Following reports of a Meta (Facebook) watch in the works and even a leaked image, Google is the latest tech giant to make an Apple Watch competitor, according to a new report by Insider.
The outlet is reporting that Google is finally creating a smartwatch (codenamed “Rohan”) that will rival the Apple Watch with the Google Pixel hardware team developing it separately from Fitbit which Google bought for $2.1 billion. The watch will reportedly cost more than a Fitbit and focus on a rivalry with the Apple Watch.
While Google has been manufacturing smartphones independently since 2016 with the Pixel lineup, the company has never created a smartwatch. It’s unknown if the rumored product will be called “Pixel Watch” though it’s still early to call.
The watch will feature basic fitness tracking elements like heart rate and step counting sensors, with a reported Fitbit integration with Google’s Wear OS software. The watch is reportedly slated to launch in 2022.
This isn’t the first time we hear about a Google-made Apple Watch rival, back in April, Apple analyst and tech leaker Jon Prosser reported that a Pixel Watch is in the works with renders showing perhaps how the device will look like: