Google Pixel Watch Ultra rumors begin but a rugged Pixel Watch needs 3 fixes first

Date:
Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:51:40 +0000

Description:
Could a Google Pixel Watch Ultra really happen? Some reports indicate that Google's at least mulling it over.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter A Google Pixel Watch Ultra? Google is reportedly mulling over a sequel to its best Android watch of 2026, and the next iteration might be cut from the same cloth as the Apple Watch Ultra 4 , Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Garmin Fenix 9 Pro .

According to Gadgets & Wearables , Google is circulating a survey in its app to 'select users' regarding the future of Pixel Watches. We haven't managed
to see the survey if you do get a screenshot, please email it in to [email protected] but G&W states that, among other questions, users were asked 'whether they would pay extra' for a rugged watch and 'what would make the Google Pixel Watch 5 feel more premium'. That's a clear indication that Google is looking to launch, if not a Google Pixel Watch Ultra, then something along those lines. The use of the word 'rugged' is a dead giveaway: according to G&W, Google is looking at the successes of the Apple Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra lines with envy, and is seeking to replicate them. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

The only problem is, the Pixel Watch will need some changes before it enters into the Ultra watch arena. Here are three key design elements it needs to adopt, borrow or steal in order to be mentioned in the same breath as the Apple Watch Ultra 4 or Garmin Fenix 9 Pro. Add a bezel, keep the dome? (Image credit: Future) The last couple of generations of Pixel watches have sported
a domed display, which has become iconic in the world of wearable tech and unique to its Pixel pebble shape. The domed display provides improved glanceability, more surface area overall for its Materia 3 Expressive
software design language, and looks the business from all angles. You may
like Google Pixel Watch 5 review: Predictably competent I test smartwatches for a job, and the Google Pixel Watch 5 beats Apple and Samsung in 5 key ways Don't like the Google Pixel Watch 5? Here are 3 other Android watches we love

What happens when we try to rugged-up the Pixel Watch by adding a titanium bezel to the mix? One of the principle functions of a raised bezel is to protect the screen, especially for adventure watches but when the screen's a dome, the bezel will need to be strangely thick in order to protect the
raised section.

Yet, you can't really have a rugged adventure watch, made for a beating,
which is all glass if they're going to get rugged, a bezel must be included. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our
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The folks at Google are much cleverer than I am, and I'm sure they'll come up with a couple of ways to keep the dome and add the bezel. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the domed screen is quietly done away with for the Pixel
Watch Ultra. Improve battery life (Image credit: Garmin) One of the Pixel Watch's biggest failings is its lackluster battery life. While each model receives incremental improvements, the drive to also increase the watch's power means it never gets very far. Google will need to address this in order to compete in the Ultra stakes.

The Apple Watch Ultra, when launched in 2022, managed 36 hours of battery life, and since then has crept up to 50 hours with the Apple Watch 4. Samsung managed the get the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 up to 100 hours in low-power mode, although in practice most people will get around three days of use out of it. Meanwhile, Garmin, Coros, Suunto, and others dominate this space, frequently measuring their watch's battery lives in weeks although their devices tend
to be far more specialized and training-orientated than Apple, Samsung, and Google. What to read next I tested the Google Pixel Watch 5's GPS against Apple and Garmin 3 features a screenless Apple fitness tracker needs to rival Fitbit and Garmin Why wait for the Garmin Fenix 9? Here are 10 top-tier adventure watches you can buy right now

Google will have to make strides in this arena if it wants to compete with more expensive watches. It's likely a Google Pixel Watch Ultra would get battery life similar to Samsung's, around 3-4 days of use on paper.

But it will need to be able to hit those numbers in practice too, with long workouts using multi-band GPS and an always-on display enabled. Rugged smartwatch users do not want their tech to die in the middle of an ultramarathon. Find space for more buttons (Image credit: Future) The Google Pixel watch is a perfect circular dome, interrupted only by a single digital crown. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra series was the first in Samsung's
rangle to adopt the squircle titanium 'cushion', providing defined sides to the watch, and as such, logical places to put extra buttons. Where the hell
do you place them on the watch pictured above?

The reason we need more buttons is that Ultra-style watches have to be able
to be operated while wearing gloves during exercise, rather than touchscreen-only. It's why most Garmins have between two and five buttons to aid in interface navigation. A Google Pixel Watch Ultra will need at the very least a programmable Action button-style extra, and preferably more than one. (Image credit: Future) That redesigned bezel will also have to take button placement into account. If you're thickening up the watch's surrounding casing, you could create something akin to a Garmin Fenix or a Forerunner, which are round watches with thick cases, bezels, and protruding buttons.

But how do you do that while keeping the Pixel Watch's distinctive design language? I guess we might find out one day in the not-too-distant future. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Today's best Pixel Watch 5 deals Google Pixel Watch 5 314.99 View See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/smartwatches/google-pixel-watch-ultra -rumors-begin-but-a-rugged-pixel-watch-would-need-these-3-fixes-before-challen ging-apple-samsung-and-garmin-in-the-adventure-space


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