Not too long ago I asked, thanks to all the rumors swirling around regarding the upcoming Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, if you were still waiting for Google's upcoming flagship smartphones, or if you've already made up your mind one way or another if you plan on buying one. Which got me thinking about what else Google is rumored to be announcing this October.
We may see new Pixel Buds wireless headphones, or maybe the company will just talk up the wired variants that are apparently coming in the box with its newest smartphones. Google may also show off a new Daydream View VR headset and controller. Will we see a new Pixelbook piece of hardware? We might!
And we may also get our first Pixel Watch.
The rumor mill itself has been pretty quiet on this front. Unlike the Pixel 3 XL we haven't seen a Google-branded smartphone in just about every single way we can before its announcement, and we don't know anything about what the future hardware may boast. Right now, the general consensus appears to be that Google is definitely working on a smartwatch, or two, but that's about all we can go on right now.
But then you look at the build-up and you have to kind of lean into the idea that Google is working on something. We know that the company is making app quality a priority moving forward for its brand new Wear OS brand (formerly known as Android Wear). We know that Google just launched the brand new Google Fit, which is very similar to Apple's own health and fitness efforts, and designed to be used with Wear OS smartwatches. And, most recently, Google announced a brand new, major makeover for the UI with Wear OS, giving the whole platform a proper refresh.
And let's not forget about Qualcomm! The company is working on a new processor for smartwatches, which has become one of the most important elements that needed to be fixed for Google's smartwatch efforts. With the hardware coming down the pipe, it would make a lot of sense if Google got to show it off in its first smartwatch in October.
There is a general sentiment that the software upgrades, and the focus on app quality, is all well and good, but that the platform as a whole can only really have a chance if the processor under the hood is worthwhile. I definitely agree with that. The Snapdragon Wear 2100 is certainly showing its age these days. But I don't think we can discount the software altogether.
Which is why it's so interesting to me to see Google show off the new UI for Wear OS in August. If the rumors are true then we'll see the Pixel Watch in the beginning of October, and wouldn't it have been the perfect time to show off not only the new hardware, but also the new software changes?
Maybe Google just wants the focus to be on hardware. Or maybe we're not getting a Pixel Watch after all.
Whatever happens, I can honestly say I'm excited to see what Google is working on. The Pixel smartphones have been some of my favorite Android phones in recent memory, and if the company can take that momentum and create an outstanding smartwatch, well, I'll be pretty close to the front of that line to check it out for myself.
What about you? Are you looking forward to the rumored Pixel Watch, or is this a device you're hoping Google doesn't launch this year (or any time soon?). Let me know!
