We’ve now been given several looks at the upcoming Google Pixel Watch, but it’s likely there’ll still be a new announcement or two when the device is finally unveiled in full, which should be on October 6th.
One such announcement could be around a Google Photos watch face for the Pixel Watch. As spotted by 9to5Google (opens in a new tab), there’s now hidden code in the Google Photos app for Android that indicates support for adding images to a wearable’s display.
It appears that multiple images can be selected, although there will be an as yet unspecified limit. Presumably, if more than one photo is selected, the watch face will cycle through them, although the details of how this will work aren’t entirely clear yet.
Photos for everyone
There’s no indication that this Google Photos watch face is exclusive to the Pixel Watch — while Google may introduce the feature alongside the Pixel Watch, it’ll likely make its way to other Wear OS 3 smartwatches.
That said, it’s worth noting that features come and go in app development all the time. The code identified here is likely to become a full feature, but there is no guarantee.
We’ve heard a lot of rumors surrounding the Pixel Watch since Google confirmed its existence. It will apparently be equipped with two chipsets and will have a price that undercuts the Apple Watch, although it may not go on sale for a while.
Analysis: Google is playing catch-up
Being able to use your own choice of photos as a smartwatch watch face is pretty basic functionality, and yet it’s a feature that currently doesn’t exist for owners of Wear OS devices, without the help of a third party application.
It’s something the Apple Watch has been able to do for years, of course. You pick your favorite pictures—your kids, your pets, your world trip—and they’re displayed on the tiny screen on your wrist.
While it may not seem like the most important of smartwatch features, it nonetheless highlights the catch-up that Google needs to make. It’s far behind Apple in the laptop market right now, both in terms of hardware and software.
Fitbit’s incorporation into Google should help – there are now moves to merge the Fitbit and Google accounts, and we should see more polished and attractive devices in the future. For now, though, we’ll have to wait and see what the Pixel Watch will offer and at what price.