Google's wearable future is an ecosystem in progress, not a single device

Google executives see wearable tech as an ecosystem of devices, not just a smartwatch, but the path to that future remains uncertain.

Victoria Song, writing in The Verge's Optimizer newsletter, reports on recent discussions with Google vice president of health and home Rishi Chandra and senior director of wearables Sandeep Waraich. They describe a company still figuring out how to make AI-powered wearables useful without overloading users or eroding privacy.

Chandra notes that wearables have historically targeted health enthusiasts and that only about 30 percent of people use them. That leaves a large group unfamiliar with such devices. Google's bet is on expanding the category beyond a single form factor. Last year, Chandra and Waraich said the future of AI gadgets would be an ecosystem of diverse accessories rather than one device. Since then, the industry has seen more AI glasses and screenless trackers, while some startups turn jewelry into AI recording tools. Song writes that these are unproven ideas and that the many approaches suggest the whole industry is experimenting to find the next smartphone.

Google itself is not pursuing smart rings in the near term. Chandra says the company is not closing the door on them, but believes there is more room to grow a wrist-worn wearable. He specifically points to the new minimalist Fitbit Air as having larger expansion opportunities because it is simple and easy for everyone to use. Waraich indicates that the current Pixel Watch line is where Google sees its premium offerings, and Chandra adds the company is wary of spreading itself too thin.

Waraich describes wearables as a good conduit for presence, where interactions with AI could become more frequent but also quicker and glanceable. Google uses seven seconds as a benchmark for any single wrist-based interaction. The central question, he says, is figuring out the ideal surface for each task—whether checking a calendar belongs on a phone, tablet, laptop, or smartwatch with the new Proactive Assistance feature on Pixel Watch 5.

Privacy remains a key concern. When asked about adding microphones to devices like Fitbit Air for AI memory functions, Chandra says it is not a technology issue but a user-sentiment and privacy issue. A microphone doesn't just learn from the user; it learns from the environment. Google is being cautious about how to push that in the right way. He admits the tech industry has not yet figured out the right balancing act. Song shares her own view that testing such AI wearables often makes her feel like a spy and points to the defunct Amazon Halo trackers that recorded voice tone and created 3D body models as an example of why tracking more things is not always better.

On smart glasses, Chandra suggests people may be more comfortable with ambient computing inside the home than outside. Waraich floats the idea of a camera that acts only as a sensor without recording, so glasses could answer questions about the surroundings but nothing gets saved. Song calls the concept appealing but doubts the industry can easily communicate that distinction to the public.

The broader challenge, Song argues, is software. Different hardware can be matched to different users—a Fitbit Air for casual users, a Garmin for triathletes—but the software experience is still cluttered and causes data fatigue. One personal health journey may require one kind of advice, while a cancer patient or a college athlete needs something completely different. She questions how any single large language model could achieve the wisdom to meet infinite individual needs.

Chandra and Waraich acknowledge that AI is not there yet and that this is a yearslong journey requiring lots of work and debate over societal and cultural questions. Song gives Google credit for being candid about the layers of privacy, culture, design, and logistics. But after a decade of reviewing wearables, she remains skeptical that the industry is getting any closer to its vague AI-powered future, even as she keeps testing each new device.