Something to wait forward to: Google's hardware squad has been expanding its reach steadily over the past several years. It'south already jumped feet-first into the realms of earbuds, smart homes, phones, and even zippy notebooks, only its ambitions go along to abound. According to new reports, Google is working on its ain smartwatch, with plans to launch the device equally soon every bit next year, provided all goes well.

This is big news for Google fans. To engagement, Google has primarily focused on the software side of smartwatches, developing tech like Wear OS and allowing third-political party watchmakers to build their hardware around it. Soon, though, Google may be competing with the very wearable makers it has supported for so many years, such equally Samsung.

Regardless, the device has reportedly been codenamed "Rohan" internally, but that probably won't be its final moniker. Information technology's more likely that information technology will ship with a proper name like "Pixel Watch" or "Pixel Wear" -- that's still speculation on our part, only it would fit much better with the previous naming conventions Google has employed to date.

Equally for the device'southward design, Business concern Insider'due south sources say the watch face up will be round and possibly fifty-fifty bezel-gratis. It's difficult to tell what the latter would look similar in practice (or what implications it might have for the sentinel'southward durability), but the quondam is not exactly a surprise. Many smartwatches transport with circular faces, though the Apple tree Watch is a notable exception.

Google aims to make a picket that is comfortable for at to the lowest degree "90% of the population," according to a design document seen by Business organisation Insider. This is important to Google because it feels that "insufficient sizing excludes some users from wearable wristables entirely."

As someone with a large wrist, I wholeheartedly agree with Google there. I've tried to habiliment older Fitbit models in the by, just they were always a trivial too tight for my liking; or merely weren't shaped well for my proportions.

In terms of functionality, Business Insider says the watch will support health and fitness tracking features, similar well-nigh of its soon-to-be competitors. Employees accept reportedly already been allowed to test the device to decide pain points and potential areas for improvement. Two current examples seem to be the watch'southward slow rate of charging and its frequent need to charge.

Given how disquisitional long battery life is for smartwatches, we'd be surprised if the device ships in that state. Those bug will very likely be solved earlier the Pixel Scout -- or whatever it'southward called -- releases in 2022.