Why UWB (ultra-wideband) may be on the way for Pixel Watch 3

If you rock a Pixel Watch, you probably already know how awesome the Watch Unlock feature is. If your face is covered or your hands are wet, just tap on the watch display, and boom, your Android phone magically unlocks without messing with passwords or fingerprint sensors. As seamless as it is, there’s still sometimes a slight delay since the watch and phone currently use Bluetooth to figure out if they’re buddies. Well, it looks like Google is updating Watch Unlock to use a faster connection protocol and is likely adding this same tech to the Pixel Watch 3.

The folks at 9to5Google have been digging into recent updates for the Play Services app and have found code that hints that Google is gearing up to take Watch Unlock to the next level with Ultra-Wideband technology. UWB is a short-range, wireless protocol that can transfer data much faster than Bluetooth or NFC and has several exciting applications, even in Chromebooks. The data transfer speeds via these millimeter waves start around 4Mbps and reach a peak of 1Gbps. So yes, utilizing UWB in Watch Unlock should make the process of unlocking your phone much faster than Bluetooth. It also offers more pinpoint accuracy and near-instant communication between devices, which should make the process more reliable and consistent.

Unlocking your phone with the power of UWB would mean both your phone and watch need compatible hardware, though. Recent Google Pixel Pro phones have it, but current Pixel Watches do not. So I’d imagine the next version of the Pixel Watch will have UWB built-in, especially when you consider that Watch Unlock is exclusive to the Pixel Watch. So I’d say it’s safe to say the Pixel Watch 3, likely coming this fall, will probably have UWB onboard.

Of course, Google isn’t confirming anything just yet and we don’t know much else about the rumored Pixel Watch 3. There have been whispers of a new larger size option (45mm) and a possible debut alongside a new version of Wear OS. Nonetheless, keep your eyes peeled for official announcements from Google as we get closer to the fall Google event.

If the Pixel Watch 3 does indeed get UWB connectivity, it could usher in a new era of seamless interaction between your most essential devices. This tech could truly revolutionize the way that we interact with our gadgets. With UWB coming to Chromebooks in the future too, I’m excited to see how Google can create seamless, multi-point connections between all of our devices (watch, phone, earbud, Chromebook, displays, speakers, etc..) With these sorts of connection speeds, the options seem endless.