Google’s wearable strategy is evolving toward a multi-device ecosystem rather than a single flagship gadget, but the company acknowledges that the industry is still figuring out how to make that vision practical for everyday users. Rishi Chandra, Google’s vice president of health and home, said during a New York roundtable that only about 30 percent of the population currently uses wearables, leaving a large market of people who do not think about their health daily. He said the company sees significant headroom in wrist-worn devices, which is why it is not pursuing smart rings in the near term.
Google introduced the minimalist Fitbit Air, a simple wrist-worn tracker, and executives said the device has more expansion potential than a ring form factor would. Sandeep Waraich, Google’s senior director of wearables, stated that the company views seven seconds as the benchmark for a single wrist-based interaction, with AI reaching users in quick, glanceable ways. The question, he said, is figuring out which surface - phone, tablet, laptop, or watch - is ideal for each task, such as checking a calendar or using the new Proactive Assistance feature on the Pixel Watch 5.
The company has debated whether to add microphones to devices like the Fitbit Air to enable AI memory features, but Chandra said that is not a technology problem. He called it a user sentiment and privacy issue, because a microphone would learn not just from the wearer but from the surrounding environment. Chandra noted that Google is being cautious about pushing that capability until the tech industry finds the right balance between customer value and privacy concerns.
Google is also exploring smart glasses with cameras that act as sensors without recording, according to Waraich. In that hypothetical design, the glasses could answer questions about what the wearer sees while nothing gets stored, potentially enabling automatic food logging or helping a blind person navigate. The company acknowledged that communicating that distinction to the public would be a challenge.
The broader wearable market is in an experimental phase, with companies trying many form factors, including screenless fitness bands, smart rings, and AI-powered jewelry that records thoughts. The source article notes that some of these products have drawn privacy backlash, including criticism of Meta’s camera-equipped glasses. The article also referenced the defunct Amazon Halo trackers, which analyzed voice tone and created body models, as an example of wearable features that went too far.
Google executives said they are watching consumer reactions to their experiments, including the Pixel Watch 5 and Fitbit Air, to determine what sticks. The company does not plan to release an “Ultra” version of its Pixel Watch, as Samsung and Apple have done, with Waraich saying the current model represents its premium tier. Chandra added that the company prefers not to spread itself too thin across many product lines.
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