- Google has just launched Pixel Watch 4 Smartwatch
- It allows you to contact emergencies via satellite connection
- This means Google has beaten Apple for this particular feature
Satellite connection can be a life-saving way to get you out of a tight place, especially if you are off-grid without any mobile phone signal. Lots of the best smartwatches can call for you, but no one is capable of relying on orbiting satellites.
But now Google says its new Pixel Watch 4 is “First ever Smartwatch with independent emergency Italtellitiko.” This means that it works even when you have left your phone behind or otherwise not available.
This is how it works. If you are in a non-cellular area, call 911 directly from Watch’s interface. Then you have to specify what your emergency is – a disease, injury, robbery and so on – before the clock shows you a quick tutorial on how to connect to a satellite. You will need to inform your wrist as guided on the clock, which will help it to adapt with a satellite and send your message to emergencies.
When you use the emergency satellite system, Pixel Watch 4 goes into battery savings mode to keep the device going for as long as possible while you need help.
You also need the LTE version of Pixel Watch 4 according to content creator DC Rainmaker, even if you don’t actually have to have an LTE service plan. Google says you get a satellite connection for two years, but we’ll see if this is expanding as if it has been with Apple’s Emergency Satellite Service.
Beat apple to the stans
Google has done well to bring satellite connection to Pixel Watch 4 in front of its rivals, but the evidence is in pudding.
After all, it is to be good and good first, but we will have to see how it works in practice to know if the feature is up to snuff. That said, I would like to see that more watches get this functionality, as everything that can save your bacon when you are away from Cell Service Towers should be welcomed.
Apple will reportedly add satellite connection to Apple Watch Ultra 3, which is expected to launch in September. When (or if) it happens, it will be interesting to see if Apple is doing something else compared to Google’s approach or whether the feature is pretty much the same across the devices.
Google Pixel Watch 4 starts at $ 349 / £ 349 / AU $ 579, though you have to pay $ 449 / £ 449 / AU $ 749 for the most affordable LTE version with satellite connection. You can order one right now, but it doesn’t start sending until October 9th.
