Google Pixel Watch photos leak, confirming a rounded form factor with a crown

Cal Jeffrey

Posts: 4,171   +1,421
Staff member
Facepalm: Remember when an Apple employee left his first-gen iPhone prototype at a bar? Here we go again. An anonymous source claims to have found a prototype Google Pixel Watch at a restaurant somewhere in the US.

Android Central wound up with some exclusive pictures of what might be Google's Pixel Watch. The images are not the same as renders leaked by Jon Prosser two weeks ago. These are photos of what looks to be an actual prototype.

The watch does look similar to the renders Prosser leaked — it's round and has a watch crown. However, it's also markedly thicker. Additionally, there are two buttons on either side of the crown, which are not present in the the renders.

Unfortunately, we don't know what the buttons do because the watch is not operational, or if it is, there is a trick to getting it to boot up. The finder tried to turn it on and was greeted with a splash screen featuring a white Google logo, then nothing.

There is a four-pin interface on the one side that is likely for testing. It could be that the prototype has to be connected to a secondary device to boot up an operating system. Apple did something similar to keep developers compartmentalized. There would be no need for such a connector in the final product, so that interface is not likely to remain. Another notable feature includes a sensor on the back, probably a health monitor similar to an Apple Watch.

The images from the prior leak showed a wrist strap with a unique hidden back-side clasping mechanism, while this prototype has a more traditional fastener. The prototype's band could be temporary, with a different one coming with the device's release.

Of course, as this is a prototype (the packing says as much), so a lot could change when it comes time to ship the final product. However, its general design does jive with the renders, so we will likely see something much different from an Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch form factor.

Permalink to story.

 
I would legit be happy with them just ripping off the Apple Watch and sticking Android Wear on it.
 
Smart watches still seem like a solution looking for a problem to me.
 
Smart watches still seem like a solution looking for a problem to me.

I use to think that. I picked up a Samsung Gear 3 Frontier in 2018. Bought it on Amazon, was going to play with it and then send it back. The first day, not having to reach into the belt clip to see who was calling was enough for me to keep it. I was wearing it at night to see how it tracked my sleep. I noticed my heart rate in the middle of the night, would sometimes spike in the 90 beats per minute range. I sent an email to my doctor, who got me hooked up with a sleep study. I had moderate sleep apnea. I've been on a CPAP since late 2018, and now, my sleeping heart rate stays in the 50's. So, for me, the smart watch was a good thing. :)
 
I use to think that. I picked up a Samsung Gear 3 Frontier in 2018. Bought it on Amazon, was going to play with it and then send it back. The first day, not having to reach into the belt clip to see who was calling was enough for me to keep it. I was wearing it at night to see how it tracked my sleep. I noticed my heart rate in the middle of the night, would sometimes spike in the 90 beats per minute range. I sent an email to my doctor, who got me hooked up with a sleep study. I had moderate sleep apnea. I've been on a CPAP since late 2018, and now, my sleeping heart rate stays in the 50's. So, for me, the smart watch was a good thing. :)
I'm glad it's been helpful to you. Maybe I'm just jealous because I can't afford one! That, and I'm not sure I'd enjoy having something on my wrist all the time. And I don't think my phone is even compatible with smartwatches.

But yeah, it's good for monitoring sleep, for sure. I don't know if there are any consumer-oriented alternatives that can do that.
 
Round is an inefficient and stupid shape for any touchscreen device.
Depends on your use case. I want a wristwatch first, with some very basic smart function later. I prefer round shape to it, as I will always have a smartphone available to do anything requiring some focus and precision. Still using a mechanical wristwatch, but I might jump into smartwatches when they will offer something worth of the investment. For many other activities wrist straps do well.
 
Back