Fitbit smartwatches are updated on a two-year cycle, while wearables from Samsung and Apple see annual refreshes. 9to5Google can now report that the Google Pixel Watch 2 is coming later this year with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
According to a source, the Pixel Watch 2 — which may not be the final name but would match the naming scheme for phones — is currently scheduled to launch alongside the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Google historically announces and then releases its flagship phones in October.
Some may think this is a fast turnaround, but keep in mind that the original Pixel Watch had been in development for several years. It won’t really be a one-year-old product by the time a next-generation model is announced. For example, it had only 1GB of RAM at one point and significantly less storage.
The Pixel Watch was teased at I/O 2022 after a prototype was left at a restaurant in April and heavily photographed. What Google showed off on stage last May ended up looking much better than the leaked images.
After several months of usage, the Pixel Watch has fared quite well with good performance and a battery that lasts a full day — but nothing more — for most users. That said, the upgrades for Google are beyond obvious.
What could Pixel Watch 2 improve?
As we exclusively reported last year, the Pixel Watch is built on the Samsung Exynos 9110, which is the same chip as the 2018 Galaxy Watch. It uses a 10nm process (Cortex-A53 cores) compared to the 5nm Exynos W920 (Corex-A55) on the Galaxy Watch 4/5. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 is 4nm and should power the next wave of Wear OS devices.
Top comment by Stodgy Khunnter
This every year release thing is getting out of hand. Why not every 2 years at least so as to dedicate more time focusing on hardware performance and user experience? It's as if the software updates are bundled with the hardware for at least the first 3 months then nothing much afterwards.
A new chip should lead to various efficiency gains that will hopefully extend battery life. It’s unclear whether Google is aiming for more than a full day of usage, but a new chip, at the very least, ensures longer usage for heavy users. On the software front, we’re expecting Material You to come to Wear OS and introduce Dynamic Color, with Android 13 likely serving as the next base.
On the fitness front, Google focused on per-second heart rate tracking on the first Pixel Watch. Over six months later, it has yet to enable overnight skin temperature and oxygen saturation (SpO2) stats in the Health Metrics dashboard. In terms of the sensors that could be added, the Fitbit Sense 2 is the most advanced of Google’s wearables, with a built-in skin temperature sensor instead of using existing ones and algorithms, as well as a continuous Electrodermal Sensor (cEDA) for stress tracking.
On the design front, it’s unlikely that Google is moving away from dome-shaped design just yet. However, the bezels could definitely be thinner. Meanwhile, the band connector is also likely remaining so that first-gen Pixel Watch owners can reuse their straps.
For Google, the Pixel Watch 2 launching alongside the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro makes for a solid portfolio that can be repeated annually.
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