Google’s Pixel Watch has leaked once more, this time with a view on a wrist. The leak comes from the same Redditor, tagtech414, who claimed to find the Pixel Watch in a bar in an earlier report. In a follow-up post, the user shared photos of the Pixel Watch on an actual wrist, including descriptions of his impressions.
“[The bands are] kind of a pain to attach the first time, but I imagine it would be easier after I know how to properly attach them. They are extremely secure and don’t feel like they will easily release,” tagtech414 wrote, “Most importantly, this is the most comfortable watch I’ve ever worn. It feels much thinner than the measurements would lead you to believe. Compared to my Galaxy Watch this feels like it’s not even there.”
With real photos out there, there’s a strong possibility the Pixel Watch is releasing soon. Confirming that, Google has just recently gotten Bluetooth certification for the Pixel Watch with the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), crossing that crucial hurdle.
No matter how good the Pixel Watch is, Samsung and Apple remain a challenge to overcome. Both companies have leveraged synergy with their existing ecosystems, broad consumer mindshare, and carrier incentives to stand out from the pack. At the same time, Google’s acquisition of Fitbit allows it access to some of those same tools. For instance, where Fitbits were once bundled in as part of carrier deals, perhaps the Pixel Watch may be as well.
“Google needs a robust smartwatch ecosystem for Android that isn’t tied to Samsung. A successful Pixel Watch would be unlikely to make much of a dent on Apple Watch sales in the short term and would likely cannibalize Fitbit sales. It’s worth doing anyway: Apple Watch serves as a sticky part of the iOS ecosystem that Google needs an answer for,” Avi Greengart at Techsponential told Digital Trends via email.
The company may also find itself poised to pick up buyers from Pixel 6 owners who may want a smartwatch to complement their phone. The Pixel 6 has been hailed by CEO Sundar Pichai as the “fastest-selling Pixel yet”, with it managing to carve out a space in the U.S. premium smartphone market. Pichai also promised a peek at new Google hardware coming during I/O next month, adding credence to reports of a Pixel Watch and Pixel 6a launch.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.