Google is working on its own smartwatch, internally code-named “Rohan,” that it plans to launch in 2022, according to reporting by Insider. 

The wearable will include health and fitness metrics like heart-rate monitoring and step counting. According to renderings viewed by Insider and Google employees who had seen the device, the watch is round with no physical bezel.

A smartwatch codenamed “Rohan” was reported in April by YouTuber Jon Prosser on his Front Page Tech channel. 

Google’s wearable, which Insider reports is sometimes referred to as the “Pixel watch” or “Android watch” internally but has no set name at this time, won’t be part of the Fitbit brand, which the tech giant officially acquired early this year.

A Google spokesperson told MobiHealthNews the company doesn’t comment on rumor or speculation. 

WHY IT MATTERS

In 2019, Insider reported Google had planned to launch a smartwatch in 2016, but the product was cut before it was set to be revealed.

The tech giant and its parent company Alphabet have been active in the healthcare and life sciences spaces. In November, Google launched an app, aimed at helping people with speech impairments communicate.

A month before, it rolled out the mobile version of Care Studio, a search tool for clinicians that helps organize medical records and information. Care Studio was initially released in February this year. 

The company has also been in the midst of a larger health shakeup this year. In August, news broke that Google was dismantling its health division, moving employees that once worked there to more general areas within the company. 

THE LARGER TREND

The market for wearables is growing, according to a report by the Consumer Technology Association that predicted they would generate $487 billion in revenue this year. 

Apple, still a leader in the smartwatch space, expanded its Watch offerings in September with a focus on cyclists. It added features that allow bikers to track their workouts and detect falls.

But there are plenty of competitors in the wearables space. In September, Amazon announced the Halo View, which tracks activity, sleep and blood oxygen levels.

Oura Health released its Ring wearables, which include menstruation prediction. Garmin recently announced a suite of apps that will allow users with diabetes to view data from the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor on their smartwatches.