Pixel 4 Debuting With Apple Watch Rival Pixel Watch?

A new report claims that Google will unveil a Pixel smartwatch along with the new Pixel 4 lineup in just a few days’ time.

According to a report from Nikkei, tech giant Google is working on some new devices and will reveal them next week. The devices include the successors to the Pixel 3 lineup (which will have standard LTE and 5G versions), a new laptop (The Verge believes it’s the rumored Pixelbook), and a new smartwatch.

So, it’s really coming?

The news of a Pixel smartwatch entering the wearables race sounds exciting. Before getting hyped up about it, however, it’s worth noting that Nikkei didn’t really confirm that it will be announced. The key word to remember here is “might” - Google might announce it alongside other hardware, or might not announce it at all.

It’s also worth noting that Google struggled with releasing its own line of Pixel smartwatches in years past. Previous reports revealed that Google actually worked on smartwatches years ago, but hardware chief Rick Osterloh decided to cancel the project before it could be announced to the public. The devices were meant to be revealed alongside the Pixel smartphone in 2016.

Former Google employees who worked on the project said the devices were cancelled because they “didn’t look like what belonged in the Pixel family.” Apparently, Osterloh didn’t like the design that LG made for the smartwatches. These smartwatches were seen as something that could “bring down the name of the Google hardware brand” instead of helping it gain more ground.

And so, instead of announcing the smartwatches, Google cancelled them as the tech giant didn’t want its name attached to the LG-manufactured smartwatches. LG, for its part, didn’t scrap the smartwatches Google canceled. It worked on them and eventually released them as the LG Watch Style and LG Watch Sport.

What will it feature if it comes?

Nothing is known about the alleged Pixel watch Nikkei reported about. What’s expected, though, is that it will feature Wear OS and could be marketed as an accessory for the Pixel 4 lineup. Its specs and features are unknown at the moment. What’s clear is that the rumored Pixel smartwatch will go against rival wearables in the market such as the Apple Watch.