Pixel Watch 2 specs have leaked, leaving us concerned and intrigued
Specifications for the Pixel Watch 2 have recently surfaced in what may be the most believable leak for the wearable to date.
This information comes from 9to5Google who dug it up from the “Google Play Console Device Catalog”, an official resource for android developers. The spec sheet reveals what appears to be the Pixel Watch 2, codenamed “Eos”, and that it will be equipped with the Qualcomm SW5100. That chip identifier is believed to be a reference to the base model of the Snapdragon W5 SoC (system on a chip).
A Snapdragon W5 Plus does exist and can be found on the TicWatch Pro 5. The difference is that the Plus version comes with a second “co-processor”. Based on this difference, you’d think the Pixel Watch 2 won’t perform as well as the TicWatch Pro 5. A Android Authority report from early August suggests that Google’s new wearable will indeed have a second processor. Instead of using a third-party component, the company will use a “custom co-processor…similar to the first-generation Pixel Watch.”
Better performance
Assuming this is true, we question the decision to use the base W5 silicon instead of the more power-efficient Snapdragon W5 Plus. Qualcomm even claims that this chipset could double the battery life of a smartwatch. Having the regular Snapdragon W5 will almost certainly result in shorter battery life.
Why would Google do this? It could be a matter of striking the right balance between the price of portable devices and the likely higher cost of more energy-efficient components.
Continuing with the leaked spec sheet, Android 13 will be pre-installed on the smartwatch. 9to5Google takes this revelation as confirmation that the Pixel Watch 2 will “launch (sports) Wear OS 4”. They further claim that there is evidence that the device will have the “new ‘Backup’ feature…one of the major upgrades of Wear OS 4.” Backupas the name suggests, it would provide users with a way to store their data and then transfer everything securely “from an old watch to (a) new watch”.
Remain the same
Compared to the two aspects we just covered, the rest of the leak is relatively small. The screen on the Pixel Watch 2 is said to have a resolution of 384 x 384 pixels with a screen density of 320 ppi (pixels per inch) – just like the first Pixel Watch. The RAM even remains the same at 2 GB. As you can see, not everything gets an upgrade.
We should mention that the Google Play Console listing has an image that some online reports say is the Pixel Watch 2. It’s actually a placeholder image of the original Pixel Watch. In fact, you can go to the official Pixel Watch page on Google’s website and find the exact picture there.
As with any leak, take this information with a grain of salt. Or maybe not. Since this is all coming from an official source, there could be more truth to it than we realize.