What you need to know
- The Pixel Watch 2 will apparently have automatic workout tracking, a feature that was not present on the original Pixel Watch.
- The original Pixel Watch could somewhat track workouts, but it was done after the fact via the Fitbit app.
- A separate leak also reveals new features coming to the Pixel Buds Pro, including conversation tracking.
We're coming up to the Pixel launch event, and a new leak spills the beans on what to expect from the upcoming Pixel Watch 2. In response to a post on X from the Made by Google account, Kamila Wojciechowska rather boldly posted what appears to be official product pages for the upcoming smartwatch, showcasing its design and features. However, while we've had a good look at some upcoming features and updates with previous leaks, one particular feature stood out.
One of the pages reveals that the Pixel Watch 2 will have automatic workout tracking while showing a UI on the watch to start a workout or dismiss the notification. The description notes that the Pixel Watch 2 will be able to automatically start, pause, and stop activities while the watch shows information like heart rate zones and pacing.
I've been told this is new and not previously known. I honestly don't care but maybe someone does. PW1 did not support this: https://t.co/Jyz17Zt5xo pic.twitter.com/7uEaBcRaGFOctober 2, 2023
This is notable because the original Pixel Watch, rather confusingly, did not include auto-workout tracking. Instead, you could start a workout, and the Fitbit app would notify you after the fact that it detected your activity. It's similar to the Oura Ring, which pings your phone after it has detected an activity, although mainly because the device doesn't have a display. It seemed odd that the Pixel Watch could not auto-track workouts from the watch itself, but thankfully, Google seems to have listened.
Other tidbits from the product pages showcase the advanced sensors, emergency features, and "24-hour battery with always-on display." This sounds like quite an improvement over the original model, where battery life was a major complaint, and could be due to the rumored switch to the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1. While it's not the 40 hours Samsung estimates for the Galaxy Watch 6 series, knowing you can go all day with the AOD on doesn't sound too bad.
Meanwhile, an update to the Pixel Buds app has revealed that Google is preparing a major update for the earbuds. Uncovered by 9to5Google, it looks like the Pixel Buds Pro will receive more than just some new colors, with new features coming like low latency audio and "Bluetooth super wideband," which will double the bandwidth for clearer audio during calls.
A hearing wellness feature will be able to tell users if their music is too loud or has exceeded their "recommended exposure limit" and encourage users to reduce their volume.
However, a more intriguing feature 9to5 has uncovered is Conversation Detection. This will enable the Pixel Buds Pro to automatically detect when you're speaking, pause your music, and turn on transparency mode so you can better hear the person you're speaking to without removing your earbuds or having to fiddle around for the pause button.
This isn't exactly a novel feature, as it's one that can be found on some of the best wireless earbuds like the Sony WF-1000XM4 or even the newer XM5s, but it's good to see Google is stepping up its game.
We should expect to learn more about the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Buds Pro during the Made by Google event on October 4.
