October 2022 – thequintessentialjournal

Google Pixel Watch 2: latest news, rumors and everything we want to see

The original Google Pixel Watch finally gave us the own-brand Google smartwatch we’ve been waiting for, but there was certainly room for improvement – which is why we’re excited about growing rumors for the Google Pixel Watch 2.

That first Pixel Watch only arrived as recently as October last year, so it’s slightly surprising to hear rumors of a successor so soon. We thought Google might repeat its launch strategy for that original smartwatch – teasing the Pixel Watch 2 at Google I/O 2023, ahead of a full launch later in 2023 – but the company’s annual showcase came and went without a whisper regarding any new wearable products.

Still, rumors certainly suggest that Google is working on the Google Pixel Watch 2 – and even though we haven’t heard any specifics about its features just yet, we’ll be adding them to this article when do they do begin to emerge.

In the meantime, you’ll find our best guesses at the Pixel Watch 2 release date and price below, followed by a wishlist of what we want to see from the device.

Cut to the chase

What is it? Google’s next Pixel smartwatch
When is it out? Possibly October 2023
How much will it cost? Unclear, but probably at least $350 / £340 / AU$550

Google Pixel Watch 2: release date and price

The price could be similar to that of the original Pixel Watch (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

We don’t know when the Pixel Watch 2 will be launched, but given that the smartwatch industry generally tends to move in yearly cycles, there’s a fair chance that the device will go on sale around a year after the original Pixel Watch.

That would mean a full launch in or around October 2023, coinciding with the release of the Google Pixel 8, which itself is likely to land in October 2023.

As for the price, it will inevitably have a similar cost to the current Pixel Watch, which starts at $350 / £340 / AU$550. That’s just speculation for now, mind.

Google Pixel Watch 2: news and leaks

The first rumors about a Pixel Watch 2 started to emerge in the run-up to Google I/O 2023 in May.

Renowned leaker Evan Blass tweeted the name ‘Pixel Watch 2’, hinting that the smartwatch was pretty much confirmed for a reveal at Google’s big developer conference.

This followed earlier leaks from well-known leaker Jon Prosser, who in early May predicted that “Google is planning two watches for later this fall”, including the new Pixel Watch and also a version for kids that may have Fitbit branding.

A smartwatch on an orange background showing Google Wear OS

Google recently released some updated developer guidelines for Wear OS, including a mandatory dark background for all apps and tiles. (Image credit: Google)

So far, we don’t really have any specs or features for the Pixel Watch 2. But there are a few things we can predict. For one, it will unquestionably run Wear OS; not only does the current Pixel Watch sport the same platform, Google makes the platform, so it would be ludicrous for the Pixel Watch 2 to run anything else.

The device will presumably also retain most of the features of the current model, which – beyond all of the standard smartwatch features like a built-in GPS, accelerometer and gyroscope – includes an ECG.

We expect the Pixel Watch 2 to bring back its predecessor’s domed display, too, as well as its rotating digital crown and band mechanisms. As is typical of follow-up devices, we’re also hoping to see improved durability specs.

Four new watch faces, which are apparently going to be exclusive to the second-gen Pixel Watch, have leaked out. They give us a better idea of the software interface and how you’re going to be able to customize it.

Pixel Watch 2 watch face leak

The Pixel Watch 2 will bring four new faces with it (Image credit: Android Authority / Google)

Google Pixel Watch 2: what we want to see

As good as the Pixel Watch is, there are lots of things Google can do to make the Pixel Watch 2 even better, including the following:

1. Multiple sizes

Google Pixel Watch side

The Pixel Watch’s size won’t be ideal for everyone (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The Google Pixel Watch is a one-size-fits-all device, which, of course, inevitably means that it’s not the ideal size for everyone.

In fairness, it arguably strikes the best balance possible for a wearable that’s only going to come in one size, but we’d still much rather be given the choice; like you get with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Apple Watch 8, for example – both of which come in two sizes.

2. Simpler band switching

One of the main issues we’ve found with the Google Pixel Watch is how tricky it is to switch the bands. Google has opted for a proprietary system, making for a rather limited selection of compatible straps out the gate.

Proprietary systems sometimes make the process of swapping bands easier than it otherwise would be, but the opposite is true with the DSLR camera lens-inspired mechanism at work on the Pixel Watch.

Once we got to grips with it, the system proved less painful, but there’s certainly a learning curve, so this is definitely something we hope Google refines for the Pixel Watch 2.

3. A smaller bezel

Google Pixel Watch always on display

The Google Pixel Watch has a thick bezel (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Despite having a moderately premium price, the Google Pixel Watch has a massive bezel around its circular screen that works against its otherwise high-quality look and feel, and makes it seem cheaper than it is.

Thanks to some smart user interface choices by Google, the bezel isn’t particularly noticeable most of the time, but it’s still a shocking size for a modern smartwatch. As such, we want to see this shrunk by the time people slap the Google Pixel Watch 2 on their wrists.

4. Make it comfier to sleep in

Our review found that the dome-shaped back of the Pixel Watch made it slightly uncomfortable to sleep in, and it even woke our reviewer from their slumber on multiple occasions.

This obviously isn’t ideal, and while some sleepers may not have this issue, we’d like the Pixel Watch 2 to have a flat back, so that no one loses sleep over it.

5. Better Fitbit integration

The Google Pixel Watch is a full-blown Fitbit device, with access to a dedicated Fitbit app and Fitbit Premium features (it comes with six months access as part of the price).

However, this all feels unnecessarily disjointed, as you need a separate Fitbit account to access many of the health and fitness features on the Pixel Watch, while a Google account handles everything else.

Since Google now owns Fitbit, it doesn’t seem like too much to ask for your Google account to work as your Fitbit login, too. As such, we hope this is all streamlined in time for the Pixel Watch 2; as that would set it on a path to becoming one killer wearable and perhaps one of the best smartwatches out there.

If you can’t wait that long, why not check out our rundown of the best smartwatch deals available right now?

Google Pixel 8: latest news, rumors and everything we know so far

Given that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro launched as recently as October 2022, we’re not expecting to see Google’s next entries in the Pixel range – likely to be the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro – arrive until later into 2023 at the earliest.

That said, rumors and leaks continue to flow concerning both upcoming devices and below we’ve detailed all the latest rumblings, alongside our expert predictions as to their respective release dates, specs, and prices.

Further down, you’ll also find a list of features we want to see from the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, because while the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are the two of the best phones Google has ever made, there’s definite room for improvement.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next flagship phone from Google
When is it out? Probably October 2023
How much will it cost? Likely from $599 / £599 / AU$999

Google Pixel 8: release date and price

There’s no news yet on when the Google Pixel 8 might launch, but that’s easy to guess, with Google’s main numbered phones almost always landing in October of their release year.

In fact, every Pixel model outside of the A-line has been announced in October, except the Pixel 5, which was unveiled on September 30, 2020 (so, almost October) and didn’t ship until October.

Getting more specific than that is trickier, as the dates of previous October reveal events have varied, but it’s likely that the Pixel 8 will be unveiled in either early or mid-October 2023 (and then begin shipping around a week after its announcement).

The Pixel 8 might have the same price as the Pixel 7. (Image credit: Future / Alex Walker-Todd)

We’re not sure what the Pixel 8 will cost, but the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both had exactly the same prices as their predecessors, so it’s possible Google will stick with that pricing structure for another year.

In which case, the Pixel 8 will start at $599 / £599 / AU$999, while the Pixel 8 Pro will start at $899 / £849 / AU$1,299. That said, we wouldn’t be surprised if Google pushes the phones’ respective prices up a bit, especially as the current models undercut key competition like the iPhone 14 line.

Google Pixel 8: news and leaks

The biggest Pixel 8 so far takes the form of high-quality unofficial renders showing off both the Pixel 8 itself and the Pixel 8 Pro.

These show largely familiar designs, but with more rounded corners, leading apparently to smaller sizes. In the case of the Pixel 8 that’s said to mean a 6.2-inch display (down from 6.3 inches on the Pixel 7). The Pixel 8 Pro is expected to keep the same 6.7 inches as the 7 Pro, though. A report from display analyst Ross Young corroborates these sizes, albeit giving the Pixel 8’s screen size as a more petite 6.16 inches. It’s all swings and roundabouts anyway, as 6.16 rounds up to 6.2 inches in any case.

More recent leaks put the screen sizes at 6.17 inches and 6.70 inches respectively, though both phones are said to up refresh rates to 120Hz, and to have higher maximum brightness levels than their predecessors.

The dimensions are also smaller as a result, with the Pixel 8 apparently being 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm, while the Pixel 8 Pro is said to be 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.7mm, in both cases rising to around 12mm at the camera visor.

The Pixel 8 is shown with rear two camera lenses like the current model – those presumably being wide and ultrawide ones again, while the Pixel 8 Pro is shown with four. That’s one up from last year, meaning that along with wide, ultrawide, and telephoto cameras, it will likely have a macro lens or a depth sensor if this leak is accurate.

Image 1 of 4

An unofficial render of the Pixel 8 (Image credit: @OnLeaks / MySmartPrice)

Beyond that, a handful of other leaks have emerged regarding both phones. For one thing, there are reports that the Tensor G3 chipset we’re expecting to power the phone is in the works, and that this will once again be made by Samsung.

This could be significantly more powerful than the Tensor G2 in the Pixel 7 series, as it’s rumored to be built on a new 3nm process, down from 5nm for the current one. That change is likely to mean a big boost in power and efficiency.

A more detailed Tensor G3 leak has revealed all sorts of things about it, but the gist is that it should be a lot more powerful, enable ray tracing, offer improved photo processing and AI skills, and more.

Another leak, meanwhile, suggests the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro might be codenamed Shiba and Husky respectively, and that they both might have 12GB of RAM and run Android 14. According to the same source, the Pixel 8 has a 1080 x 2268 screen, while the Husky has a 1344 x 2822 one.

When it comes to cameras, the main camera sensor is expected to stick at 50MP, but with an upgraded sensor that lets in more light. The ultrawide camera will be upgraded on both phones too, we’re hearing, but more so on the Pro model – while the Pro telephoto zoom is predicted to stick at 5x.

While we still don’t know battery specs, we have at least seen the Pixel 8 pop-up on the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC)’s certification website, with the listing revealing wireless charging details that suggest the Pixel 8 will retain the same wireless charging speeds as its predecessor (12W unless placed on the official Google Pixel Stand which then delivers 20W of power, wirelessly).

We also know that satellite communication capabilities are likely to be offered by the Pixel 8, much like the iPhone 14. Hiroshi Lockheimer (the senior vice president of Android) has said that support for the feature will be coming with Android 14; so it’s likely the Pixel 8 will be the first Google phone to offer it.

Finally, there’s evidence of a mystery Pixel phone in the works, which based on leaked specs might be the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro. 9to5Google has found this evidence in publicly available code from the Android Open Source Project, and it points to a phone with a 1440 x 3120 120Hz screen, a Tensor chipset, and dimensions of 155 x 71mm.

Those screen specs are in line with the current Pro models, but the dimensions are more what we’d expect from the standard Pixel 8, so that might mean a resolution and refresh rate upgrade is planned for the standard model.

However, that screen resolution is also different to the leaked resolutions above, so we’d take all of these leaks with a pinch of salt for now.

Google Pixel 8: what we want to see

Below we’ve listed the five things that we most want the Pixel 8 line to offer.

1. A 120Hz screen for both models

Google Pixel 7 review OS

The Pixel 7 only has a 90Hz refresh rate. (Image credit: Future / Alex Walker-Todd)

The Pixel 7 Pro has a 120Hz screen, just as you’d expect from a flagship phone, but the standard Pixel 7 doesn’t – it’s stuck at 90Hz.

Given that even some of the best cheap phones now have 120Hz screens, that seems somewhat unacceptable, so we really hope Google offers a 120Hz screen on both the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro.

2. More power

The Pixel 7 line uses the Google Tensor G2 chipset, and it’s a chipset that has a lot going for it.

Designed specifically for these phones, it excels in areas like machine learning and AI, but when it comes to raw power, the Tensor G2 is a little lacking, as it performs worse in most benchmarks than key rivals like the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and the Apple A16 Bionic. In fact it performs significantly worse.

So, we’d like to see a focus on power from the Tensor G3 (or whatever the next model ends up being called), so that the Pixel 8 line is more competitive on that front. However, we don’t want that to come at the expense of the things Tensor chipsets are currently good at.

3. Better battery life and faster charging

Google Pixel 7 Pro phone

The Google Pixel 7 Pro has middling battery life. (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro should comfortably get you through a day of fairly heavy use, based on our tests, but they aren’t going to get you through a second day, or even halfway through a second day in most cases.

So, their longevity is respectable but far from exceptional, and they also both charge quite slowly, so we’d like to see improvements to both the battery life and the charging speed for the Pixel 8 line.

4. Longer-term support

Google has promised three years of Android version updates and five years of security patches for the Pixel 7 line, which has some Android phones beat but doesn’t come close to the number of years of support Apple typically offers with its iPhones.

Since Google makes Android and is using a bespoke chipset designed specifically for the phones here, there really shouldn’t be any reason it can’t support its phones for longer, so we’d like to see extended support offered with the Pixel 8.

5. 10x optical zoom on the Pro

The Google Pixel 7 Pro offers 5x optical zoom, up from 4x on the Pixel 6 Pro, but we’d like to see a bigger jump for the next model, bringing it up to 10x in line with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.

That said, we still want a shorter distance zoom – of ideally 2x or 3x – to be offered as well, so there are two distinctly different zoom distances available. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is already one of the best camera phones, but with this upgrade the Pixel 8 Pro could be even better.