The Google Pixel Watch 2 has arrived at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for regulatory approval, an important step for a gadget launch in the US – and the filing gives us a few bits of information about the upcoming smartwatch.
First of all the documentation (through 9to5Google) reports testing with four separate bands: a plastic active band, a metal mesh band, a metal link band, and a metal thin band. The plastic active and metal link bands are presumably the same as those already available for the original Pixel Watch.
That leaves the metal mesh band, which was announced for the Google Pixel Watch but never actually went on sale, and the metal thin band – a band that could be a brand new one, though we’ll have to wait for the device to launch to be sure.
The other key fact from the FCC filing is that ultra-wideband technology (UWB) isn’t included in the wearable – although a leak last week said it would be. The technology helps locate devices and communicate between devices, and is currently found in the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, as well as the Google Pixel Tablet.
Earlier rumours
While this particular Google Pixel Watch 2 leak may not be the most exciting in terms of what it reveals, it confirms that the wearable is on its way. The thought is that it could launch sometime in October, along with the Google Pixel 8.
We’ve heard that the Pixel Watch 2’s design may be lighter than the watch it replaces, with a body made from aluminum rather than stainless steel. That should make it more comfortable to wear on the wrist.
There’s also expected to be a significantly faster processor in the Pixel Watch 2, meaning smoother performance for Wear OS. A more modern CPU should also be more efficient, which can help with battery life.
We’ve also seen some of the new watch faces Google is preparing as exclusives to its new smartwatch, which should launch alongside Wear OS 4, the next major update to Google’s wearables software.