As expected, Google unveiled the Pixel Watch 2 at its October 4th event.
The revamped smartwatch carries forward the design from the first-gen Pixel Watch but with several mostly internal upgrades that should improve the overall experience.
First up, Google says the Pixel Watch 2 sports a new 100 percent recycled aluminum housing for increased comfort. There’s also a new multi-path heart rate sensor that Google says is 40 percent more accurate than before. Other sensor upgrades include a continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor for stress tracking. There’s a skin temperature sensor for passive sensing, too.
Other upgrades include a new quad-core CPU with a low-power coprocessor. Combined with Wear OS 4, Google says the Pixel Watch 2 can last 24 hours “out of the box” with always-on display turned on. Naturally, I’ll be testing this in my full review, but battery life improvements would be a significant benefit. Google also highlighted improvements to the Pixel Watch’s charging, with Google stating that 30 minutes of charging will give users 12 hours of battery life.
On the software side, there are a few new additions. Wear OS 4 brings access to Gmail and Google Calendar apps on the Pixel Watch 2, as well as a backup and restore feature, which should make it much easier to switch your watch to another device. Users will also be able to query Google Assistant about their health and fitness data, such as by asking, “How did I sleep last night?” It can also autodetect workouts.
During the event, Google also highlighted that later this year, Call Screen would come to Pixel Watch 2 (but only when it’s connected to a Tensor-equipped Pixel phone).
The Pixel Watch 2 will be available for pre-order starting October 4th and will be on shelves starting October 12th. In Canada, the Wi-Fi Pixel Watch 2 costs $479.99, while the LTE variant costs $549.99. Notably, that’s up from the first-gen Pixel Watch’s $449.99/$529.99 pricing.
The Pixel Watch 2 comes with six months of Fitbit Premium (available for new or lapsed subscribers). The watch comes in three colours, ‘Black,’ ‘Polished Silver’ and ‘Bay.’
Check out our hands-on with the Pixel 8 Pro here, and our hands-on with the Pixel 8 here.
Follow this link for all of our content from Google’s Pixel 8 event.
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