It’s all in the wrist.
Google revealed its second generation smartwatch during its Made By Google event in New York on Wednesday, where it also revealed its anticipated Pixel 8 phone lineup.
The new Pixel Watch 2 starts at $349.99, and is available for preorder now, with the devices shipping the week of Oct. 12. The next-generation Pixel Watch boasts three sensors to give more accurate heart rate monitoring, a skin temperature sensor that has applied for FDA approval, plus several AI features to offer other health and wellness insights. For example, it’s incorporating Fitbit’s continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor — which measures heart rate, heart rate variability and skin temperature and runs them through an algorithm to detect physical symptoms of stress. The watch will then offer interventions — such as suggesting a breathing exercise or mindfulness session.
This news comes less than a month after Apple
AAPL,
revealed its anticipated Apple Watch Series 9 during its own product launch event, when it also showcased the long-awaited iPhone 15 lineup.
The new Apple Watch Series 9 starts at $399, and features a new S9 chip that could lead to speed and efficiency improvements and faster load times, the same 18-hour battery life, a new FineWoven fabric band, and up to 2000-nit brightness display. During the event, Apple called its new S9 chip its “most powerful yet.”
Opinion: Why iPhone and Android users have so many fights over their phone choices
Apple also debuted a brand new “double-tap” gesture, which allows people to answer calls and interact with their watch by tapping their index finger and thumb together when their non-watch hand is occupied.
So which smartwatch makes the most sense for you and your wallet? Check out how the Apple Watch Series 9 compares with the Google Pixel Watch and the base model of the Samsung
005930,
Galaxy Watch6 in the table below.
The Apple Watch has become the company’s hottest-selling product, and a back-to-school essential for many students. Apple’s wearables, including the signature smartwatches, made up $8.28 billion of the company’s $81.8 billion total revenue for its third quarter. What’s more, a recent Counterpoint survey found that almost 80% of iPhone users with a smartwatch own an Apple Watch, so it’s become a key accessory for shoppers embedded in the Apple ecosystem.
Still, the Apple Watch is facing increasing competition from rivals like Google. And it’s also raised some eyebrows by making older watch models obsolete, such as an 18-karat gold Apple Watch from 2015 that cost between $10,000 and $17,000, and will no longer be serviced for repairs or updates.
More on MarketWatch:
How does the iPhone 15 compare to the latest Pixel and Galaxy devices?
Apple’s iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 13: Is the upgrade worth it?
Spent $17,000 on the gold Apple Watch? Here’s how much more money you’d have now if you bought Apple stock instead.
Read the full article here