Google activates a new Pixel Watch 3 tracking feature, but it's not ultra-wideband

The Google Pixel Watch 3 has become the first device to support an exciting new Bluetooth feature that enables more precise tracking of connected devices.

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Named Channel Sounding, it's a version of precise tracking methods like Ultra-wideband (UWB), and could end up being used to help track devices where cost-savings and complexity issues mean UWB is out of the question. It being introduced to the Pixel Watch 3 is also a game changer, as it's not only the first device to introduce Channel Sounding, it's also the first device we know of to potentially get a particular update.

Channel Sounding comes with Bluetooth 6.0

It's basically an electronic game of Marco Polo

Channel Sounding is a new way of tracking devices, and it comes as a part of Bluetooth 6.0, which was announced in September of 2024. While Bluetooth tracking was possible before this, that form of tracking used Bluetooth signal strength in order to determine distance. And as anyone who's used a Bluetooth device knows, signal strength is easily disrupted, leading to less-than-stellar tracking potential. On the other end of the scale lives UWB tracking, which uses high-bandwidth radio waves in order to determine a device's location. UWB is far more accurate, but requires specialized and relatively expensive equipment be installed in both the tracking and tracked devices.

Source: MobileFun

Channel Sounding sits between the two tracking methods, and calculates the time it takes for a signal to bounce between the two devices in order to determine a distance. As such, it's less accurate than UWB tracking, but only requires a Bluetooth connection to work, making it more easily accessible than UWB.

However, no devices supported Bluetooth 6.0 or Channel Sounding, meaning the feature was essentially useless so far. That is, until Android Authority spotted the recent WearOS 5.1 update also included a mention of "FEATURE_BLUETOOTH_LE_CHANNEL_SOUNDING", implying the wearable had become the very first device to get the new feature.

Has the Pixel Watch 3 set another record?

Even if it hasn't, it's still great news

But there's even more to this story. It's assumed that since Channel Sounding is a Bluetooth 6.0 feature, it requires Bluetooth 6.0 to work. And since no devices run Bluetooth 6.0, and we've never seen a device get an update to a whole new version of Bluetooth before, we had assumed we would have to wait until the next generation of devices for Bluetooth 6.0.

While it hasn't been officially confirmed, it's assumed that the Pixel Watch 3 has been bumped up to Bluetooth 6.0, making it the first device to ever get a major Bluetooth update over-the-air. And even if this isn't the case, it means Google has found a way of making Channel Sounding work on Bluetooth 5.3, which is fantastic news for a number of devices.

Google Pixel Watch 3

Case size
41mm; 45mm
Case Material
Aluminum

The Pixel Watch 3 is bigger, brighter, smarter, and more full-featured.

CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 with Cortex M33 co-processor
RAM
2GB
Storage
32GB
Battery
306mAh (41mm); 420mAh (45mm)
Cellular connectivity
LTE (optional)
Wi-Fi connectivity
2.4GHz; 5GHz
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.3
Software
Wear OS 5
Health sensors
Optical heart rate, SpO2, ECG, continuous EDA, skin temperature
Dimensions
41 x 41 x 12.3mm (41mm); 45 x 45 x 12.3mm (45mm)
Weight
31g (41mm); 37g (45mm)
IP Rating
IP68
$350 at Amazon $350 at Best Buy $350 at Google Store
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