Pixel Watch Price Leak Doesn't Inspire Confidence

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series just launched, and in a week or so, we'll finally get to see Apple's take on a sportier smartwatch with the rumored Apple Watch Pro. These are not the only smartwatches to look out for this year, though. After so many years of rumors and expectations, Google has finally confirmed that it will indeed be launching its very first self-branded smartwatch, and it'll hit shelves this fall. In fact, the company even confirmed the design of the Pixel Watch, which has definitely sparked interest in its unique appearance. Since then, there have been plenty of rumors about Google's smartwatch, painting a mixed picture of hope and disappointment. This latest one, however, is more of the latter, and it might not sound encouraging for Google's first attempt.

The interest and excitement over the Pixel Watch are understandable if you're familiar with the company's history. While it has launched several phones and tablets under its Nexus and Pixel brands, it has yet to launch its own smartwatch. Given its attitude toward Android Wear and, now, Wear OS, some people see it as a sign of a lack of commitment from the wearable platform's creator. With a smartwatch of its own, Google will be practically forced to keep supporting Wear OS with fixes and new features. Even if some of those features will be proprietary and specific to the Pixel Watch, it could still benefit Wear OS and other smartwatch brands as a whole. Of course, this will all depend on the success of the Google smartwatch, which is why it's frustrating to see that it's seemingly being positioned to fail from the start.

The Pixel Watch's design is admittedly unique in the sense that it combines the conventional design of Wear OS smartwatches as well as the aesthetic of the Apple Watch. It has a circular body, unlike Apple's smartwatch, but its nearly domed display and lack of a bezel on top are more reminiscent of the Apple Watch than any other Wear OS brand. It is, in a way, both old and new, a dichotomy that continues inside.

On the one hand, the Pixel Watch has been leaked to have 1.5GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, the highest capacities among any Wear OS smartwatch, including the Galaxy Watch 5, which does have the same RAM but half the storage. Google's wearable, however, will also run an older Exynos 9110 chipset, which raises concerns about performance and battery life. There will be an unnamed co-processor inside, though its actual benefit is equally unknown.

9to5Google now fills in the other missing detail about the Pixel Watch: its price. According to the report, the cellular model will sport a price tag of $399, considerably higher than the equivalent Galaxy Watch 5 at $279. It is the same price as the Wi-Fi-only Apple Watch Series 7, but the latter has a more established reputation. This immediately puts the Pixel Watch at a disadvantage when it comes to pricing, so it will need to have some extra perks to make it worth the cost. The Pixel Watch is expected to launch at the same time as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones this fall.