It’s no surprise, considering Google confirmed it ahead of the Made by Google launch event, that the Pixel Watch 2 is here. Here’s everything you need to know about Google’s flagship smartwatch.
The Wear OS device comes a year after Google’s much anticipated Pixel Watch and, like many second-gen editions, doesn’t rewrite the rulebook.
Instead, it comes with a slew of small tweaks and upgrades as well as a slight price bump too. This might mean existing Pixel Watch owners are unlikely to upgrade but Google hopes the Pixel Watch 2 will better compete with the likes of the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and other rivals.
The Google Pixel Watch 2 was announced alongside the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro and you can read our full Google Pixel Watch 2 review .
A new Google Pixel Watch 3 is coming, rumoured to arrive in August 2024 alongside Pixel 9 , Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Android 15 ! Keep your eyes out for great Pixel deals in the meantime.
When is the Google Pixel Watch 2 release date?
Now the Pixel Watch 2 has been officially unveiled we can let you know that it will go on sale 12 October .
How much does the Google Pixel Watch 2 cost?
The price of the Pixel Watch 2 has gone up compared to the Pixel Watch at $349/£349 for the Wi-Fi model and /$399/£399 for LTE.
That’s $10/£10 and £20 more than the Pixel Watch respectively but the same pricing in the US.
You can buy the Pixel Watch 2 from Google now .
What new features will we see in the Google Pixel Watch 2?
- Multi-path heart rate sensor
- Body-response sensor
- Skin temperature sensor
- Fitbit stress management
- 100% recycled aluminum housing
- New safety features
- Improved battery life and charging
- Quad-core processor
As you might expect from a second-generation device like this, the Pixel Watch 2 isn’t massively different from the original. That especially makes sense on the design front considering how stunning its predecessor is.
So the Pixel Watch 2 still has the same rounded sleek look as last year and it even comes in the same chassis colours: Polished Silver, Matte Black and Champagne Gold (above). There are some new straps, though, including Bay and Porcelain colours for the silicone band as well as Metal Slim and Active Sport options (below).
However, the build has been refined starting with 100% recycled aluminium for the body (although the small print says this is only 3% of the product going by weight) and thinner domed glass (custom 3D Gorilla Glass 5) for the front. This makes the smartwatch lighter and more comfortable without compromising on durability, according to Google.
Those design changes are barely noticeable to the untrained eye and the hardware upgrades are even harder to spot. They are almost entirely on the underside where most of the sensors reside.
Up first is a multi-path heart rate sensor which is found on some Fitbit devices. This sensor can automatically switch between single and multi-path modes depending on how hard you’re working out for more accurate tracking.
“In workouts, this means multiple LEDs and photodiodes are used to measure the pulse signal from different angles and positions to provide multiple independent estimates of your pulse.” says Google.
Body-response and skin temperature sensors have been added to provide body response tracking. This includes input from cEDA (continuous electrodermal activity – microscopic beads of sweat) as well as heart rate data. Combined this will detect body response moments throughout the day and ask you how you’re feeling followed by intervention suggestions such as guided breathing or going for a walk.
There are new safety features on the Pixel Watch 2 starting with Safety Check. This allows you to set a timer and if you can’t check in when it goes off – perhaps you are out for a walk – the device will notify your emergency contacts with your location.
You can also use Emergency Sharing to allow certain contacts to see your location in real time for a certain period of time or use Medical Info to share your, erm, medical information with emergency services.
Google says the battery life and charging are improved on the Pixel Watch 2. You’ll still get 24 hours of usage, but this time with the display set to always-on and you can supposedly get a full day of charge from 75-minutes on the charger (that’s 5-minutes quicker than its predecessor). You can also get 50% charge in 30-minutes.
The firm isn’t making a huge deal about it but the processor (a Qualcomm SW5100) is now quad-core rather than dual-core so performance should be smoother. There’s once again 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage.
Software tweaks include six new watch face families, improved integration for Calendar and Gmail, Google One data backup, new auto workout options and new health and fitness queries for Google Assistant such as “how was my sleep last night?”.
The Pixel Watch 2 comes with a 6-month trial of Fitbit Premium and 1-month of YouTube Music Premium. You’ll need the former for things like tutored workouts, mindfulness sessions and deeper analysis of your data.
Related reading:
- Best smartwatch
- Best fitness trackers
Author: Chris Martin, Managing Editor, Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor Managing Editor Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been with us for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.
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