X

Google Dramatically Unveils Pixel Watch 2 in Video Sneak Peek

The search giant's second smartwatch is set to launch Oct. 4.

David Lumb Mobile Reporter
David Lumb is a mobile reporter covering how on-the-go gadgets like phones, tablets and smartwatches change our lives. Over the last decade, he's reviewed phones for TechRadar as well as covered tech, gaming, and culture for Engadget, Popular Mechanics, NBC Asian America, Increment, Fast Company and others. As a true Californian, he lives for coffee, beaches and burritos.
Expertise Smartphones | Smartwatches | Tablets | Telecom industry | Mobile semiconductors | Mobile gaming
David Lumb
2 min read
A round smartwatch with a minimalist digital face showing a quartet of app icons under watch hands.

The Google Pixel Watch 2 as revealed in a short teaser video uploaded by Google.

Google

After Google launched its first Pixel Watch last year, we suspected it might follow up with another smartwatch this year. Not only has Google confirmed that a new Pixel Watch will launch alongside the upcoming Pixel 8 on Oct. 4, the company has also given a sneak peek of the device in a short teaser video.

Google published the 15-second video Friday, showing off the Pixel Watch 2, and given its brevity, there isn't much to glean from it. The new watch retains its predecessor's round design, with a big rotatable crown on the right side, and a single button above the crown. 

The video shows a simplified watch face with a quartet of what look like app widgets beneath the watch hands. If you take a detailed look at the bottom of the watch, you can see markings like IP68 (for dust and water resistance) and SPo2 (to indicate the blood oxygen sensor, which was promised at the original Pixel Watch's launch and finally activated over six months later with a software update). 

Read more: The Pixel Watch Is a Good Start. Here's What It Needs Next

Google likely wants to build hype for its products a month away from their launch, especially as most eyes in the tech world are on the upcoming Apple iPhone 15 launch event on Sept. 12. But it's still pretty remarkable that Google itself is dropping sneak peek videos showing off its products ahead of time -- the company just teased the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones in a similarly short video on Thursday.

The watch video didn't reveal when the Pixel Watch 2 would be available, but very small type on the screen said pre-orders would be available Oct. 4, the day of the Pixel devices launch event. There was also no hint at whether pricing would change from the first Pixel watch's starting price tag of $350 (£339, AU$549).