The Google Pixel Watch is expected to come later this week at Google’s October event. At this point, we have seen the rumored smartwatch from just about every angle. We’ve even seen the box that it comes in. But what we haven’t seen is how the proprietary bands will work.
Luckily, good things come to those who wait. 9to5Google (opens in new tab) has reported on a leak from Droid-Life (opens in new tab) that shows off hands-on action with the new bands. Specifically, they managed to snag two colorways of the “Active” bands for the Pixel Watch, which are the default, sportier bands for the smartwatch.
The first big reveal: the price. Droid-Life says they paid $49 each for the two bands they went hands-on with, so it may be fair to guess that the official price will be the same. We also got some confirmations regarding colors. Droid-Life was able to get its hands on Chalk and Lemongrass, but there will theoretically be a Charcoal and an Obsidian variant as well. Based on the renders we have seen to date, these colorways track with our expectations.
The second reveal is exactly how the watch band connectors work. There had already been some speculation regarding how the bands connect, as we know the bands come with a proprietary connector. Luckily, the bands that Droid-Life acquired came with instructions, so now we should know exactly how to connect the band to your watch, even if we have yet to see someone do it.
How to connect your Google Pixel Watch Band
Luckily for people hoping to buy a Google Pixel Watch, the instructions appear to be very simple. First, turn your watch over. Then press the band secure button on the band and slide it into place. The directions show that the band secure button is towards the left end of the opening where the band will connect, and you simply slide the band across once the button is pressed.
That is seemingly all there is to it, though those who purchase the watch may be put to the test early. When we saw the box revealed for the Pixel Watch, it appears to be in the wrong shape for the bands to be already connected to the watch. Most likely, users will need to connect the band themselves once they have the watch in hand.
Will the Pixel Watch ultimately stack up well against the Apple Watch Series 8 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 atop our list of best smartwatches? We will have to wait — hopefully only until Thursday — to find out, but at a rumored price point of $349 it will definitely need to work hard to justify its price.
