Google is releasing, under the Pixel brand, its “first full-featured premium smartwatch.” The point of interest for the sports industry is the watch’s “deep integration with Fitbit,” with “on-device machine learning and deep optimization down to the processor level.” In short, Google has combined a wrist-worn, internet-connected computer with an array of sensors for the Fitbit app to exploit.
The Fitbit connection has been “redesigned” to have 40 exercise modes. The Fitbit app provides a Health Metrics Dashboard to track vital signs. The ECG app, for instance, can measure heart rate once per second and detect signs of atrial fibrillation, while GPS and Active Zone Minutes can track workouts, steps taken and distance covered. A Fitbit Premium subscription provides features such as the Daily Readiness Score, about 1,000 workouts and about 400 “mindfulness sessions.” Current Fitbit users can transfer their data from other devices.
Other available fitness apps include Adidas Running, Calm, Spotify, MyFitnessPal and Strava.
Aesthetically the watch has a domed crystal, a stainless-steel case, 19 customizable watch faces, an option to display a photo on the dial (a tiny desktop, as it were), 20 band styles to choose from and a clasp that takes inspiration from “how a camera lens attaches to a camera body.” The watch is water resistant to 50 meters, has 32GB of storage and has a side button above the crown that opens the most recently used apps.
The Wear OS operating system offers Google Assistant, the Google Home app (for control of “smart” household devices, among them the Nest doorbell), Google Wallet and Google Maps. The 4G LTE version allows phone-free streaming (Google Fi subscribers can set this up without additional line fees on most plans). It will also pair the watch with other Pixel devices.
The Google Pixel will be available at first in nine countries – the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, France, Japan, Australia and Taiwan – and cost $349 (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi) or $399 (4G LTE).
