More Pixel Watch 2 Details Leak

It’s not just the Pixel 8 family: key details about the Pixel Watch 2 have leaked, suggesting a minor upgrade with a few key improvements.

As you may recall, Google launched its original Pixel Watch last October alongside the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. It received generally good reviews despite its ancient Samsung Exynos 9110 system on a chip (SoC)—it debuted in 2018—and poor battery life, thanks in part to its unique Fitbit integration and pleasant round form factor. I didn’t try the Pixel Watch initially because I had just gotten an Apple Watch, but after deciding that ecosystem was the wrong place for me, I ordered a Pixel Watch this past May and then found it to be a terrific Apple Watch alternative for those on Android.

Ultimately, I went back to my Fitbit Charge 5 because it’s a simpler device that meets my needs and offers epic 6-day battery life. But just as I’m interested in the Pixel 8 Pro that will arrive in October, I’m keeping my eye on any Pixel Watch 2 news. And while I’m not sure the improvements will warrant me upgrading, it still looks good.

To date, the rumors have been slight. We learned that it may use a more efficient (and modern) Qualcomm SoC back in May, for example, and more recently there have been lesser rumors about new watch bands and watch faces, but not much else. But that changed today: thanks to a mistaken listing in the Google Play Console device catalog, first reported by 9to5Google, we suddenly know a lot more
about Pixel Watch 2. And most of it is very good news indeed.

Pixel Watch 2 will indeed use a more modern and efficient SoC, the Qualcomm SW5100, also known as the Snapdragon W5. This isn’t a top-of-the-line wearable SoC—there’s a Snapdragon W5+ with an embedded coprocessor, for example—but it debuted just a year ago, is built on a 4 nm manufacturing process, compared to 10 nm for the Exynos 9110 in its predecessor. This should result in improved performance and battery life, and as any Pixel Watch owner will tell you, that latter improvement is particularly necessary.

Tied to that, the Pixel Watch 2 will utilize a better GPU, the Qualcomm Adreno 702, but the same 2 GB of RAM as its predecessor. The screen size and pixel resolution/density (384 x 384 pixels/320 ppi) will likewise remain unchanged, but Google is rumored to be switching from a BOE panel to a Samsung panel, 9to5Google claims.

Pixel Watch 2 will also move to Android 13, which is the basis for Wear OS 4, whereas its predecessor utilized Android 12/Wear OS 3.5. Among other things, this means that Pixel Watch 2 will support backup and restore functionality that helps customers move more seamlessly to a new wearable.

Beyond this, the Pixel Watch 2 is rumored to feature Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) support, a slightly bigger battery, and an aluminum case, which would be a downgrade from the stainless steel used in the original if true. I’d like to see smaller bezels, a second sizing choice, and better screen protection, but there’s little chance of any of that happening.

We’ll know soon enough: Google will almost certainly announce Pixel Watch 2 in about two months.