So far, Google has never made its own smart watch. Although the company has played a role in this field since at least 2014 and announced the launch of Android wear, it has never come to the step of manufacturing its own products. Given that the market has been very hot for so long in the past, Google's "reserve" is really confusing.
But all this will change at the company's annual hardware event this fall. In addition to the recently announced pixel 7, Google will eventually -- officially -- launch the pixel watch for the first time. The special emphasis on "final" here is because: 1 This thing has been leaking everywhere (including a very credible prototype lost in the bar in recent months); 2. At least one decent shot of this product can be seen on today's I / O.
The latter is a strategy that Google has also adopted for pixel 7 and pixel tablets - it also provides an early look of the improved pixel 6 before the product is released. Although this goes against the standard industry trend of being as tightly blocked as possible before the official release date, it makes sense for a company that wants to significantly change the fate of its hardware.
The truth is, Google doesn't have a good track record in consumer hardware. Last year's pixel 6 was an important step in this direction. This year is the time when Google will finally cash in all its chips. This includes its acquisition of fossil's smart watch technology for $40 million in January 2019 and Fitbit for $2.1 billion last year.
To be exact, it is not that the pixel watch will determine the fate of Google wearable devices, but it will have a great impact. Understandably, the company is doing its best to maintain the hype cycle in the coming months - especially considering that its release time may conflict with the release time of Apple watch series 8.
However, the details are still quite thin, and the product will not debut until the autumn. However, we do now know something about the upcoming smart watch. First, the leaked information seems to be largely confirmed. From a design point of view, this is more or less what you see in renderings and missing devices. With Apple Compared with Fitbit's hardware design, this thing is very round -- it is likely to be adopted after the acquisition of fossil. This seems to include a slight convex curve on the surface of the glass watch.
In addition, like the apple watch, it has a physical crown that may be used to enhance touch screen navigation. The watch frame is made of recycled stainless steel and connected to what appears to be a custom strap. Obviously, the device will run the latest version of wear OS.
Google wrote in its news materials: "The new wear OS experience is designed to feel smooth and easy to navigate. The new system with updated UI and rich notifications is easier to see than ever, so you can stay at home, at work or on the go. In addition, it provides your favorite apps, such as your favorite Google and other apps downloaded on Google play, which are tailored for your wrist."
So far, however, all you've seen is a glimpse of what looks like an extremely simple black-and-white interface. However, a bright color appeared in the assistant demonstration, including weather information. On the other hand, the surface of the watch is in direct black-and-white tone, and many elements are directly from Fitbit.
Rick osterloh, Google's head of hardware, said: "it takes time to integrate a company with all the technology and personnel of Fitbit. This is the first time you've seen it enter the market. We're really excited about this combination. I'm personally a Fitbit user and have been using it for several years, so I'm glad to see it. I think it will be a perfect combination."
In addition, Google added: "through continuous heart rate and sleep tracking to understand your health status, you can see the number of minutes in your activity area when you exercise, and track your statistics and progress according to your personal fitness goals."
Google's acquisition of Fitbit immediately pushed the product to the first place of consumer wearable devices focusing on health. In fact, the company has made some significant progress in hardware and software, including the recently announced Forever online A-fib detection. As for whether this will happen when the product is released, only time can tell us the answer.
"(Fitbit CEO James Park) and his team are promoting the development of this watch," osterloh said. "They have brought a lot of expertise in this field, and we have brought a lot of experience in the smart watch operating system wear OS. This combination has incredible power. It helps to increase Fitbit's ability. It also enables Fitbit to build a very modern smart watch."
The executive added that Fitbit devices would continue to be developed under the brand and - as promised at the time of the acquisition - health information would be isolated on Fitbit's side.
Of course, the device uses the standard Google software suite, including assistant, map and wallet. They can be connected via optional LTE, which means they can be used without smartphones. In addition, the product will also be designed to better cooperate with the upcoming official release of pixel 7. Interestingly -- but perhaps not surprisingly -- it's not compatible with IOS devices.
Considering that the pixel watch has a beautiful hardware and rich resources from Fitbit and Google software team, I hope Google can bring more surprises. But all these must be combined in an extremely eye-catching way to shine in the mature smart watch market. As for the cost, osterloh said that the pixel watch will adopt "high-end pricing", which makes people believe that it will be more expensive than Fitbit's $200. For consumers, it may be the best choice between this price and the $350 of the new Galaxy watch.