We know the Google Pixel Watch is coming, but initial reports meant we expected to be underwhelmed: as we reported last week, the Pixel Watch is running a comparatively old processor that isn't as good as the one in the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, let alone the expected Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 later this year. But according to sources speaking to 9to5Google, it's not that simple. While the processor is indeed the Samsung Exynos 9110, that's not the whole story.
According to the sources, the Exynos will be paired with a co-processor and possibly given Google's Tensor branding. A co-processor can offload some of the workload, freeing up the CPU to handle the most pressing tasks while the co-processor handles things like sensor input and step counting. So while on paper the processor might not seem impressive, as part of a more complex system it'll deliver very different performance.
More memory and more storage too
In addition to a co-processor, 9to5Google's sources also say that reports of 32GB of storage are true. That's twice the storage of any other Wear OS watch, including the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, and it's likely to enable larger playlist downloads for offline music listening. It'll also have more RAM. We don't know the exact figure, but the source says it's definitely more than the 1.5GB that's in the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the best smartwatch that isn't made by Apple. That could be significant, because more RAM can often mean a much smoother and less glitchy device – and that's as true of smartwatches as it's been of smartphones.
I previously wrote that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 would most likely leave the Google Pixel Watch in the dirt. I don't think it's quite so clear cut now, although if Samsung ups the spec for its next generation smartwatch then it too could ship with more storage, more RAM and more sensors. But the latest leaks indicate that Google's own watch is going to be more capable than it initially seemed, and if it's priced to sell and makes full use of Fitbit integration then Google could have a hit on its hands. Or rather, on your wrist.
