Google’s Pixel Watch 3 has been doing the rounds of the rumor mill lately. Now, the next-generation wearable device is said to pack another upgrade. Basically, it will improve the Watch Unlock functionality along with more potential use cases. This will be with the help of Ultra-WideBand connectivity. The original and second-generation Pixel Watches can already be unlocked via a Bluetooth-connected smartphone.
Pixel Watch 3 could gain UWB connectivity
The folks at 9to5Google dug into the recent version of the Play Services app and stumbled upon a new code to upgrade Watch Unlock. These reference to the ‘UWB ranging’. The publication reports that UWB is not available in some countries. Google automatically turned off this enhanced feature of WatchUnlock. It shows a notification where the connectivity protocol is unsupported.
The notification also reads “You can still use Watch Unlock but may experience a slight delay and less accuracy”. This suggests that Google is working on ultra-wideband-based faster and more accurate unlocking of the smartwatch via a connected phone. It’s worth noting that both devices need to have the necessary hardware. The Pixel 6 Pro and later come with UWB support but not the standard variants and the Pixel Watch.
Apart from faster and more accurate unlocking of the Pixel Watch 3 with the help of UWB, the connectivity protocol could also be used for digital car keys, smart home control, and smart door locks.
Recently, we learnt that the Pixel Watch 3 would come in a new 45mm size in addition to the existing 41mm variant.
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