Here’s how much the Pixel Watch will likely cost you when it launches

The long-awaited Pixel Watch is nearly upon us. If the rumors of an early October Google Hardware event hold true, we only have a little over 5 weeks until the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Watch actually become available for purchase. It’s been a long, winding road to get to this point, but there’s no denying the hype surrounding this Google-made wearable, and though we know quite a bit about it already, a firm grasp on the price has been elusive up to this point.

From the number of watch bands available to processor/RAM specs to Smart Unlock capabilities, the picture of this Google-made watch is in pretty good focus at this point. And even with an earlier leak of a $300-$400 price range, we’ve all been eyeballing this upcoming device with a shard of hesitance, wondering how the price will affect the general interest in the Pixel Watch.

New rumors point to a solid price tag

And though this is still in the rumor category, 9to5 Google has always been pretty solid with their reports from people “familiar with the matter.” This latest info comes via a similar source and in a similar fashion, I’m inclined to believe it as we are getting close to launch.

From what they are able to learn, we are looking at a $399 asking price for the LTE-equipped Pixel Watch, and that’s a pretty decent price if you ask me. For reference, the entry level Apple Watch Series 7 without LTE comes in at the same $399 price tag and jumps up to $499 for the smaller 41mm size when an LTE radio is added. Further comparison puts it a sliver more expensive than the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 with LTE, which comes in at $339 for the smaller 42mm version.

Apple can ask a bit more of a premium with them being far more established in the smart watch space and Samsung’s newest wearable is getting solid reviews so far, making it a solid Pixel Watch competitor. Having the LTE-equipped Pixel Watch falling in that price gap is a good starting point as long as Google delivers on all the important parts of the smart watch experience.

A few of us in the office have had various Wear OS smart watches over the years, and there have always been annoyances with them. From weird call/message hand-offs to slow UI issues, there’s yet to be a Wear OS watch that we all fully enjoyed. If Google is planning to price the Pixel Watch above the latest from Samsung, they need to be sure it is going to show up and show out.

If the UI experience and the hardware fit/finish is solid, I think Google has a great price to start with on the Pixel Watch. As we rapidly approach the Q4 holiday buying season, that $399 price tag will likely give way to sales here and there that will make it even more interesting to consumers, assuming inventory can keep up with years of pent-up demand for what many are looking to as the Apple Watch of the Google ecosystem. Can it live up to the hype? I sure hope so, and I hope Google has used all this time to make an absolute boatload of them.