AI orartificial intelligenceis at the heart of almost every new piece of technology coming our way, including the ones developed by tech juggernaut Google. Although the company was beaten in the AI chatbot race byOpenAI’s ChatGPTlast year, it’s no secret that Google’s work with AI and machine learning (ML) has been ongoing for a few years now. The brand’s recently launchedPixel 8 seriesalso leans heavily on AI elements, including on the8 Pro’smuch-hyped camera system. Google is now detailing how AI and ML feature on the recently launchedPixel Watch 2, specifically in terms of heart rate tracking.
It’s not just AI and ML doing the work here, though, with Google’s wearables product managerDeCarlos Lovesayingthe addition of a multi-path LED sensor on the Pixel Watch 2 (as compared to the first-gen Pixel Watch’s single-path PPG sensor) enables the smartwatch to cover a broader area around the user’s wrist, resulting in a more accurate result when all the sensors are working in full force. Love also talks about the different modes of tracking supported by the Pixel Watch 2, with exercise mode understandably utilizing most of the sensors' energy, whereas the standard battery-friendly all-day heart rate tracking operates more passively.
The AI algorithms kick in when the sensors have fed it the collected data, with Love adding that the Pixel Watch 2 can “grab more heart rate-related data” than its predecessor. All of this data is then fed into the AI grinder, which will then develop insights relevant to the user, like in the form of thepaywalledDaily Readiness Score, for instance.
It is also mentioned that these same AI/ML algorithms have been built into theFitbit Charge 6as well, despite lacking the Pixel Watch 2’s snappier processor. Love mentions that Google ported over the “algorithmic advancements” from the new smartwatch onto the Charge 6 while ensuring they are optimized to work on a lower-end CPU. Furthermore, the team reportedly conducted “extra development work” to make sure the Charge 6 can continue to last for up to a week between charges despite the additional work done by the CPU.
The post doesn’t go into further detail about the algorithms that have gone into the Pixel Watch 2 and the Fitbit Charge 6. But the team reportedly spent a long time testing and training these new algorithms, including on different types of user movements and factors like age, gender, skin tone, and low-light conditions.
Aside from its health tracking credentials, the second-gen Google smartwatch includes some aspects that we wish were present in the predecessor, like an all-day battery life. Regardless, this is the best that Google has to offer right now, and it’s certainly a viable upgrade if you’re coming from thefirst-gen model, which was a hard sell owing to the subpar battery.
Google Pixel Watch 2
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is the sequel to Google’s first self-branded smartwatch. The second generation doesn’t reinvent the wheel, instead offering a handful of low-key improvements like a redesigned digital crown, Wear OS 4 out of the box, and a newer chipset that should offer better performance and battery life.
