Leaked Google Pixel Watch: A Smartwatch for Business?

The recently leaked images of the Google Pixel Watch are reminiscent of Bigfoot sightings—only this time, there’s physical evidence on scene to verify the claim.

With a round shape and bezel-less display, the Pixel Watch prototype appeared in the flesh at a restaurant in the United States over the weekend. Android Central released the now heavily leaked photos that have been fueling an online ruckus from eager customers and tech nerds who have long been waiting for the release of what would be Google’s first flagship smartwatch product. So, how does the prototype measure up to the possibility of becoming the preferred smartwatch for business?

Based on the photos, the watch has a crown that sits between two side buttons. The crown—similar to the digital crown of the Apple Watch—will probably be used to help users navigate the Wear OS user interface. Meanwhile, the two buttons could be used to turn the device on and off or shuffle between apps. There’s also a tiny dot on the upper right of the crown that many enthusiasts have speculated to be a microphone.

Flipping over to the backside, images revealed a smooth, glass-like surface with an oval-shaped section in the center. Many assume this could be a health-tracking sensor—not surprising since Google acquired Fitbit in 2019 and would obviously want to capitalize on that purchase. That means the inclusion of health tracking features like sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and workout tracking is highly likely for this wearable device.

Based on rumors that have been spreading online, the Pixel Watch will also include useful features such as Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Pay capabilities. Speculations are also high about the gadget having smart alerts and offline speech recognition for text input. In terms of storage, it’s believed the smartwatch will have 32GB onboard storage and will run on Wear OS 3.1 operating system. People are expecting the Pixel Watch to provide the most seamless Wear OS experience considering it’s a first-party product.

There’s not a lot known about how much will the Pixel Watch cost. Assuming Google will try to beat Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch 4—selling at $399 and $249, respectively—experts are placing the price tag between $200-$350.

Pixel Watch Could Dominate Smartwatch Market

But what could be a real game-changer for the Pixel Watch is its potential to gain market dominance since it can cater to a huge unserviced market of businesses and users on the Microsoft and Android ecosystems. This means businesses and professionals already using Microsoft apps and Android on their mobile devices can finally integrate a handy wearable device into their SaaS tech tools. Other SaaS developers are also expected to offer integrations with Pixel Watch that will allow users to access productivity and collaboration software like Slack, Asana, Evernote, and other CRM tools directly from their Pixel Watch.

Unfortunately, consumers will still have to wait in excitement to confirm all these nice specs and features of the Pixel Watch. That’s because the individual possessing the prototype was not able to successfully boot up the gadget. So, the world still doesn’t have a big piece of the puzzle in place and will just have to wait for the launch of the product, anticipated to happen this year—fingers crossed.