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The Pixel Watch is a Wear OS-based smartwatch designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. First previewed in May 2022 during the Google I/O keynote, it features a round dome-shaped display as well as deep integration with Fitbit, which Google acquired in 2021. Two Pixel-branded smartwatches had been in development at Google by July 2016, but were canceled ahead of their release due to hardware chief Rick Osterloh's concerns that they did not fit well with other Pixel devices. Development on a new Pixel-branded watch began shortly after Google acquired Fitbit.
The Pixel Watch was officially announced on October 6, 2022, at the annual Made by Google event, and was released in the United States on October 13. It was succeeded by the Pixel Watch 2 in 2023, which brought incremental improvements to performance, health tracking, and battery life.
In September 2024, Google introduced the Pixel Watch 3, offering two case sizes - 41 mm and 45 mm, for the first time, smaller display bezels, and higher brightness. Most notably, it introduced Loss-of-Pulse Detection (LoPD), an FDA-cleared feature capable of identifying cardiac arrest in real time and automatically contacting emergency services, setting a new standard for wearable health safety.
Throughout 2025, Google continued improving the Pixel Watch experience via regular software updates. The June 2025 update added features such as Wallet Express Transit support, new watch faces, performance enhancements, and the Android Security Patch for June. A July 2025 update addressed emergency call issues on LTE models in certain regions and introduced new privacy options for Google Wallet, along with pinned Home controls for faster access.
The Pixel Watch 4 is expected to launch at the Made by Google event on August 20, 2025, alongside the Pixel 10 series. Early leaks suggest it will feature thinner bezels, faster charging (50% in 15 minutes), potentially a new Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 or custom RISC‑V chip, and the debut of Wear OS 6 with deeper integration of Google’s Gemini AI technologies. The watch is expected to maintain its premium position with prices starting around $349–$399 for Wi-Fi and $399–$449 for LTE models, and will likely include bundled services such as Fitbit Premium and YouTube Premium trials.
In January 2019, smartwatch manufacturer Fossil Group agreed to sell some of its intellectual property on smartwatch technology to Google for $40 million, as well as transfer a portion of its research and development team over. In November, Google announced that it would acquire smartwatch and fitness tracker maker Fitbit for $2.1 billion, which Osterloh stated would pave the way for Google-developed wearables. The acquisition was completed in January 2021 following a prolonged investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, with Fitbit absorbed into Google's hardware division. Fitbit co-founder James Park was subsequently appointed head of Google's wearables division. During the 2021 Google I/O keynote in May, Google announced Wear OS 3, a version of Wear OS co-developed with Samsung and Fitbit which incorporates elements of the former's Tizen operating system.
At the May 2021 Google I/O keynote, Google introduced Wear OS, a major update co-developed with Samsung and Fitbit that combined Wear OS with elements from Samsung’s Tizen platform.131415 This laid the groundwork for future Google-branded smartwatches, starting with the Pixel Watch series.
Osterloh unveiled a preview of the Pixel Watch on May 11, during the 2022 Google I/O keynote. In an interview with CNET, Park stated that there were no plans to shut down Fitbit, adding that the Google Fit app would co-exist with Fitbit on the Pixel Watch. Google CEO Sundar Pichai was seen wearing a Pixel Watch in September during an interview at the Code 2022 conference. Google officially announced the Pixel Watch on October 6, alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones, at the annual Made by Google event. It became available for pre-orders on the same day, before being released in nine countries on October 13. When asked why Google waited so long before launching the device, Osterloh cited their acquisition of Fitbit and its expansive health platform as the primary catalyst which convinced Google to greenlight the Pixel Watch, adding that the company was committed to first-party wearables.
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At launch, the Pixel Watch was only compatible with proprietary bands designed by Google, though the company stated that it planned to partner with third parties to develop additional bands in the future. By default, each Pixel Watch comes with a proprietary Active Band, with several other proprietary band options available at an added cost. Counterpoint Research calculated that the LTE version of the Pixel Watch cost an estimated to manufacture.
Since launch, the original Pixel Watch has received multiple Wear OS updates, including the rollout of Wear OS 5.1 based on Android 15 in mid-2025. These updates introduced features like new watch faces, Express Transit payments, improved step tracking, enhanced stability, and configurable smart home controls. As of June 2025, Pixel Watch Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 3 all run Wear OS 5.1, with updates arriving on both Wi-Fi and LTE variants, except for limited regional delays.
The Pixel Watch line-up has since expanded. The Pixel Watch 2, released in October 2023, retained the 41 mm size and introduced a larger 306 mAh battery and a skin temperature sensor. The Pixel Watch 3, launched in August 2024, brought a new 45 mm model with a 420 mAh battery and enhanced display brightness up to 2,000 nits. It also featured upgraded emergency functionality, including automatic emergency calling triggered by loss of pulse detection.
In 2025, Google is preparing to launch the Pixel Watch 4, expected at its Made by Google event in late August. Leaks suggest the new generation will offer two sizes again: 41 mm and 45 mm, with respective battery capacities of approximately 327 mAh and 459 mAh. The Watch 4 is rumoured to support a redesigned wireless charging interface that eliminates pogo pins in favour of a side-contact system, possibly enabling faster charging and compatibility with reverse wireless charging. Display brightness is expected to reach up to 3,000 nits, with narrower bezels contributing to a sleeker aesthetic. Internally, the Watch 4 may retain the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip with an enhanced Coprocessor supporting AI tasks, particularly through deeper Gemini Assistant integration within Wear OS. Other notable features expected include respiratory emergency detection, satellite-based SOS messaging, and improved health monitoring via SpO₂ and heart rate sensors.
Despite hardware changes in newer generations, Google has maintained band compatibility across models and introduced more repairable designs with each iteration. The Pixel Watch series continues to evolve, combining minimal aesthetics with Google’s ecosystem integrations and increasingly advanced health, safety, and AI-powered features.
In September 2024, the Pixel Watch 3 was introduced, debuting an advanced safety feature called Loss-of-Pulse Detection, which automatically contacts emergency services if no pulse is detected and the user is unresponsive. This feature, approved by the FDA, remains exclusive to the third-generation model. In March 2025, Google expanded health and wellness tools with the introduction of Auto-Bedtime Mode, initially launched on the Pixel Watch 3 and later rolled out to older models like the Pixel Watch 2. This mode intelligently detects when the user is asleep, silences notifications, saves battery, and restores previous settings upon waking.
By April 2025, all three Pixel Watch generations, including the original, were updated to Wear OS 5.1, based on Android 15. This update introduced new features such as an on-device password manager, support for playing audio directly through the watch speaker, and significant improvements to activity tracking accuracy, including a fix for previously reported step-counting issues.
Google has announced that Wear OS 6 will still support the 1st gen Pixel Watch.
The Pixel Watch was positively received upon its launch. Lisa Eadicicco of CNET and Cherlynn Low of Engadget lauded its design and health features, with Eadicicco likening it to "a hybrid of Fitbit and the Apple Watch", but both criticized the battery life. Song called the Pixel Watch "good-but-not-yet-great". Wired Julian Chokkattu echoed these sentiments, but argued that its "accuracy, elegance, and comfort" compensated its shortcomings. CNN Underscored reviewer Max Buondonno praised the Pixel Watch's sleek design and the performance of Wear OS 3.5, but felt that the battery life was subpar and the screen was not large enough. Nicole Nguyen of The Wall Street Journal did not find the smartwatch particularly astounding and noted several software bugs, but ultimately deemed it a worthy companion to the Pixel phone.
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