Pixel Watch 2: Price, release date, and everything you need to know

The Pixel Watch was a decent first attempt at a smartwatch from Google. It made it onto our favorite smartwatch list because it left a strong impression that made us cautiously optimistic about the next iteration, not because it was perfect.

Well, the next iteration is finally here. The Pixel Watch 2 looks very similar to the original Pixel Watch, but Google has made some quality-of-life changes under the hood, improving the overall experience Now that we have all the official information about the Pixel Watch 2, it's time to see what's new and whether Google managed to check off all the boxes on our wishlist.

Pricing, availability, and specs

The Pixel Watch 2 was officially unveiled at the annual Made by Google event alongside the new Pixel 8 series phones on Oct. 4. You can preorder the new watch right now in both Wi-Fi and LTE flavors for a starting price of $350, which is the same as last year's models. The new Pixel Watch 2 comes in four color combinations: Polished Silver/Bay, Polished Silver/Porcelain, Matte Black/Obsidian, and Champagne Gold/Hazel. Hazel and Obsidian colors for the band are returning colors, whereas Bay and Porcelain colors are new additions.

Google has also launched a wide variety of bands that you can buy separately. From active stretch bands for workouts to metal mesh bands for a classic look, there are a ton to choose from, so be sure to check them out before purchasing your Pixel Watch 2. It's worth noting that the Pixel Watch 2 comes with a six-month Fitbit premium membership along with a month-long YouTube Music Premium trial for new users.

Design and display

The Pixel Watch 2, as I previously mentioned, looks identical to its predecessor when you look at them side-by-side. The new watches, however, have significantly improved hardware. Firstly, the Pixel Watch 2 uses 100% recycled aluminum for the housing, which should be lighter and more comfortable to wear. It also has a new domed cover glass for the display, which Google says is thinner and just as durable as the one on the previous-gen model. The Pixel Watch 2 is also only available in a 41mm size, which is a bit of a bummer as we were expecting multiple size options this time. It's worth pointing out that the Pixel Watch 2 carries both a 5ATM and IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, thereby improving the overall usability of the watch.

Google hasn't made any changes to the Pixel Watch 2's display either, meaning you're looking at the same 1.2-inch AMOLED Gorilla Glass 5 panel with 320ppi and DCI-P3 color. It also supports an always-on display and peaks at 1,000 nits brightness. It also has the same 2GB SDRAM and 32GB eMMC flash storage as the older model. The new watch, however, is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon W5 (SW5100) chip, which should offer better performance and power efficiency than the Exynos 9110 SoC from last year. We'll have more to talk about the performance of the watch once we've had a chance to test it, so stay tuned.

The Pixel Watch 2 packs a 306mAh battery, which is slightly bigger than the 294mAh unit from the first model. This bigger battery, coupled with the Snapdragon W5 chip, is expected to bring a solid improvement to the battery life. Google is promising 24-hour battery life with the always-on display activated, but we're yet to put it through its paces. Don't expect to see a significant improvement in the charging department, though.

Health and fitness features

The Pixel Watch 2 features an all-new multi-path heart rate sensor, which automatically switches between single and multi-path modes based on the intensity of your activity. The watch then uses these signals and processes them using Google's advanced AI heart rate algorithm to deliver what Google says is Fitbit's most accurate heart rate measurements.

That's right, Google is now promising better integration with Fitbit, including its stress management features that help you understand how your body responds to potential signs of stress throughout the day or things like alcohol and caffeine. You also get access to Fitbit's Active Zone Minutes to track your activity throughout the day, along with the Daily Readiness Score with a Fitbit Premium subscription.

Other noteworthy health and wellness features include automatic workout detection and features like Fall Detection, Emergency SOS, and the new Safety Check, which allows you to schedule at timer so you can track how often you let friends or family know you're alright. Notably, the Pixel Watch 2 also ships with WearOS 4 out of the box with more features and better on-wrist experiences. You get access to Google apps like Gmail and Google Assistant, along with other new Wear OS 4 features like backup and restore support.

Closing thoughts

The Pixel Watch 2 may not seem like a significant upgrade over the previous-gen watch, but Google has made a ton of improvements to deliver a better experience overall. We'll have a more measured take on the Pixel Watch 2 once we've had a chance to test and put it through its paces, but in the meantime, you can stop by our Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic to get a better understanding of all the Wear OS 4 features.