According to new leaks, Google's second-generation Pixel Watch will likely feature several upgrades over the original model.
The Pixel Watch 2 is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 chip rather than the Exynos 9110 chip used in the first Pixel Watch. This should provide improved performance and battery life.
Speaking of battery, the Pixel Watch 2 will have a 306 mAh battery, a slight increase over the 294 mAh battery in the original. However, optimizations to the watch's software and hardware are expected to enable over 24 hours of battery life with always-on display enabled.
Other hardware changes include a switch to a Samsung OLED display panel, though the screen size remains 1.2 inches with 384 x 384 resolution. The watch case will be made from a lighter aluminum material.
On the feature side, the Pixel Watch 2 will add an ultra-wideband (UWB) chip. This can enable enhanced digital car key and device-to-device communication experiences, like quickly transferring music from the watch to the Pixel Tablet. It is worth noting that the Apple Watch Series 8 already comes with Apple's U1 UWB chip for precision locating.
The watch will ship with Android 13-based Wear OS 4. This platform update will enable seamless over-the-air updates for a more refined software update process.
We also reported that in May, the next smartwatch from Google will launch alongside the company's following major smartphones, the Pixel 8 series. Usually, that happens sometime in early October.
The original Pixel Watch had a starting price of $349. Although the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is priced at $300, Google is expected to keep the original price.
While the overall design and size appear mostly unchanged, the Pixel Watch 2's upgrades should improve the smartwatch experience. More details are likely to emerge as we get closer to the expected launch later this year.
Source: Android Authority
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