If the software is indeed the problem, Google really must not be satisfied with Wear OS. A smartwatch would tie in with its plan to put Assistant everywhere. In fact, the company announced today that it has added the virtual assistant to the latest version of its Wi-Fi router. While fans of Google’s ecosystem certainly have a number of Wear OS smartwatches to choose from, many are looking for that special feature that only Google-as the manufacturer of the watch and the developer of the software can provide. While being first in line to receive Android updates might attract these fans to the Pixel handsets, this is not going to work for a Pixel-branded smartwatch. Perhaps Google’s failure to come up with this special feature is what holds it back from releasing a Pixel Watch.

So now all we can do is look ahead to next year. The good news is that Google appears to relish leaking its own devices. If a Pixel Watch is indeed being prepped for 2020’s Made by Google event, the first word of it will probably come from Google itself telling us that “it’s time.”