Multiple sources showed that Google is developing a new smartwatch, which is planned to be launched next year, once again making efforts in the wearable device market.
Moreover, internal documents show that this code-named “Rohan” device will be equipped with the latest version of Google’s smartwatch software. Google currently mainly develops software for smartwatches of partners such as Samsung but has not yet developed its own hardware devices.
Google SmartWatch will put the company in a head-to-head confrontation with Apple. Facts have proved that the Apple Watch has achieved great success and seized the leading position in the smartwatch market.
According to the renderings, unlike Apple Watch, Google SmartWatch is round and adopts a borderless design. Similar to Apple’s products, this watch can track health and fitness indicators.
Since the beginning of this year, the Rohan project has accelerated its pace. According to the news, Google has introduced employees outside the smartwatch team to provide feedback on the internal testing of this product. The most recent feedback collection was conducted in November.
This watch is called “Pixel Watch” or ” Android Watch” internally at Google, but executives will also use a number of different names to refer to the project, and the final name is still unclear.
In January of this year, Google acquired Fitbit, a US health and Lohas product company, for US$2.1 billion. Fitbit has said that the company plans to develop devices equipped with Google’s operating system. However, Google currently does not intend to use the Fitbit brand on Rohan watches.
Rohan watches are equipped with a heart rate monitor and provide basic health tracking functions, such as step count. Documents show that this watch needs to be charged once a day, and an employee who participated in the test also complained about the “turtle speed” of charging the watch. Like Apple Watch, this smartwatch is also equipped with a dedicated strap.
Another early concept document described Google’s goal of developing a watch that can satisfy at least 90% of people’s wearing comfort. The document reads: “The size defect will cause some users to be completely excluded from wearable devices.” It is unclear whether Google intends to provide watches in multiple sizes.
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At the meeting, Google executives told employees that they plan to launch this smartwatch next year. Two employees said that if the latest round of testing goes well, this watch may be released next spring. However, all sources emphasized that product details and release schedules may be adjusted based on feedback from employees participating in the test.
A Google spokesperson declined to comment on the above rumors. Google’s smartwatch program has been on and off for years. Previous reports showed that Google planned to launch the first Google-branded watch in 2016, but it eventually ran aground. Google instead chose to license the smartwatch software to a third-party company.
However, the market share of Google’s smartwatch software has been slow to make a breakthrough. According to IDC data, in terms of the operating system it carries, Apple Watch’s shipments in the smartwatch market accounted for 45.1% in the first half of 2021, while smartwatches equipped with Google’s Wear OS system accounted for only 3.1%.
However, Google may reverse this trend. At the I/O conference in May, Google released an upgraded version of the smartwatch system developed in cooperation with Samsung. A recent Counterpoint Research report stated that thanks to the sales of Samsung watches equipped with Google’s new operating system, Wear OS shipments rose to 17.3%, while Apple’s shipments in the third quarter were 21.8% and Fitbit’s 4.4%.
In recent months, Google has made several changes, integrating work on Rohan and the broader wearable device business. According to sources, Google has merged Fitbit into the equipment and services department and recently merged the wearable device team with Fitbit. The company is also promoting Fitbit to integrate the Wear OS system. The internal code of this project is “Nightlight” and it is expected to appear together with Rohan.
On the other hand, such Google-branded watches also help promote Google’s business goals in the medical and health field. Google disbanded the health department in September but still plans to develop medical and health businesses throughout the company. According to previous reports, Google will also integrate the team that handles health records into Fitbit.
When talking about the Fitbit team, a Google employee said: “This is quite a direct imitation of the framework of Apple’s health business. It seems that Google wants to catch up with Apple’s HealthKit ecosystem and reorganize everything from the future in order to achieve its goals.”
