What you need to know
- New leaks show Google upgrading the Pixel Watch 2 with several new hardware features and some important Fitbit app UI changes.
- It's expected that the Pixel Watch 2 will have a skin temperature sensor and EDA sensor for enhanced health metrics.
- The Fitbit app is supposedly getting a UI revamp and the watch will also include car crash detection and real-time translation.
Google is officially unveiling the Pixel Watch 2 on October 4 at the Made by Google event in New York City, but until then, the leaks are giving us a good idea of what to expect from Google's second-generation smartwatch.
The latest round of leaks from 9to5Google suggests that Google will be including a skin temperature sensor in the Pixel Watch 2, similar to what's reportedly going to be on the Google Pixel 8. A temperature sensor on a watch seems to make more sense than one on a phone and could be used to track menstrual cycles, physical health, and likely several other metrics.
Since it's sitting on your skin already, Google looks to also be including a new Electrodermal Activity (EDA) sensor on the Pixel Watch 2. This sensor is commonly used to track stress on Fitbit watches, so it makes sense for Google to bring it over to the Pixel Watch 2.
Similarly, it looks like Google is taking Fitbit integration even more seriously this time around and will allegedly be revamping the UI on several Fitbit apps. According to 9to5Google's source, one such app is the exercise UI, which will now display heart rate zones more clearly, encouraging users to meet heart rate zones with a more glanceable and informative design.
Google Translate will also reportedly be making a reappearance on the Pixel Watch 2 via the Google Assistant instead of a dedicated app this time around. 9to5Google reports that this feature is currently live on the original Pixel Watch, but the translation feature failed for me, so your mileage may vary. Just ask Google Assistant to translate a conversation and follow the prompts to see if it works for you.
Lastly, car crash detection could be making its way to the Pixel Watch 2, one of our favorite Pixel features from the past few years. Google rolled out this feature years before Apple put it on iPhones, and it would be great to see it make its way to a watch, as it would display vital information for emergency responders right on your watch face.
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