The Alphabet Inc. company revealed on Thursday that Google’s first wristwatch will go on sale on October 13 for $350, entering a market dominated by Apple Watch at a time when consumers are shunning all types of expensive wearables owing to the impact of inflation.
The brand-new round-faced Pixel Watch, which comes in a variety of bracelet styles and is composed of glass and stainless steel, supports contactless payments, music control, and turn-by-turn navigation. It costs $50 extra for a device with cellular connectivity.
The timepieces will be offered for sale in the US as well as other nations. According to Sandeep Waraich, a Google director of product management, Apple grants its own watches exclusive access to messaging and other key services that customers would desire, so they won’t pair with iPhones.
Because it can only be purchased by owners of Android phones, costs $100 more than Apple Inc.’s base model, and is quite pricey, the Google Pixel Watch faces substantial adoption obstacles. Even Apple Watch sales are down this year as consumers decide against purchasing or go with less expensive options.
According to Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager at market intelligence firm IDC, ‘the market is not as strong as it once was,’ thus aggressive discounting will be crucial for Google.
Apple, Samsung Electronics, and Fitbit watches, which Google acquired last year and whose devices are renowned for tracking user health, are already compatible with Google apps.
Google announced that sales of its newest products would begin on October 13 in 17 countries. The 6.3-inch Pixel 7 costs $599, while the shinier, 6.7-inch Pixel 7 Pro costs $899. Both have more RAM and a better camera.
Google’s revenues are increasing despite the company being a relatively tiny player overall in the smartphone market. 3 million phones were shipped in the first half of this year, up 131% from the same period last year, according to tracking company Canalys.
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