Google Pixel Watch 2 is launching next week with new, advanced fitness tracking features

The long-anticipated Pixel Watch 2 will finally hit shelves on October 12. Google announced the second generation watch during its Made by Google event today and officially opened up preorders on its own site as well as major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. The Pixel Watch 2 looks almost identical to its predecessor but comes with some exciting upgrades and new health and fitness features that we can't wait to try out.

$350 at Amazon $350 at Best Buy

What's new about the Pixel Watch 2?

Some of the biggest changes coming with the second generation watch include an improved heart rate sensor that's up to 40% more accurate even during intense workouts, a skin temperature sensor and a continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor. Measuring changes in the electrical currents on the surface of your skin, the cEDA sensor helps the watch track your stress levels.

Those new sensors give the Pixel Watch 2 the ability to offer new health insights like a sleep score and daily readiness score. One of the most impressive additions is "Body Response," a measure of stress and excitement that can send you a notification when it detects heightened stress and take you through guided breathing or mindfulness exercises to help you find your calm.

A log of your Body Response levels throughout the day and week can also help you identify patterns and possible triggers that cause your stress levels to spike. That way, you can plan ahead or figure out ways to curb those sources of stress.

Beyond stress management, the new Pixel Watch 2 packs tons of new fitness tools. You can now do heart rate zone training with real-time feedback and coaching during your workout when you go above or below your target zone. You can also do pace training, with similar real-time alerts when you go above or below your target pace.

Top features of the Pixel Watch 2:

New Gmail and Calendar integrations let you reply to emails and accept or decline invites from your watch.
Safety Check lets you set a timer for your watch to check in and, if you don't confirm you're ok, it will send your real-time location to your emergency contacts or contact emergency services for you.
The battery can last a full 24 hours, even when it's powering the always-on display.
With even faster fast charging, you can go from 0% to 50% in just 30 minutes.
Google Assistant lets you request health and fitness insights with your voice.
Automatic exercise detection is available for seven exercises.
The improved aluminum housing is 30 grams lighter, making it more comfortable to wear while working out.

$350 at Amazon $350 at Best Buy

How to preorder the Pixel Watch 2

The new Pixel Watch is already available for preorder across multiple retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy, where prices start at $350 for the WiFi version and $400 for the Pixel Watch 2 LTE.

$350 at Amazon $400 at Amazon

Save 20% on the first Pixel Watch while it's on clearance

The launch of the Pixel Watch 2 is also the best time to save on the original Pixel Watch. While it doesn't offer the same stress management tools or improved heart rate sensor, it's still a great smartwatch with tons of useful health and fitness features. And it happens to be on deep discount now that the Pixel Watch 2 is coming out.

Both Amazon and Best Buy have dropped the price of the first generation watch by 20% so you can get the WiFi version for just $280 (reduced from $350) or the Pixel Watch LTE for $330 (reduced from $400).

Top features of the Pixel Watch: