Everything old is new. Someone leaves a prototype in a bar, the prototype gets into the hands of some blogger, and chaos ensues. It’s hard to imagine another device coming soon with the same security layers as the iPhone 4. Gadgets and tech journalism have grown since those placid days, but nothing gets the blood flowing for these older devices like a high-profile leak.
The way companies protect IP at all costs has also changed over the past few decades. Many companies have begun to understand the power of well-timed leaks. That’s not to say that any of the Pixel Watch news we’ve seen in recent weeks and months is intentional — if some information isn’t found online, it’s hard to imagine any of us having a problem with the upcoming launch. Google Wearables says too much.
The restaurant leak over the weekend comes days after a trademark application for “Pixel Watch” appeared online. The timing of everything seems to point to a modestly anticipated wearable that’s about to be released. Given that I/O will kick off at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in just over two weeks, it’s reasonable to assume that — at least — we’ll get to experience it in mid-May. Google really needs to make a splash here.
Google’s history with wrist wearables is — all in all — a mixed bag. It’s been 7.5 years since the company launched Android Wear. The product was launched with many hardware partners – companies like Motorola, Samsung, LG, and HTC. Honestly, it’s a good snapshot of the Android ecosystem, and two of the four have either stopped making phones, or at least got close.
Samsung quickly abandoned Android Wear, opting instead to develop its own unique Tizen. More recently, Motorola migrated to Moto Watch OS for its latest device — a lightweight RTOS (real-time operating system) similar to what OnePlus uses on its watches.
Google’s wearable operating system has stagnated for years as Apple — and to a lesser extent Samsung — dominated the smartwatch category. However, in 2018, it underwent a name change. Wear OS represents a free start. “We’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible with wearables, and there’s more exciting work ahead,” the company wrote in a post.
The change hasn’t resulted in a huge shift in market share — although some recent moves have helped change that. The most notable so far is the reunion with Samsung. Starting with the Galaxy Watch 4, “new Wear OS powered by Samsung” finds the two companies teaming up to compete with Apple. For Samsung, that means accessing the Play app. Third-party support has long been a major sticking point for the industry. For Google, that means their OS is popping up on more devices all of a sudden.
Samsung has done a really good job with wearables without Google’s help, thank you so much. Granted, it won’t overtake the Apple Watch anytime soon, but the company still sells a ton of devices. I suspect it’s Google’s responsibility to convince the hardware company that it’s still going all-in on Wear OS. One thing you can’t deny is that the software giant is more than willing to be at the top here. You’d be forgiven for forgetting that Google bought Fossil’s smartwatch tech in early 2019.
Wear OS VP Stacey Burr said at the time: “Wearables are built for health, simplicity, personalization and helpfulness, and have the opportunity to improve lives by quickly bringing users the information and insights they need,” Wear OS VP President Stacey Burr said at the time. “Adding Fossil Group’s technology and team to Google is a testament to our commitment to the wearables industry, supporting a diverse smartwatch portfolio and supporting the evolving needs of dynamic mobile consumers.”
I realize now that I started that particular post with “Years of Pixel Watch rumors.” That’s a good indication of how long we’ve been talking about the damn thing.
Google’s $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit quickly overshadowed this specific deal. The deal passed regulatory scrutiny despite some legitimate concerns about how Fitbit’s new partner will handle the vast amount of data collected by these devices.
“This deal has always been about the device, not the data, and we’ve made it clear from the outset that we’re going to protect the privacy of Fitbit users,” Google senior vice president Rick Osterloh noted at the time. “Working with regulators around the world, we have developed an approach to protecting consumer privacy expectations, including a set of binding commitments confirming that Fitbit users’ health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads and that this data will be shared with other Google Ads data is separate.”
Now, this technical turkey goes a little further. Fossil acquired Misfit in 2015 for $260 million. Fitbit, which is trying to get into smartwatches, bought Pebble’s assets for $20.3 million the following year. Honestly, it’s a bargain, and it actually makes for a great smartwatch for the Versa. Ultimately, however, it seemed too little, too late, that Fitbit chose to sell itself to Google.
Of course, we have some special ingredients here. Given the recent acquisition of Fitbit, it’s hard to know exactly how much of its technology will make it the first-generation Pixel Watch. However, it stands to reason that the subsidiary’s strong focus on health will play a central role in future Google wearables. The company is still working on some important stuff, including a new always-on A-Fib detector.
It all comes together as Google improves its first-party hardware. After years of mediocre sales, the Pixel division has gone through a liquidation/reorganization. This gives us a really good Pixel 6. The thing is, Pixel phones have always been good, even if their sales don’t reflect that. Google isn’t starting from scratch, to be exact (not if you count all the work the likes of Timex and Fitbit do), but we’re actually talking about a new category for the company, so it’s worth to moderate you accordingly expectations.
So we left a prototype at the bar. It’s round, with a glass back and crown, and seems to function similarly to the Apple Watch. The device comes with a proprietary strap and a pair of buttons around the edge. It may have been a prototype, but all of this fits with early rumors and stories of a bartender who held the product for a customer who apparently never returned.
Assuming we have about two and a half weeks to make the announcement, that gives us enough time to come up with some ideas about whether the Pixel Watch is too little and/or too late. Google already gained a large share of the wearables market with its acquisition of Fitbit, but it’s once again entering a mature and crowded market — something it struggled to maintain with previous generations of Pixel phones.