The Pixel Watch, Google’s first smartwatch with a round dial, has officially launched. First unveiled at the Google IO event in May, the latest Pixel Watch smartwatch is Google’s answer to Apple’s popular Apple Watch series, which only works with iPhones. The Pixel Watch can work with other Android smartphones, although it works most effectively with their Pixel phones, as do the Pixel Buds headphones.
According to Google, the new Pixel Watch face is made from 80% recycled stainless steel, which meets the company’s sustainability goals. The dial is available in three colors – black, silver, and gold. Users can upgrade the smartwatch with different color bands.
The price of the Google Pixel Watch is $349 (approximately Rs 28,600) for the Bluetooth variant and $399 (roughly Rs 32,700) for the LTE variant. India-specific pricing details remain unclear. It’s available for pre-order in select countries starting today, October 6.
On the other hand, the price of Apple Watch Series 8 in India starts at Rs 45,900. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 with custom WearOS costs Rs 27,999 in the country.
Google Pixel Watch Specifications
As mentioned earlier, the Google Pixel Watch features a 3D round glass dial with touch support. It runs on WearOS, although Google is also bringing features from Fitbit – a renowned fitness apparel maker it recently acquired. Google says its Pixel Watch offers the best of a fitness tracker and smartwatch with its on-device ML (machine learning) capabilities. Users can also get a daily readiness score on Fitbit Charge 5 and newer smartwatches. The feature is behind a paywall, though customers get a six-month Fitbit premium subscription with the watch for free.
Pixel Watch is also said to offer the most accurate heart rate monitor. Like Apple Watch, it has drop detection.
At the core, there is WearOS which powers several smartwatches from Samsung and Fossil. This means that Google Pixel Watch users can download some third-party apps like Spotify and Strava on the watch itself. Additionally, users can view notifications from Google’s internal apps, such as Maps and Gmail. There is also an option to control Nest devices by the clock. Finally, Google claims a full day of battery life.