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We’ve now gotten multiple looks at the upcoming Google Pixel Watch, but it’s likely there will be one or two more announcements when the device is finally fully unveiled — which should be on October 6.
One of those announcements could be around a Google Photos watch face for the Pixel Watch. As noted by 9to5Google (opens in new tab)there is now code hidden in the Google Photos app for Android that references support for adding images to a wearable’s screen.
It seems that multiple images can be selected, although there will be an unspecified limit. Presumably, if more than one photo is chosen, the watch face will scroll through them, although the details of how this will work aren’t quite clear yet.
Photos for everyone
There’s no indication that this Google Photos watch face will be exclusive to the Pixel Watch: While Google may introduce the feature alongside the Pixel Watch, it will likely make its way to other Wear OS 3 smartwatches eventually.
That said, it’s worth bearing in mind that features come and go all the time in app development. It is likely that the code identified here will be converted to a full function, but there is no guarantee.
We’ve heard quite a few rumors about the Pixel Watch since Google confirmed its existence. It will apparently come equipped with two chipsets and at a price that undercuts the Apple Watch – although it may not be on sale for a while.
Analysis: Google is catching up
Being able to use your own photos as a smartwatch watch face is a pretty basic functionality – and yet it’s a feature that doesn’t currently exist for Wear OS device owners, without the help of a third-party app.
Something that the Apple Watch has been able to do for years. You choose your favorite images – your kids, your pets, your trip around the world – and they appear on the small screen on your wrist.
While this may not seem like the most important smartwatch feature, it still highlights the catching up that Google needs to do. It currently lags far behind Apple in the wearable market both in terms of hardware and software.
Bringing Fitbit to Google should help: Steps are now in place to merge Fitbit and Google accounts, and in the future we should see devices that are more polished and attractive. For now, though, we’re just waiting to see what the Pixel Watch will offer and at what price.