Google Pixel Watch

Pixel Watch will have USB-C charging cable and shares same manufacturer as Apple Watch

Abner Li | May 23 2022 - 7:06 am PT

Ahead of availability this fall, Google is turning to Taiwan’s Compal Electronics to manufacture the Pixel Watch, while we also learned today that it will have a USB-C charger.

This is according to a trio of FCC listings that appeared on Wednesday, May 11. Like Apple has historically done, Google timed the Pixel Watch’s regulatory appearance with its on-stage unveil at I/O 2022.

The model numbers coincide with Bluetooth certification from April. We learn that the GQF4C only has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, while GBZ4S and GWT9R add support for LTE. The following LTE bands are listed for the Pixel Watch, with the latter model most likely for the US:

GBZ4S

LTE Band 5
LTE Band 7
LTE Band 26

GWT9R

LTE Band 2
LTE Band 4
LTE Band 5
LTE Band 12
LTE Band 13
LTE Band 17
LTE Band 25
LTE Band 26
LTE Band 66
LTE Band 71

The FCC ID will not be physically on the Pixel Watch, but rather appear as an e-label that’s accessible via Settings > System > Regulatory Information.

Meanwhile, according to a fourth FCC ID (G943M) from the same day, Compal should also be the manufacturer of the Pixel Watch charging cable. It should be a pretty straightforward magnetic puck, but we learned today that the other end of the Pixel Watch charger will be USB-C. In comparison, the Fitbit Sense and Versa 3, as well as Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4, still use USB-A. You’ll presumably be able to charge the watch with Battery Share on Pixel 5 and later, but plugging in the cable directly into a phone (or power brick) will also be a possibility this way.

Compal Electronics is one manufacturer of the Apple Watch, alongside Quanta Computer. According to reports, Compal started making Apple’s wearable with the Series 1/2 in 2017 and has continued since then. As such, it should have experience with more compact form factors that will hopefully translate into build quality.