A new Google Pixel Watch leak shows an alleged glimpse of the rumored smartwatch, suggesting it gets a feature we usually see on traditional watches: a physical crown.
The look came in a tweet with permission from the delicious Jon Prosser, who teased it the day before on Twitter claims images (plural) would be available from the ‘upcoming Pixel Watch (codename: rohan).’ The first image below shows an enticing piece of the alleged dial with the dial just visible behind it.
There is not much else to collect in the picture, although the digital dial is very similar to what you see on a traditional clock̵
(Page note: given Google’s recent mobile codenames have not been bookish, with Google Pixel 4 and 4a codenamed ‘coral’ and ‘flame’, it’s curious to see the very obvious nod to Lord of the Rings’ horse-loving kingdom Rohan, used here.)
Instead, kroner is usually looked at hybrid smartwatches seeking to mix the timeless class of analog hour / minute / second hands with digital screens behind them, such as Misfit phase or Withings Move ECG. Other smartwatches have used new alternatives such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3s physical rotary knob or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2s digital rotary knob, although digital laptops rely on stylish details such as Montblanc Summit 2 has shown physical crowns.
Google Pixel Watch: long time no rumors
We haven’t heard much about Google Pixel Watch in a while. While Google’s acquisition of Fitbit in late 2019 triggered speculation that a first-party smartwatch could follow, the last rumor appeared in May 2020. Oddly enough, the latter is a patent that suggests that an optical sensor in a Google smartwatch could detect finger, wrist and / or arm movements – which seems to contradict a control style using a physical Crown.
It’s not so surprising that we have not had a Google watch given how much the Covid pandemic delayed the release of its Google Pixel 4a phone. While we have not heard why we have not heard anything about the Pixel Watch, this new leak suggests that the portable device has been under development. Given the just announced Google IO 2021 happening in May, we could see it launch there along with other products like Google Pixel 5a – though none of them have yet been officially confirmed.
