This story has been updated to include more information about the alleged leaked Google Pixel Watch, including an image of the potential watch alongside a Samsung Galaxy Watch and an Apple Watch. The article also includes some additional details from a Reddit post our source wrote about.
What you need to know
- A source who sent the footage to Android Central said what may be the Pixel Watch was left and found in a restaurant in the United States.
- Images of what could be the watch appear to match many leaked rumors, including the minimalist design, the crown, and a potential hidden button.
- It looks like the watch has proprietary Google bands.
- We don’t know what charging will look like as the watch does not come with a charger.
A Google Pixel Watch was apparently left behind and found in a restaurant in the US, and footage sent by a source to Android Central looks like it could be Google’s first smartwatch.
Android Central has reviewed images of the watch that may be announced during Google I/O next month. It’s possible the watch itself could be released alongside the Pixel 7.
The source, who we left anonymous to protect his identity, said the watch, which may be “a test model for the Internal Pixel team”, was found in a restaurant. The source asked Android Central not to release their name or restaurant name, including location, to protect their jobs. After this story was reported, the source wrote a Reddit post about the alleged watch. The source said the watch was left at the restaurant “for a few weeks waiting for people who left it to come back, but that never happened.”
The leak is very reminiscent of when Gizmodo reported on the iPhone 4 prototype that was lost and found in a bar. The phone has been camouflaged to look like an iPhone 3GS.
If the images are real, this is the first time we’ve seen the watch dubbed ‘Rohan’. 9to5Google has found the code hidden in a Google update indicating that the Pixel Watch will use an Exynos chipset, rather than the Snapdragon model found in most Wear OS 3-eligible watches.
The watch in our images looks almost identical to leaked images rendered by rumors. It has a minimalist design and follows what leaks have suggested a screen with almost no bezels. The image also confirms one of the rumored colors the watch will come in: black.
Previous rumors have suggested the watch will have a rotating crown and potentially two hidden buttons.
It’s a little hard to tell from the image above, but if this is the rumored watch, there’s definitely at least one button next to the crown.
Looking at the images above, it appears that the watch strap is a proprietary Google strap and looks a lot like the jelly-like Apple Watch sports bands. This could mean we could see a lot more colors to come. It also looks like it attaches directly to the watch case.
This can make swapping watch straps difficult, especially when most other high-end Android smartwatches give you more leeway with standard watch strap types.
No charger was left with the watch, but it is possible that the watch can be charged from the back of the watch case. This is also how Fitbit’s Versa 3 and Sense smartwatches (Fitbit is owned by Google) and the Apple Watch are charged.
The source said the bottom “looks metallic but feels like it’s covered in glass.”
The image above is a side by side comparison with a 40mm Apple Watch and a 46mm Galaxy Watch. The image was posted to Reddit by our source after this story was published.
In this particular image that is shown above, we can see what looks like pins in one of the tape slots. It is possible that this is only an engineering sample used for testing and may not be present on a production build.
We can’t be sure, but the watch could also have the Qi standard, allowing for wireless charging capabilities.
Because the watch didn’t come with a charger, we can’t be sure what’s going on inside.
The source said nothing happened beyond the boot logo when they tried to turn it on, which you can see in the image above. This probably means that no operating system is installed on the watch yet.
We know Google will be using the new Wear OS 3 co-developed with Samsung, but we could also expect Google to put its own Pixel-esque twist on the software.
The last thing to note, we don’t know the regions Google plans to release the watch in, but it may include North America, Canada, and the EU.
According to this image, a small note at the bottom of the box reads: “This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission and Industry Canada, nor has it been tested. for compliance with EU regulations. »
He also notes that this model is for “internal testing and development only” and that “markings and packaging are not final.”
Android Central has obfuscated parts of this box for privacy reasons.
