Android users rejoice: Google will finally go head-to-head with Apple with the Pixel Watch

Ben Zachariah

At its annual development conference, Google unveiled the upcoming Pixel Watch, which will combine its native Wear operating system with health-tracking features borrowed from Fitbit – a company it acquired in 2019 for US$2.1 billion (AU$3.05bn).

While full details of the Google Pixel Watch will be announced closer to the product’s launch in late 2022, the tech giant has previewed some of what we can expect when it arrives.

Just as the Apple Watch exclusively works with an iPhone, the Google Pixel Watch will only be able to be paired to an Android device – though this means owners have a choice of using a smartphone from Google, Samsung, Motorola, Oppo, or entry-level brands such as Kogan.

However, the Pixel Watch will have a 4G option, meaning it can be used as a stand-alone product without the need to connect it with a phone, provided it has its own mobile plan.

Google says the new GPS-enabled smartwatch won’t replace its line of Fitbit products, but will offer a range of fitness tools including heart-rate monitoring, displayed as a complication on the dial when in analogue mode.

A daily step count is also expected, along with additional features such as sleep tracking.

It’s possible familiar designs and features from the popular Android app Timely will also make their way onto the Pixel Watch.

Google acquired Timely’s Swiss developer Bitspin back in 2014, but the alarm clock/timer/stopwatch app began disappearing from Google Play Stores this time last year, suggesting it could be destined for the wrist.

Unlike the Apple Watch, which uses a rounded rectangular screen with an aluminium case, the Pixel Watch will use a stainless steel case with a round dial, and a crystal which extends around its edges – giving a look reminiscent of the oil-filled automatic Ressence Type 3BBB.

Along with what appears to be a stainless steel crown, the Pixel Watch also provides water resistance up to 50 metres – matching its rival – while an animation from Google shows proprietary bayonet-mount rubber straps.

A gold finish on the crown and case has also been shown, with a wider range of strap materials and colours expected to be in development.

Stay tuned for exact pricing and specifications of the Google Pixel Watch, to be announced soon.