While it’s not slated to work with the iPhone or iOS devices, this next bit of Google Pixel Watch news is interesting if you’re hoping for a quality build akin to the Apple Watch.
According to an FCC filing, Google has partnered with Taiwan’s Compal Electronics to manufacture parts of the Pixel Watch—specifically the charging mechanism. Compal Electronics are veteran manufacturers of the Apple Watch.
The Pixel Watch could have the same magnetic-puck-to-USB-C charging cable as its main rival, though the exact parity between the two devices is unclear. The Apple Watch currently charges via a magnetic charger to a USB-C cable, included in the box with every new device.
Other smartwatches charge a little differently. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the only genuinely worthy Wear OS-based smartwatch on the market lately, features a charging puck connected to USB-A (to plug it into more places and adapters).
It’ll also be interesting to see if you can charge the Pixel Watch via the Pixel’s Battery Share capabilities, allowing you to place a wireless-charging device to your smartphone to sift some of its energy. I don’t use this ability personally, because I found the Pixel smartphone often needs the battery more than my wearable.
We have months to go until we know more about the Pixel Watch beyond what’s coming through from FCC filings and the like. 9to5Google notes that the rest of the FCC listing, which appeared on May 11, has information that coincides with an earlier Bluetooth certification filed back in April. As expected with most flagship wearable launches, there seem to be two models: a WiFi-only version and one with added support for LTE.
Regardless, this all spells good news for Google, at least in adding hype to an unrealized device. The company has been re-establishing itself in the wearables space, despite years of disappointment preceding the launch of this supposed unicorn. The Pixel Watch may not immediately change how many people adopt Android for their wrists. But if Google makes the right moves and secures the right partners, it can at least prove it’s putting its best foot forward.