We’ve seen a lot of rumours aboutGoogle’s highly anticipated wearable,the Pixel Watch. The latest comes from9to5Googleand suggests the device may be powered by a Samsung Exynos chip and feature the next-generationGoogle Assistant.
Firstly, the investigation uncovers some code that indicates Google is leaning toward calling the device Pixel Watch, as has long been suspected. The uncovered code is tagged ‘PIXEL_EXPERIENCE_WATCH’ and matches the tags used forPixel deviceexclusive Android features, these are typically tagged ‘PIXEL_EXPERIENCE’.
Next, it uncovered references to “Rohan” which is suspected to be a codename associated with the Pixel Watch, according to a report fromBusiness Insider. 9to5Google was able to tie the codename to the addition of the next-generation Google Assistant toWear OS devices.
So, what is the next-generation Google Assistant? It’s a feature we’ve seen exclusively on Pixel devices since the launch of thePixel 4. The feature processes your speech directly on the device, rather than on a Google server, resulting in a massive speed increase for Assistant requests.
In theWear OS 3emulator, Google Assitant related graphics were found. Featuring a four-colour bar that is familiar to Pixel device users when Assistant is activated.
The graphic shows a second button on the watch, which is something that has been absent from Pixel Watch renders that have leaked so far.
For the local speech processing features to work, a pretty beefy chip is required. The hunt for Rohan mentions in the code led to evidence suggesting the device may be powered by aSamsung Exynos processor.
Google and Samsung have a close working relationship on theGalaxy line of smartwatchesandGoogle Tensor chipsare largely Exynos based. So this wouldn’t be too surprising if it proves true.
Whether Google decides to integrate some of its own hardware and rebrand the chips as Google Tensor, or simply stick with Exynos, only time will tell.
