I’m a fan of Google’s smartphone line, but its wearables have never truly clicked with me. I currently daily-drive the OnePlus Watch 2, which I swap out for the Apple Watch Ultra (2022) from time-to-time.
Although I’m not a runner, I love going on hikes and leisurely walks. The wearables work without a hiccup during those activities. However, they don’t do much to aid me during strength training sessions at the gym. Said wearables do offer a basic traditional strength training mode, paired with individual ones for different muscle groups, but these often feel rudimentary, offering no additional assistance other than tracking calories burnt, heart rate, and the workout duration.
Third-party apps do a better job of tracking reps, sets, and overall workouts, though with what Google seems to be cooking, a native Pixel Watch experience might be all that I need.
In addition to offering continuous SpO2 monitoring and low oxygen detection, Google’s upcoming Pixel Watch will reportedly also feature an all-new ‘strength training experience,’ one that will be paired with a ‘Workout Builder.’
The information comes via an AndroidHeadlines report that also lists Pixel Watch 4 upgrades that will appeal to running enthusiasts, swimmers, and even cyclists.
Software is taking the lead
The Workout Builder will let users create their own personalized Interval Workouts with warm-up and cool-down periods depending on their individual needs.
The watch will give real-time guidance during your workout. After the workout, users can expect to see “insight,” while the day after, the Pixel Watch 4 will provide a ‘readiness’ score, which will likely assess how well your body has recovered by analyzing different metrics, and suggest whether you should workout today or not.
The strength training enhancement will be paired with new metrics for runners. These include cadence, stride length, vertical oscillation, ground contact, and ground contact balance, and vertical ratio. Fitbit Premium subscribers, on the other hand, will get daily AI-generated running recommendations. The Pixel Watch 3 came with a free six-month Fitbit Premium promotion, and the same will likely be the case for the Pixel Watch 4.
The Pixel Watch 4 is only expected to feature incremental hardware upgrades, so it’s nice to see Google offering more on the software side. From what we already know, the Pixel Watch series will retain its predecessor’s pricing, in addition to its chip.
