'Google Pixel Watch app' in making!

Looks like the Google Pixel Watch launching this fall, will also have a dedicated ‘Google Pixel Watch app’. The app was spotted on a new settings page for “Smart Unlock”.

Google stated in January that Wear OS 3 devices would be able to unlock your Android phone, tablet, or Chromebook in the near future. In terms of security and, most likely, speed, the feature is expected to be a significant improvement over Android’s old “Smart Lock.” Google made it seem likely that this revised unlocking capability would debut on the (then-unannounced) Pixel Watch by specifically stating that it will only operate with “compatible Wear OS 3 devices.”

According to the APK Insight report from 9To5Google, the newest Google Play Services beta release, version 22.22 has a new settings page for “Smart Unlock”. It provides details on how your Android phone will be instantly unlocked if your watch is “unlocked, on your wrist, and close to your phone.”

It’s evident that the Google Pixel Watch won’t use the same companion app like the majority of other Wear OS watches. Instead, it will use its own app, similar to the Galaxy Watch 4. This is similar to how the Google Pixel Buds use a separate app instead of Android’s built-in audio options in some ways.

However, it’s unclear how the Google Pixel Watch software will vary from the Wear OS app enough to justify not using it. At the very least, such a Google Pixel Watch app would provide a much-needed Material You interface in contrast to the Wear OS app’s archaic design.