Google Pixel Watch delayed as Google focuses on Wear OS

If you were waiting for the upcoming Google hardware event before deciding which smartwatch you should buy, we have some disappointing news to share. Google has confirmed to TomsGuide that the company won’t release their own smartwatch this year. A trio of Google Pixel Watch devices was said to launch in October along with the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL, but it seems those plans have been put on hold. On the upside, Google told TomsGuide that they will focus on improving the Wear OS ecosystem.

No Google Pixel Watch in 2018

The first credible rumor of a Pixel Watch launching at Google’s fall hardware event came from Evan Blass at VentureBeat. Almost immediately afterward, Roland Quandt from WinFuture reported that there would be three—not one—Google Pixel Watch devices launching this fall. Furthermore, these three Pixel Watch devices were said to be powered by the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 which will likely be unveiled on September 10th. Earlier this year, Qualcomm confirmed that they would be launching a new Snapdragon chipset for wearable devices. We learned more details about this chipset in a separate report from WinFuture, but Qualcomm has yet to confirm any details of this upcoming chipset.

Via: Michael Fisher

In an interview with TomsGuide, Miles Barr, Google’s director of engineering for Wear OS, said that the company wants to focus on supporting their partners. When considering a “one-size-fits all watch,” Miles Barr states that the company isn’t ready for such a device. Now that Google has squashed the rumors of an upcoming Pixel Watch launch, we should expect the first smartwatches with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 to be from makers Fossil, Louis Vuitton, Movado, and TAG Heuer, according to the previous report from WinFuture.

Google Renews Focus on Wear OS

Although Google has no plans to release their own Pixel-branded smartwatch this year, the company’s efforts to provide smartwatch makers with better software will improve the Wear OS ecosystem. Since Android Wear was re-branded as Wear OS, Google has integrated Google Assistant more tightly into their wearable OS. In May, the company rolled out smart responses and audible answers, and just this week the company announced that the Google Feed would be integrated into Wear OS. Furthermore, Google Fit’s new design signals that the company wants fitness-focused wearables to thrive in the market. Thus, even though Google has delayed the Pixel Watch, the Wear OS ecosystem will continue growing with Google driving smartwatch makers to continue innovating.