Google Pixel Watch 2 wants to look after you

The Google Pixel Watch 2 watch has been unveiled – alongside the new Google Pixel Pro and Pro 8 phones – a year since the tech behemoth made its first foray into the world of wearable devices. The new and improved version of Google’s ergonomically shaped timepiece continues to harness the power and potential of FitBit, which the company acquired in May 2022. Pixel Watch 2 brings together the best of both the Google and FitBit worlds. From personalised health and fitness tracking to new safety and productivity features, the new wellbeing-focused smartwatch is equipped with the most advanced heart-rate tracking, thanks to an all-new multi-path sensor that combines with Google AI, so that sleep tracking, stress management and even personal safety can be assessed to provide more support and insight into one’s daily life. 

Google Pixel Watch 2: new design, wellness and safety features

Pixel Watch 2 is lighter to wear than the previous iteration, and packs in 24 hours’ worth of battery life once fully charged. It charges faster too, with a 12-hour charge in just 30 minutes. 

Featuring an updated design that is focused on improving signal quality, the watch’s sensors use multiple LEDs and photodiodes to measure the wearer’s pulse signal from different angles and positions to provide estimates of a pulse rate. Even during vigorous exercise, heart-rate tracking is highly accurate, allowing Google AI to measure and assess a variety of body responses, be it from physical activity or in a resting state. 

These insights enable Fitbit to learn when your body is responding to potential stress or excitement, so that specific interventions and reflections are prompted, allowing users to monitor and become aware of signs of stress, whether it's from stimulants such as alcohol and caffeine, or illness. When a body response is detected, users receive a prompt to log their current mood and then receive suggestions on how best to mitigate things, such as starting a guided breathing exercise or taking a walk. 

‘You’re getting Google and FitBit experiences that you won’t find on any other smartwatch,’ said FitBit CEO and co-founder James Park during the launch event in New York last week. ‘We’ve updated the design and materials as well. People loved the sleek water-droplet look of the first Pixel Watch. We’ve upgraded our low profile design for Pixel Watch 2 with more durable cover glass and 100 per cent recycled aluminum housing that’s lighter and more comfortable to wear when you’re at play or at rest.’

Other impressive innovations in Pixel Watch 2 are the additions to safety technology to give all users greater peace of mind. Joining the fall detection and Emergency SOS already available in the previous model is Safety Check, which allows individuals to schedule a timer for specific situations where they might want their friends or family to know their whereabouts. After the timer expires, Safety Check will prompt users to confirm they’ve arrived safely, or if they’d like to start sharing their location or contact emergency services. If no response is received, Safety Check will trigger Emergency Sharing, which shares your real-time location and situation with your pre-selected emergency contacts. Medical Info, which can share personal health information with emergency services, like blood type, allergies, or conditions, is another feature designed to make users feel safe.

Pixel Watch 2 has got the looks too, with a host of new colour combinations, such as polished silver and bay blue, silver and porcelain, matte black and obsidian and champagne gold and hazel. They are further complemented by a robust assortment of new slim metal and active sport bands, and digital watch faces, so that each watch can be customised for a night out on the town or to hit the gym.

‘Our new sport design is more breathable. And Pixel Watch 2 uses the same simple band mechanism, so last year’s Pixel Watch bands still work great,’ said Park. ‘You’re getting the same Wear OS 4 experience with new apps like Gmail and Calendar, improvements to YouTube Music, Maps and Google Assistant, and more of the third-party apps you know and love. Pixel Watch 2 is a great companion on any adventure.’

Google Pixel Watch 2, available from store.google.com