Rumor: Google smartwatch coming in 2022 and becoming Apple Watch competitor

Google is still working on its own smartwatch, according to Business Insider. This watch, codenamed Rohan, may be the first Wear OS smartwatch with Fitbit integration, could be released in the spring and should compete with the Apple Watch.

Rohan is to become Google’s first own smartwatch that the company has developed itself and markets as a Google product. Based on anonymous Google employees, Business Insider writes that the watch will have a round screen without bezels and will have health and fitness functions.

It is not yet clear what the product will eventually be called; internally, the product is called both the Pixel watch and the Android watch. The smartwatch will not become a Fitbit product in any case. The product is now being tested internally, also by departments other than the smartwatch group. An employee testing the watch would complain about how long it takes for the smartwatch to fully charge. At the moment, the smartwatch requires daily charging, the documents say.

While the smartwatch won’t become a Fitbit smartwatch, it should get Fitbit integration. Google is now working on Fitbit integration within Wear OS, according to Business Insider, a project that would internally be called Nightlight. The company is said to be hoping to debut Nightlight with the Google smartwatch. Further details about Nightlight are not given.

Google previously worked on a smartwatch, but in 2016 chose to discontinue this product and instead focus on smartwatch software for partner companies. However, Google’s smartwatch market share would lag behind Apple; that is why Google would now like to come up with a smartwatch itself.

Business Insider’s article confirms many of the rumors Front Page Tech brought up in April. FPT also spoke about a round smartwatch and shared renders. According to Front Page Tech, however, the smartwatch would appear around October, although Prosser did say that the introduction could be postponed.

Business Insider says two sources believe the smartwatch could be launched in the spring now, if testing goes well. Little is known about the specifications of the smartwatch. The Verge reports based on an anonymous source that the smartwatch will be more expensive than a Fitbit watch and will compete more with the Apple Watch in terms of price.

Via Front Page Tech