Google's Pixel Watch 2 will reportedly have significantly improved battery life
A switch to a Snapdragon chip could solve complaints about longevity.
What complaints you had about the Pixel Watch's battery life might disappear with its sequel. Sources speaking to 9to5Google claim the Pixel Watch 2 will switch from Samsung's 2018-era Exynos 9110 to one of Qualcomm's much newer Snapdragon W5 models. Although the battery in the new smartwatch isn't supposed to be significantly bigger, the longevity is supposed to be much-improved — reportedly, it can last over a day with the always-on display enabled where that simply wasn't possible before.
The Pixel Watch 2 is also said to use the same health sensors as the Fitbit Sense 2. That could introduce ways to measure stress (that is, electrodermal activity) and skin temperature. Many other details remain a mystery, but it won't be surprising if the new model is one of the first devices to run Wear OS 4. The new platform should boost performance, add backup support and increase accessibility.
A previous rumor hinted the Pixel Watch 2 will debut alongside the Pixel 8 this fall. If the wristwear does use Snapdragon hardware, it'll represent an unusual twist. Google has so far leaned heavily on Samsung-based chips for recent mobile devices, including the Tensor G2 found in phones as recent as the Pixel 7a. This suggests Google is willing to break with recent tradition in the name of a better product.
