What you need to know
- A source who sent the images to Android Central said what could be a Pixel Watch and was found at a restaurant in the US
- Images of what the watch could be like match several leaked rumors, including a minimalist design, crown, and a potentially hidden button.
- It looks like the watch is owned by Google Band.
- We do not know what the charging will look like as the watch did not have a charger.
A Google Pixel Watch was apparently abandoned and found at a restaurant in the US, and images sent to Android Central by a source show what looks like Google’s first smartwatch.
Android Central has reviewed images of the watch that could be announced during next month’s Google I/O. It is possible that the watch may release alongside the Pixel 7.
The source, who we have left anonymous to protect his identity, said the watch, which could be “a test model for the internal Pixel team”, was found in a restaurant.
The leak is very reminiscent of when Gizmodo reported about an iPhone 4 prototype that was lost and found at once. The phone was camouflaged to look like the iPhone 3GS.
If the images are genuine, then this is the first time that we have seen the rumored watch called “Rohan”. 9to5Google has found hidden code in a Google update, indicating that the Pixel Watch will use the Exynos chipset instead of the Snapdragon models found in most Wear OS 3-qualified watches.
The watch in our images looks almost identical to the leaked rumored render images. It has a minimalist design and the leaks suggest a screen with hardly any bezels. The image also confirms one of the rumored colors the watch will come in: black.
(image credits: reader supplied)
(image credits: reader supplied)
(image credits: reader supplied)
Previous rumors have suggested that the watch will feature a rotating crown and potentially two hidden buttons.
(image credits: reader supplied)
It’s a little hard to tell from the image above, but if it’s a rumored watch, there’s definitely at least one button next to the crown.
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Looking at the images above, it looks like the watch band is a proprietary Google Band and looks similar to the jelly-like Apple Watch Sport band. This could mean that we may see many more colors to come. It also looks like it attaches directly to the watch case.
This can make swapping out watch bands difficult, especially when other top Android smartwatches give you more leeway with standard watch band types.
There was no charger left with the watch, but it is possible to charge the watch from the back of the watch case. Fitbit’s Versa 3 and Sense smartwatches (Fitbit is owned by Google) and Apple Watch are charged similarly.
The source indicated that the bottom “looks like metal but looks like it’s coated with glass.”
(image credits: reader supplied)
(image credits: reader supplied)
In this particular image shown above, we can see what looks like prongs in one of the band slots. It is possible that this is just an engineering sample that is used for testing and will not be on a production release.
We can’t be sure, but the watch could also have Qi standard, allowing for wireless charging capabilities.
Since the watch didn’t have a charger, we can’t be sure what’s going on inside.
(image credits: reader supplied)
The source indicated that nothing happened after the boot logo when they tried to turn it on, which you can see as in the image above. This means that there is no OS installed on the watch yet.
We know Google will be using the new Wear OS 3 co-developed with Samsung, but we can also expect Google to put its Pixel-esque spin on the software.
The last thing to note, we don’t know the regions in which Google plans to release the watch, but it is possible that this will include North America, Canada, and the European Union.
(image credits: reader supplied)
As in this image, a small note at the bottom of the box indicates: “This device has not been authorized in accordance with the regulations of the Federal Communications Commission and Industry Canada, nor has it been tested for compliance with EU regulations is.”
It also notes that this model is for “internal testing and development only” and that “markings and packaging are not final.”
Android Central blurred out parts of this box for privacy reasons.
