This Pixel Watch prototype will make you grateful for the launch version

The original Pixel Watch is a capable smartwatch that continues to be relevant to this day. But it looks like things probably would have played out differently if Google had stuck to the specifications of one of its prototypes.

First spotted by 9to5Google, a Redditor appears to have unintentionally gotten their hands on a prototype Pixel Watch. According to the Redditor, they bought an “open box” Pixel Watch on eBay for $100. The user initially thought it may be a demo unit or a counterfeit, but later realized it was a prototype after starting up Fastboot Mode and seeing that the Hardware Revision said PVT0.1 (production validation test).

This prototype reportedly has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, which is lacking compared to the 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage in the launch version. The underwhelming specifications were made apparent when the owner was greeted with a “less than intended amount of RAM” after resetting and attempting to pair the device.

There appear to be other problems that plague this prototype as well. The Redditor says the smartwatch has “a lot of screen burn-in,” suffers from slow performance, has terrible battery life, and struggles with charging.

Outside of these differences, however, everything else seems to be the same. Thankfully, Google upgraded these specs before launching the OG Pixel Watch.