Google Store redesigned as it looks to be preparing for the launch of the Pixel Watch

A new Google Store redesign has been discovered by 9to5Google, and while nothing looks different at first blush, something quite significant has been changed, and its implications are huge! In addition to simplifying the navigation bar at the top of the website, and nixing the dropdown menus for single link clicks, do you notice in the image below which type of product is prominently featured as the second link in the navigation?

That’s right, watches! After Google’s acquisition of Fitbit, it was clear that the company had plans to spotlight this relationship, but now, “Watches” is proudly listed as one of the core pieces of hardware for users to quickly navigate to. Why is this important? Well, because of the upcoming Pixel Watch, of course!

We recently saw a new leak for the watch stating that it will be previewed at Google I/O 2022, and that it will be released to the public near the end of the year, but aside from that latest bit, much surrounding the watch itself (aside from the recent Wear OS 3.1) remains a mystery.

I can’t tell you how incredibly excited I am for this device to come out, and the fact that we’ve been waiting for so long just hurts so much. I’m hopeful that its battery will not disappoint, and that it’s snappy and polished in both hardware and software. Given the fact that it’s Google’s own product, I can imagine both will be true for the most part.

For now, it’s exciting to see the Google Store’s navigation change to spotlight watches, and it’s easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. The fact that it’s placed directly after “Phones” shows how much weight Google will be placing behind this device, which gives me hope for the future. At this time, the store’s redesign is live in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Japan, but not in Australia, Canada, France, or Taiwan.

Another change made is that Google’s massive “Subscriptions” effort is now just called “Offers” up above, marking what looks like a desire to take consumer hesitation out of the initiative. Generally, when someone hears that dreaded “S” word – subscriptions, that is, it causes some friction with sign-ups, but “Offers” certainly sounds beneficial, right?