For almost ten years, Google has been accurate about wearables. The corporation now claims to be serious about them as well.

Why did it take Google so long to create a smartwatch? Rick Osterloh, Google's SVP of hardware and the man in charge of all things Pixel, responded to my query with a single word: Fitbit. Without a top-notch health and fitness platform, which Google lacked up until recently, it was unable to create the smartwatch it desired.

A few days before Google officially announces the new Pixel Watch and Pixel 7 phones, Osterloh tells me over Google Meet, 'We wanted to develop a watch earlier.' On his left wrist, he has a Pixel Watch, and on the desk in front of him are both the Pixel 7 and the impending Pixel Tablet. And if we hadn't lacked what we perceived to be the necessary tools for health and wellness, we probably would have. For this reason, Google agreed to buy the fitness tracker company in 2019 for $2.1 billion. However, the deal didn't close until early 2021, so Google was unable to work on integrating or enhancing Fitbit's features during that time.

However, once Osterloh and his group were able to begin collaborating with the Fitbit team, things moved swiftly. He claims that 'the Pixel Watch idea was really fairly easy.' Offer excellent health and wellness information via the Fitbit app, include the greatest features of Google and its core apps into the gadget, and then combine everything in a stunning design. In roughly that order, the Pixel Watch is intended to be a fantastic fitness tracker, a stylish fashion accessory, and a Google Assistant on your wrist. Health and fitness apps are currently the 'killer app' for watches, according to Osterloh.

Google, though, sees the smartwatch as much more in the long run. Google envisions ambient computing as a future in which all of your devices function flawlessly in unison to simplify your life. A wearable computer that can track your location, activities, and emotions is essential for the system to function. Even augmented reality glasses are unable to comprehend you as well as a device like the Pixel Watch. Google anticipates that the smartwatch will eventually overtake the smartphone in importance.

There's a good reason for the sneaky déjà vu sense you're experiencing right now. This topic, which discusses the potential of smartwatches and Google's vision in a more individualised future of computing, has already been covered extensively. Nearly ten years ago, Google had a lot of big ideas for smartwatches, and those ideas have essentially come true. However, Apple was the one making the case as the Apple Watch was a success while Android-powered watches were mainly a failure and Google never even released its own flagship product.

Google now claims that it is once more dead serious about smartwatches. The vision remains expansive and fascinating. Although it vigorously defends many of the projects it kills, Google is infamous for doing so with reckless abandon. Will anyone once again trust Google enough to support its mission? even should they?

Yes, says Osterloh. He is ready to demonstrate this. As the business prepares the seventh version of the Pixel phone, he hopes he has established himself in the smartphone industry. He claims that no one now questions Google's commitment to smartphones, but notes that 'some of these categories are new to us, and we must have the same determination in those categories. We also intend to.