Google has officially unveiled its most anticipated next-gen Pixel series smartphones and new Pixel Watch at its Made By Google event. We have three new devices that Google unveiled- Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and Pixel Watch 2. All three latest devices got solid hardware upgrades from brand-new features to the latest in-house processor. Have a look at the detailed features of the Google Pixel Watch 2.
Google’s first-gen Pixel Watch was all about trying and testing- the dated hardware and incomplete features weren’t enough to make it a direct rival to Samsung’s Galaxy watches but things are different with the second iteration of the Google’s Pixel Watch. Google has undergone heavy internal upgrades to make a better competitor for the market that an Android user can look up to as the perfect alternative.
Google has added a lot of features to the Pixel Watch 2 including a new heart rate sensor, skin temperature sensors, personal safety sensors, and stress tracking. Google’s Pixel Watch 2 serves as a direct rival to Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 with more or less the same features. Google is more focused on the health-tracking capabilities with the Fitbit’s excellent fitness tracking.
Design-wise, there aren’t any major changes here, both have very identical designs. The Pixel Watch 2 boasts a Stainless steel build which is 10% lighter than last year’s model and feels lightweight so that you can wear it all day without any hiccups. Featuring the same curved circular 1.32-inch display as the last model which makes it very hard to find a difference between the Pixel Watch 1 and Pixel Watch 2. Google uses a thinner glass coating for the Pixel watch 2 offers great durability and protects from accidental falls and scratches.
Google highly prioritized the health and safety features for the Pixel Watch 2- the addition of a new heart rate sensor, body response sensor, and skin temperature sensor (same as the Pixel 8 Pro, track your stress level accurately at any time) tracks more accurate data and offers detailed insights. As for the Safety features, Google added a new Safety Check tool which basically runs on a timer. Suppose, it takes you 10 min to reach your home but if you didn’t make it home at an estimated time then your Pixel Watch 2 will share a live location with your added emergency contacts. In addition to that, Google also brings back Fall Detection and Emergency SOS safety features for the smartwatch.
Powering the Pixel Watch 2 by Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 chipset coupled with 2GB of dedicated RAM and 32GB of internal storage. With the Fitbit’s excellent fitness tracking, the Pixel Watch 2 tracks your fitness data more accurately than before. The latest addition automatic workout detection- detects your workouts automatically based on the workouts you are performing including running, walking, cycling, and other common workouts. If you are a fitness freak and want more control over the workouts, Google added personalized Heart Rate Zones and pace training. Google also offering a 6-month free Fitbit premium with a successful purchase of Pixel Watch 2.
There’s a significant improvement in battery life compared to last gen’s 1-day battery life. Google claims the Pixel Watch 2 lasts up to 24 hours with always-on display enabled and a bit more when disabled. It takes over 70 minutes to fully charge. Unfortunately, the Pixel Watch 2 doesn’t support wireless charging which is slightly disappointing here. The Pixel Watch 2 boots in-house Wear-OS 4 based on Android 13 out of the box. The watch is armed with Google’s ecosystem means you can access Google’s services like Google Assistant, Gmail, calendar, and more directly from your Pixel Wach 2.
That being said, the Pixel Watch 2 brings omnipotent upgrades over a last-gen model and it was inevitable as Google faced a lot of critiques for the first Google Pixel Watch.
Starting at $349 for the WiFi variant while the Pixel Watch 2 LTE variant will cost you $399. Pre-orders already started and shipping will start from October 12. It comes in four color options- Polished Silver, Matte Black, Champagne Gold, and Polished Porcelain. And there are a bunch of new watch band options Google offers which you have to purchase separately.
