Google may release its first in-house smartwatch in 2022

Reading Time: 2 minutes
Google Smartwatch

According to a new report, Google could launch its first in-house smartwatch in 2022. The report claims that Google will build its own watch and launch it in the third quarter of 2022. It’s worth noting that Google already has a smartwatch on the market – it’s called Wear OS, but Google does not actually make it. Instead, it’s built by one of Google’s partners and launched under Pixel Watch (though some call it the “Pixel Watch Active”). The Wear OS smartwatches are generally well-reviewed, but they haven’t really taken off – at least not in the same way that Apple Watches have. 

Despite having a companion wearable platform for Android since 2014, Google has never created a smartwatch. According to Bloomberg, the new watch will be made by Google itself. Google smartwatch has a codename of “Rohan,” though there’s no confirmation that this is the device’s final name. Rohan Kishore, the product lead for Wear OS, has already moved to a new position created specifically for the Google smartwatch project. The report claims that Google has been working on its own watch since 2017, and it apparently won’t be a variation of an existing Wear OS watch. It will reportedly be a completely new device with its own operating system.

The report doesn’t indicate whether this will be an Android-based watch or not – it could well be based on Wear OS, but it’s also possible that Google will create its own operating system for the smartwatch as well. The company owns Android and Chrome OS.

According to reports, the Google Watch monitors health and fitness information. It’s likely to come with a heart rate sensor and basic health-tracking functions like step counting when it launches. The smartwatch, according to Insider, will serve the same purpose as the Pixel phones. It will be more expensive than a Fitbit and will direct compete with Apple Watch. Unlike the Apple Watch, Google’s next smartwatch is reported to have a spherical shape and may not have an actual bezel.