Oh no, Google isn’t going to release Pixel Watch this year. The company confirmed just that bit of news today, suggesting that they will instead help partners push out new watches and the new version of Wear OS.
The sad news arrives via Toms Guide, who was told by Miles Barr, Google’s director of engineering for Wear OS, that they have no plans for a smartwatch in 2018. That differs from a report back in May that led us to believe a Pixel Watch would show up alongside the new Pixel 3 phones in October.
Barr mentioned something about a “one-size-fits-all watch” that he doesn’t think they have dreamed up yet. That may be why they will help partners, rather than release their own wrist hardware. Should they come up with a Pixel Watch, Barr noted that it would have a heavy focus on Google Assistant and AI and machine learning. That’s funny, because that’s sort of exactly what the new Wear OS is focused on.
Will we ever see a Pixel Watch? That’s tough to say. Android Wear and Wear OS have been around for years now, and Google has had ample opportunities to create its own hardware, yet hasn’t. This year seemed like the perfect year, especially knowing that Qualcomm is ready to release a new Snapdragon Wear processor in early September that could really change the Wear OS ecosystem. Maybe Google just wasn’t ready for it.
Insert your sadface in the comments.
This post was last modified on August 31, 2018 2:19 pm