Pixel Watch 2 leaks suggest it could help with stress and medical emergencies
The Pixel Watch 2 will have several new sensors inside, robust health features, and the ability to translate languages on the fly.
These are all claims from a recent article by 9To5Google which reportedly got the inside scoop from undisclosed sources regarding the future wearable. The leak offers an in-depth look on what the Pixel Watch 2 will bring to the table. Most notably, Google is keen on improving the Pixel Watch’s wellness features and will do so by taking tech seen on first-party hardware.
Case in point, the device will be receiving the electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor and thermometer as seen on the Fitbit Sense 2. The former is said to give the wearable the ability to track a user’s stress before offering ways on how to relieve said stress. The latter allows people to check their skin’s temperature on demand to fuel some kind of function. The report doesn’t reveal anything about the thermometer’s purpose.
9To5Google states a possible use case could be to “help track menstrual cycles, as seen on the Galaxy Watch 5”, however, the sources couldn’t confirm if the Pixel Watch 2 could do that.
Safety first
The next area Google is focusing on heavily is the Personal Safety app.
Currently, Personal Safety is rather limited in what it can do. It can detect if “you’ve taken a hard fall” and need help from emergency services. For the future smartwatch, the company will introduce three new functions.
One: the “Pixel Watch 2 will work in tandem with the car crash detection” tool on Pixel phones to display important medical information on the watch face for emergency responders. Two: Emergency Sharing will be added allowing users to share their location with trusted contacts. You won’t need to connect to your smartphone either because the wearable will come equipped with LTE connectivity. And three: the Pixel Watch 2 is gaining Safety Check, a tool that lets users perform a wellness check on themselves. If you don’t respond to it, Google can notify people on your emergency contacts list.
Multi-lingual watch
As for the language translation aspect, the report states it will utilize Google Assistant’s Interpreter Mode – not Google Translate. The way it works is you command Google Assistant to interpret one language to another, like English to Spanish. Upon activation, you can proceed to speak in either language through the device. “You don’t have to alternate” between the two, according to a Nest Help page.
What’s particularly interesting is that 9to5Google claims Interpreter Mode is already available on the original Pixel Watch even though the support documentation for the feature doesn’t mention a single wearable. If this is true, it’s possible some of the upcoming features on the Pixel Watch 2 may roll out to the first-gen model.
As always, take this leak with a grain of salt. Things can change. We won’t have to wait long to get the full picture as the tech giant is set to reveal the Pixel Watch 2 on October 4.
While you wait, check out TechRadar’s list of the best smartwatches for 2023.
