Ahh, Google. For years you’ve teased the launch of a Pixel Watch running Wear OS and we’ve waited patiently, even when rumors were quashed. Having finally unveiled the Pixel Watch during Google I/O, we thought that there was no longer any need to worry and that Wear OS would finally have its hero smartwatch that would be powered by a modern Tensor processor. Alas, it is being reported that Google’s Pixel Watch will be powered by a four-year-old Exynos chipset, which if true will surely sabotage its legacy before it even begins.
Using an old chip isn’t bad just because it’s ‘old’. Rather, it’s because the chip will be slower, less efficient, and likely unable to keep up with the demands placed on it by Wear OS 3.1. This will be especially true if the Pixel Watch is powered by the Exynos 9110 chipset that made its debut in the original Galaxy Watch in 2018 and carried on until being replaced for the Galaxy Watch 4 series. which launched back in 2018. For some reason, perhaps because Samsung wouldn’t allow Google to use its new Exynos W920 chipset or it wasn’t possible to develop a Tensor Wear processor in time, the Exynos 9110 chip will reportedly power the Pixel Watch.
When Google and Samsung decided to merge Wear OS and Tizen OS, Qualcomm doesn’t appear to have been included in the discussion which is why devices powered by the Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform are still waiting for news on when they will be updated to the unified Wear OS 3.0 platform.
After waiting so many years for Google to actually follow through with the Pixel Watch, it would be a travesty if 9to5Google’s report is confirmed to be accurate which seems likely because would anything be more Google than using a 4-year-old chip in a much-anticipated product?
Here’s hoping that the report is way off base for once but I have a sinking feeling about the Pixel Watch. Seriously Google, I would wait another year if it means that the Pixel Watch would be powered by a modern chipset.
