The Pixel Watch 2 is widely tipped to arrive this fall alongside the Pixel 8 smartphones, and confirmation seems to have arrived via Google itself.
Specifically, "Eos" — the long-established codename for the Pixel Watch 2 — has popped up in the Google Play Console device catalog for developers. The listing, spotted by 9to5Google, confirms some key specifications about the device, including one that should address some big gripes with the original wearable.
That’s an upgrade to the chip powering it. The original Pixel Watch raised eyebrows when it launched last year by adopting the Exynos 9110 — a chipset that was first released all the way back in 2018.
While it’s true that smartwatches’ relatively simple requirements mean they don’t need the very latest and greatest, more modern chips offer improved speed and efficiency. This, in turn, contributes to better battery life — something the Pixel Watch could really do with as it struggles to get through a day without a spell at the charger.
And it looks like Google has listened: the listing states the Pixel Watch 2 uses something labeled “SW5100”. 9to5Google says this means the Snapdragon W5, which only came out last year.
But despite previous rumors, the site suggests this will be the basic W5 chip, and not the W5 Plus found in the recent TicWatch Pro 5. 9to5Google speculates this is because Google intends to use its own co-processor, rather than the one found in the Plus version, so it “shouldn’t matter” from a performance perspective. And while the rumored increase to battery capacity is small, a more efficient processor could make a world of difference.
The device is listed as running Android 13 — which means Wear OS 4. Frankly, it would be surprising if Google’s latest smartwatch were running anything else, but the site suggests that it’ll include the new Backup feature, where users can easily transfer data from an old smartwatch to a new one.
Elsewhere, it’s more of the same. The listing says the Pixel Watch 2 will come with a 384 x 384 screen, giving it a pixel density of 320ppi, which is the same as last time. The 2GB of RAM listed is also the same.
There’s an image attached, but it appears to be a placeholder as it’s exactly the same one used in the Pixel Watch 1 listing. This isn’t to say that the wearables won’t look very similar, but it will apparently sport a new aluminum shell and offer brand-new strap options.
We’ve still got a little while before this is confirmed. We’re expecting the Pixel Watch 2 to be unveiled alongside the Pixel 8, and Google usually debuts new phones in October.
