened following the 2019 announcement that it was buying Fitbit.
Until now, rumours never turned out to be true, but hype once again gained traction in the lead-up to this year’s IO after signs suggested a reveal was coming. The watch section was made more prominent on Google’s online store and images circulated claiming to show a test kit that was left inside a restaurant in the U.S.
It remains to be seen if the Google Pixel Watch can rival Apple or Samsung devices but it marks another attempt by the company to create its own ecosystem that also includes its Pixel line-up of smartphones and Google Nest smart home tech.
Google Pixel Watch: what we know so far
The Pixel Watch is coming later this autumn and will release alongside the Pixel 7 series of smartphones. It will be running WearOS software and will have Android apps including Maps and the new Google Wallet for payments and a home app can be connected to smart home tech for alerts.
There will also be “deep integration” with Fitbit for health and sleep tracking metrics, Google confirmed in the keynote, also teasing a new Pixel tablet for 2023.
There was no official confirmation on UK pricing but stick with RadioTimes.com for the latest updates.
Smartwatches have become popular in recent years, especially as they can be paired with the best smartphones, and our team of experts have reviewed models from loads of top brands including Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, Huawei and more.
In our best smartwatch guide for 2022, we rated the Apple Watch Series 7 as the best overall device, while noting the Samsung Galaxy Watch3 was a top Android wearable. It remains to be seen if the Pixel Watch will be able to earn a place on that list, but we are looking forward to finding out how it can compare to the industry leaders.
Read more smartwatch reviews:
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 review
- Huawei Watch 3 review
- Huawei Watch Fit Elegant review
- Xiaomi Mi Watch review
- Apple Watch Series 6 review
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