Google unveils new Pixel Watch

The Google Pixel smartwatch has been revealed. Google’s first smartwatch combines its own Wear operating system with Fitbit health tracking. Fitbit was acquired by Google for $2.1bn (£1.7bn) in 2019.

The watch can be paired with Android devices only and is 4G-compatible, which means it can function on its own without being near a phone – but to do this it requires its own data plan.

Both the phone and watch would also need to be on the same network, Google said.

The tech giant did not reveal a price for the watch, but it said it would be a “premium product” when it launches in the autumn.

It faces stiff competition from the likes of Apple and Samsung, which are already market leaders in smartwatches.

There are already many third party Android watches which run on Google’s Wear operating system but so far Google has not had its own device.

Rick Osterloh, senior vice-president of devices and services at Google, said the combination of “Google’s ecosystem and Fitbit expertise” was what made the product unique.

Despite speculation that the Pixel Watch might also pair with Apple products, Google confirmed this will not be the case.

Google’s initial takeover of Fitbit was probed by the European Commission, which eventually gave its approval.

However, Google had to make a number of promises, including not to “degrade the user experience of third-party smartwatches when paired with an Android phone” for a period of 10 years, in Europe.

It also had to pledge not to use Fitbit data for advertising purposes.

Google said it was committed to keeping health and wellness data separate from other user data, and had worked with regulators to address privacy concerns.