Google Pixel Watch 2 is here: Price, features, availability, colors, and more

Almost like clockwork, Google has launched the Pixel Watch 2 a year after it first entered the smartwatch market with the original Pixel Watch. The new wearable takes several cues from its predecessor — Google isn’t taking any big risks here. Rather, the Pixel Watch 2 is an evolutionary tale. It looks identical to first Pixel Watch but matures on the inside with additional sensors, Qualcomm processing, new safety and fitness features, enhanced durability, and a bigger battery. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Google Pixel Watch 2.

Pixel Watch 2: Release date, price, and availability

• Pixel Watch 2 Wi-Fi: $349 / €349 / £349
• Pixel Watch 2 LTE:  $399 / €399 / £399

Google launched the Pixel Watch 2 on October 4 at its Made By Google event, where the company also revealed the Pixel 8 series. There are two models of the Pixel Watch 2 — one with LTE connectivity and another with only Wi-Fi connectivity. While Google has spruced up the smartwatch with several new goodies, the one thing that remains consistent is the price of both Pixel Watch 2 models.

The base Pixel Watch 2 Wi-Fi variant will cost you $349, while the Pixel Watch 2 LTE version is $399. Google is already accepting pre-orders for the smartwatch, with general Google Store availability starting on October 12.

The Pixel Watch 2 will be available in the nine countries where Google initially launched the Pixel Watch. That means you should be able to pick up the new wearable in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland (Google Pixel Watch Wi-Fi only), Japan, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. The company is also expanding the Pixel Watch 2 availability this year to additional regions. We’ll have that information for you once Google releases it.

Pixel Watch 2: Colors, bands, design, and size

The Pixel Watch 2 still uses a 41mm dial that is 12.3mm thick. These are the same dimensions as the first Pixel Watch but in a slightly lighter 30g body. Google says the 100% recycled aluminum housing has contributed to the smartwatch weighing six grams less than its predecessor.

You still get the same domed cover glass, which the company claims is thinner this time around. We didn’t really notice any difference during our Pixel Watch 2 review. If you kept up with news about the original Pixel Watch, you’d know that the domed screen is susceptible to damage because of its shape. So making the glass thinner might not have been the best decision, especially since Google’s repair policy for its smartwatches is essentially non-existent. As a result, one of our top Pixel Watch 2 tips is to clad your wearable in a protective case.

Anyhow, it’s not all worrying news when it comes to the design of the Pixel Watch 2. Google has secured an official IP68 water and dust resistance rating for the smartwatch, something we sorely missed on the Pixel Watch. The new smartwatch can now withstand immersion in water of up to 1.5m in depth for at least 30 minutes. So yes, you can take it swimming, provided you also pair it with a water-resistant Pixel Watch 2 band.

The Pixel Watch 2 comes in the following color/band options:

• Polished Silver/Bay band
• Polished Silver/Porcelain band
• Matte Black/Obsidian band
• Champagne Gold/Hazel band

The assortment of bands includes new Metal Slim and Active Sport bands. You can also pick up other types of bands, including Crafted Leather, Two-tone Leather, Metal Mesh, Metal Link, Stretch, and Woven. If you’re not happy with Google’s offerings, there are a host of third-party Pixel Watch 2 bands available, too.

The small Active bands fit wrists measuring 130-175mm around, while the large bands fit wrists 165-210mm around. You’ll get one of each in the box. The good news is that all the Pixel Watch 2 bands are also compatible with the first Pixel Watch, except for the Metal Mesh and Metal Slim bands.

Pixel Watch 2: Features

Time to count everything new on the Pixel Watch 2, and there are quite a few things to go through in this list. To begin with, the Pixel Watch 2 offers automatic workout start and stop reminders for seven common workouts, including running, outdoor cycling, and more. You can also use the Fitbit Exercise app to start additional workouts and view real-time workout data on the Pixel Watch 2. But that’s stuff we also saw on the previous Pixel Watch. Here are all the key new fitness tracking and smartwatch features on the Pixel Watch 2.

All-new multi-path heart rate sensor

Google has fitted the Pixel Watch 2 with a new multi-path heart rate sensor for improved signal quality. The sensor uses multiple LEDs and photodiodes to measure the pulse signal from different angles to provide multiple estimates of your pulse. This is great for exercising, as the sensor switches between single and multi-path modes automatically based on the intensity of your workout. Google says the Pixel Watch 2 offers Fitbit’s most accurate all-day heart rate tracking thanks to the sensor. The sensor also powers other fitness features such as sleep tracking, high and low heart rate notifications, and Daily Readiness Score.

Body Response tracking

The Google Pixel Watch 2 is equipped with a cEDA (continuous electrodermal activity) sensor for stress measurement. It helps identify signs of stress in your body so you can reflect on your emotions and take action. Google calls the feature “Body Response tracking,” something we’ve also previously seen on multiple Fitbit wearables like the Sense 2 and Charge 6. Apart from the cEDA sensor, the Pixel Watch 2 also takes cues from the heart rate sensor and a new skin temperature sensor to help identify potential signs of stress. It’ll then offer intervention options and tell you to take a walk or do a guided breathing exercise.

Safety Check

Wear OS 4

While Samsung already has Wear OS 4 smartwatches on the market, the Pixel Watch 2 is Google’s first smartwatch to get the new software. It now comes pre-loaded with the Gmail and Calendar apps. You can open, view, reply, delete, and archive emails straight from the Pixel Watch 2. You’ll also be able to view and delete events and respond to Calendar invitations from your wrist. Google is also supercharging Assistant with new abilities on the Pixel Watch 2, so you can query Fitbit features like your sleep stats with voice commands. The new software also finally adds a backup and restore feature for swapping phones.

Other health and fitness metrics that the Pixel Watch 2 can track include:

• Heart Zone Training to help guide users with voice and haptic cues as they move through four personalized heart rate zones.
• Pace Training to help users stay on pace or return to their ideal pace if they’ve fallen behind.
• SpO2 measurement to monitor oxygen saturation.
• Fitbit ECG for on-demand ECG readings and​ ​assessing signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib).
• Sleep tracking to generate a sleep score reading users can access each morning.
• Fitbit Premium features also come free for six months with the purchase of a Pixel Watch 2.

Notably, Google is set to bring three years of updates to the Pixel Watch 2. It’s not as great as Samsung’s lengthier promise for its smartwatches, but it should satisfy most buyers who regularly upgrade their wearables.

Pixel Watch 2 faces

The Pixel Watch 2 adds six new watch Pixel Watch face families. Some are designed to be more simple & discreet, while others are more data-rich and customizable. The At a Glance watch face complication delivers contextually relevant information when you need it, like weather and traffic data.

Pixel Watch 2: Battery life

The Pixel Watch 2 now features a 306mAh battery, up from 294mAh on the previous model. Google says its new smartwatch can last for 24 hours with the Always-on Display. A full charge should ideally take about 75 minutes as opposed to the 90 minutes it took to charge the Pixel Watch from zero to 100%. We were quite unhappy with the battery life on the first Pixel Watch, so we’ll take any and all extra on-time Google has to offer.

Pixel Watch 2: Specs

Google has ditched Samsung and equipped the Pixel Watch 2 with the more recent Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 processor. The 4nm quad-core SoC is a big leap from the 10nm dual-core Exynos 9110 processor that powers the Pixel Watch. It promises speedier processing with its A53 CPU cores and Cortex M33 co-processor, improved power efficiency, and better Wear OS performance. We’ve already seen the processor in action on the OPPO Watch 3 series, a China exclusive.

Elsewhere, the Pixel Watch 2 features the same 1.2-inch 320 PPI AMOLED display with 1,000 nits peak brightness, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz, GPS, 4G LTE (on the LTE model), 32GB storage, and 2GB RAM. You can check the complete Pixel Watch 2 specs in the table below.

Is the Google Pixel Watch 2 worth it?

We’ll only be able to tell if the Pixel Watch 2 is worth your money or not once we get a chance to test it ourselves. On paper, though, Google seems to have made quite a few important upgrades to the smartwatch.

If you own a Pixel Watch right now, you should consider whether new features like Body Response tracking, improved heart rate measurement, and Safety Check are important for you. They are definitely a nice touch, but not everyone might find them absolutely crucial to their smartwatch experience. As for Wear OS 4, the original Pixel Watch will also get the update, so you won’t miss out on much.

If you’re investing in a new Google watch for the first time, the Pixel Watch 2 is the best you can get. The processor and battery upgrades alone make it instantly more powerful than the original Pixel Watch. Google also ensures software and security updates land on time, which is a big advantage over other Wear OS wearables. So, if you’re looking to pick up a capable Wear OS smartwatch, the Pixel Watch 2 is undoubtedly worth your attention.

That said, you also have a ton of other great smartwatches that Android users should consider buying, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 ($299.99 at Samsung) or Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro ($162.57 at Amazon and $374 at Amazon), Garmin Venu 3 ($449.99 at Amazon), and the Fitbit Sense 2 ($299.95 at Amazon) to which it owes plenty. An iPhone-compatible alternative you can’t ignore is the Apple Watch Series 9 ($389.99 at Amazon).

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