Update: Our Google Pixel Watch 2 review is now live
Google has unveiled the Pixel Watch 2 – and set out its stall for its smartwatch push for 2024.
It features overhauled heart rate tech, new stress management tools, and a recycled aluminum case.
But the biggest change is under the hood. It runs the new Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ platform, which is a huge shakeup from the dated Exynos chip from the original Pixel Watch. Why does that matter? Well, chiefly because the original Pixel’s battery life was terrible – and the lure of the newer platform is better performance and efficiency.
Read on for everything you need to know about the Pixel Watch 2:
Price
Google
The Pixel Watch 2 comes in Bluetooth and LTE versions and starts at $349.
It also comes with 6 months of Fitbit Premium.
Design changes
First up, the Pixel Watch 2 is still only available in the 41mm size, so it doesn’t get the larger case size we were hoping for.
The materials have also been downgraded from stainless steel to aluminum. But that is 100% recycled aluminum, so it’s more sustainable and lighter at 22g.
New Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+
After months of speculation, it’s confirmed that the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ comes on board, which offers a huge boost in performance with a quad-core architecture, but also battery improvements at the same time.
Battery life
The Pixel Watch 2 boasts 24 hours of stated battery life, with the always-on display enabled. Google says you get a full charge in just 75 minutes.
Worryingly, that's the same stated battery life on the Pixel Watch. So Google needs to hit that 24 hours in real-world use – and it will be really interesting to see how that works out under testing.
New heart rate tracking
Google
The Pixel Watch 2 again embraces Fitbit smarts and uses the new multi-path heart rate sensor with Google AI-driven algorithms. Like the new Fitbit Charge 6, the Pixel Watch 2 promises 40% better performance at different levels of exertion, which holds promise for workouts and HIIT.
And there are new coaching features for heart rate zone training too – just like we saw on the Galaxy Watch 6.
Stress Management features
Google
The Pixel 2 adds the Fitbit cEDA (continuous electrodermal activity sensor) and skin temperature sensor from the Sense 2. That means the Pixel Watch 2 aims to become a daily mental health companion, offering real-time stress management features.
This works just like the same features we've seen on the Fitbit Sense 2, which tracks body responses to stress and invites users to log moods to try and make sense of trends and triggers over time.
Safety check feature
The new Safety Check allows users to share real-time location and situation details with pre-selected contacts in specific situations, which adds to features such as Fall Detection and Emergency SOS.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.