It’s been a busy few days for leaks around the Google Pixel Watch, and it doesn’t look like the drips of advance information are going to stop anytime soon: new rumors point to the battery capacity and cellular connectivity options on the upcoming wearable.
This is all according to sources speaking to 9to5Google, and the first tidbit of speculation is that the Pixel Watch will come with a 300mAh battery built in. For comparison purposes with other Wear OS watches, the 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has a 247mAh battery, while the 42mm Fossil Gen 6 has a 300mAh battery.
Both those watches run Wear OS, as the Pixel Watch is expected to do, and both watches offer about 24 hours of battery life (depending of course on how much you use them). It therefore looks as though the Pixel Watch will last about a day between charges too.
Making connections
The other revelation from this source is that at least one of the Pixel Watch models will have cellular connectivity. In other words, you’ll be able to get online and make calls with the smartwatch without your phone being anywhere near it.
A few days back we heard that there might be as many as three different versions of the Pixel Watch. While it’s not clear what the differences will be, the variations are probably around size or perhaps features. Cellular connectivity could be one of the features only some of the models get.
Less than a week ago we saw pictures of what was claimed to be a Pixel Watch out in the wild after being left behind – presumably by a Google employee – at a restaurant. The device is expected to be officially announced at Google IO 2022, which starts on May 11.
Analysis: smartwatches need better battery life
It would seem that we can expect the battery packed inside the Google Pixel Watch to last around a day between charges, which is no real surprise: that’s what a lot of the top models on the market offer, including of course the hugely popular Apple Watch.
We can’t help feeling these wearables deserve better battery life, though manufacturers are obviously working within the constraints of the form factor. If you forget to charge your smartwatch overnight, then you’re in trouble the following day unless you’re able to go and sit near a power socket for an hour or two.
Some smartwatch makers have gone for monochrome screens and the option to charge via solar power to try and get past the one day battery limit. Something like the Garmin Instinct Solar, for example, can go for weeks between charges if you’re careful about what you’re using it for.
However, it doesn’t look as though the Google Pixel Watch is going to stand out as far as battery life is concerned. If it’s going to tempt consumers into a purchase, it’ll have to rely on other features to stand out – such as integrated Google Assistant support.
