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Google’s next Pixel Watch was rumored to have an ultra wideband chip, but the feature’s missing in action from an FCC filing.
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The rumored UWB feature was absent from the FCC filing.
Image: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
You won’t have to wait too much longer for the Pixel Watch 2. Not only have rumors and leaks been gaining steam in recent weeks but FCC filings for the watch also arrived over the weekend. FCC filings generally happen shortly before the official launch and can sometimes reveal new information about a forthcoming product. Unfortunately, based on the filing, it doesn’t look like the rumored ultra wideband (UWB) will be a feature on the next-gen Pixel Watch.
The filings, spotted by 9to5Google, refer to three models: the G4TSL, GC3G8, and GD2WG. The first is the Wi-Fi / Bluetooth model, while the latter two are cellular models. However, references to UWB were nowhere to be found, despite previous rumors. Given that UWB is a form of wireless communication, it would need to be included in the filings. For example, a recent FCC filing for the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2 clearly listed UWB.
That’s a bit of a bummer, as UWB holds a lot of promise in the wearables space. You’re probably most familiar with it in item trackers (e.g., AirTags, Samsung Galaxy SmartTag) to enable precision finding. However, it could also be used for features like unlocking your car — though this is still a use case without much widespread adoption. That said, this isn’t a terrible setback, either. Although the Pixel Pro phones, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel Fold already have UWB capability, Google recently announced it was delaying the expansion of its Find My Device network for personal safety considerations.
Another interesting tidbit in the filings was a mention of a metal mesh strap and a metal slim strap. Google initially said there would be a metal mesh strap when it launched the Pixel Watch — you can actually see it in our hands-on video. While the metal link strap launched in June, the Milanese version has been missing in action. The reference to a metal slim strap is also a first, though it’s unclear whether it’s a slimmer version of the aforementioned straps or something else entirely.
Even without UWB, rumors are painting an interesting picture for the second-gen Pixel Watch. So far, the watch is rumored to get the Fitbit Sense 2’s cEDA sensor for stress tracking, and Google just announced a redesign for the Fitbit app is on the way. We’re also expecting to see Wear OS 4 on the device, and Google will purportedly ditch Samsung’s Exynos W920 chip for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5 Plus platform. Altogether, these rumors make it appear that Google is improving overall health tracking and battery life — two of the main issues we had with the initial Pixel Watch at launch. We’ll have to wait and see, but so far, this is shaping up to be one of the more interesting smartwatch launches this fall.