Google Pixel Watch 2 doubles down on fitness

Google is finally ready to take a second stab at dethroning Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series as the best smartwatch choice for Android phone owners. The Google Pixel Watch 2 goes on sale imminently, bringing a new CPU generation that promises better battery life, and a more streamlined set of fitness features.

Revealed alongside the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphone duo at Google’s October Hardware event, the $349/£349 Pixel Watch 2 looks physically identical to the original model. That means a 1.2in circular face set into a minimal watch body, only this time it’s made from 100% recycled aluminium instead of stainless steel. Colour options include matte black, polished silver and champagne gold. The whole thing is 5ATM and IP68 water resistant, so can be worn while swimming.

It uses the same bespoke strap connector as before, meaning anyone upgrading can bring their additional bands with them. At 41mm this is still a pretty petite smartwatch compared to something like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, and Google hasn’t slimmed down the sizeable screen bezels at all. WearOS 4 does its best to hide them, with a white text-on-black background layout.

This is Google’s first device to run the latest version of its wearable operating system, having been beaten to the punch by Samsung earlier this year. The biggest additions for 2023 are automatic workout detection, which was bafflingly absent on the first-gen model. Pixel Watch 2 will now start recording exercises including running and cycling, plus pause and resume when you take breaks, without you needing to tap the screen manually. A new multi-path heart rate sensor swaps between single- and multi-path modes depending on how hard you’re working out, and uses AI-based algorithms to deliver more accurate measurements. You get six months of Fitbit Premium included when you buy a Pixel Watch 2.

There’s a bunch of new watch faces to choose from, and more Google apps have dedicated WearOS versions now. Safety check is new for 2023, letting you set timers to alert family members to your location, and Emergency Sharing can put medical info in easy reach.

Inside, the Pixel Watch 2 has seen its CPU upgraded to a Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, which should be both more powerful and more efficient than the Samsung-developed Exynos chip seen in the first-gen watch. It’s paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Battery capacity has climbed slightly to 306mAh.

Google reckons the Pixel Watch 2 is good for 24 hours of battery life with the always-on display enabled. If true that’ll be a welcome increase over the original model, which could barely scrape 18 hours unless you disabled its always-on screen mode.

The Google Pixel Watch 2 is available to pre-order right now, in Wi-Fi and LTE flavours and will start shipping to customers next week. Prices are set to start at $349/£349, which is the same as the first-gen model.

• Related: How to improve your smartwatch battery life – keep your watch going for longer