Google has finally revealed its so anticipated Pixel Watch, a wearable accessory that includes Fitbit health tracking features.
Although the tech giant has provided the operating system for other portable devices and completed the acquisition of Fitbit early last yearit’s Google’s first smartwatch under its own name.
The Pixel Watch, which will start at $349.99, includes continuous heart rate tracking, as well as an ECG app that lets users check for atrial fibrillation – an irregular heartbeat. They can also use the watch to monitor sleep and the time people spend in light, deep, and REM sleep.
“Pixel Watch uses a combination of on-device machine learning and deep optimization down to the processor level to give you an accurate measurement of your heart rate continuously at once per second, whether you’re training or you were resting and all the time in between,” Fitbit co-founder James Park said at the Made by Google event.
According to the company, the Pixel Watch will use this heart rate data to provide a daily readiness score, telling users whether they should train or rest that day. It will also track active zone minutes – the time users spend in target heart rate zones during training.
Park said the wearable will offer an emergency SOS tool that can reach emergency services or contacts. The watch will also add a fall detection feature this winter.
THE GREAT TREND
Google first teased the Pixel Watch in May after months of rumors and speculation. However, the company has had a bigger stake in the wearable health-tracking device space since its deal with Fitbit that closed in 2021 after being stalled by regulatory investigations.
Google Cloud and Fitbit Health Solutions recently announced a new service to help healthcare and life science organizations utilize data from wearable devices. Fitbit recently announced three updated wearables and received FDA clearance for its AFib detection algorithm earlier this year.
The wearables space is increasingly competitive. Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 8 last month, which adds temperature detection capabilities to track ovulation and includes car crash detection. The company also launched a new version of the low-cost Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra aimed at endurance athletes and outdoor explorers.
Another tech competitor, Amazon, launched the Halo sight about a year ago. Others in space include Samsung and Garmin.