Google is working on a Pixel Watch under the codename Rohan, and will release it in 2022 according to a new report.
Business Insider sources say Google is finally taking a bigger hand in ensuring WearOS 3.0 has a shot at tackling the Apple Watch‘s dominance with homegrown hardware, with a rounded watch face.
The Pixel Watch has been rumoured for literally years, ever since the company began marketing smartphones under that name.
This year the rumours were particularly rampant, we even got some supposed CAD-based renders of the product, but nothing materialised when Google released the Pixel 6 range.
The new report says the hardware project is being handled outside of its Fitbit sub brand, which Google splashed a couple of billion dollars on last year. However, there will be Fitbit integration within WatchOS 3.0, according to the report.
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A ‘Pixel Watch’ could showcase the best of the WearOS 3.0 software, which was built in collaboration with Fitbit and Samsung.
So far the only real exponent for the long-overdue OS revamp is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 range, but a pure Google smartwatch would likely be the best chance at directly countering the dominant Apple Watch. The report says it’s likely to be priced higher than current Fitbit watches like the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa and act as a direct competitor to Apple.
Any Pixel Watch is likely to include a host of health and fitness focused features, alongside the usual array of connected smartphone features and access to the Google Assistant. Business Insider’s report suggests ‘Rohan’ – a reference to the nation in The Lord of The Rings – represents a renewal of Google’s wearable ambitions and says it will go toe-to-toe with the Apple Watch.
When Google will launch the Pixel Watch remains to be seen. The company typically has a couple of Pixel release windows; a summer launch for the ‘a’ series phones, and an October release for the flagship phones.
Would you buy a Pixel Watch if Google eventually pulls the trigger? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
