A supposedly unreleased smartwatch from Google was discovered on the ocean floor. The story sounds so unusual that some already suspect it might be a perfectly staged advertising campaign.
How did an unreleased smartwatch end up on the ocean floor? Randy Pitchford, the creator of the Borderlands series, posted several pictures of a smartwatch that a friend supposedly found while diving near the Caribbean island of Saint Martin on X. According to Pitchford, his acquaintance found the watch underwater and examined it closely. (The Verge)
On the back, Pitchford claims “Google Pixel 5” is printed, and the shared images confirm that. The inscription can be seen at the top of the smartwatch. This apparently refers to the yet-to-be-announced Pixel Watch 5.
The published images show a round smartwatch with a light strap. The photos depict the front being turned off, while the back shows the well-known sensors for health and fitness functions. However, not much more can be inferred from the shots.
Pitchford wrote about the supposed condition: “Although the display shows a dead battery, there seems to be enough energy left to display the correct time.”
Just PR?
What does the community think about this? This very question of whether it’s all just a marketing move is what many critical observers from the community are now asking:
- Under a post by 9to5google, a user wrote:
The Google marketing team is fully on schedule with the leaks. The setting by the sea is new.
- Under Pitchford’s post, user PebbleOfTexas wrote: “I bet this is engagement farming,” and received thousands of likes.
- YouTube tech icon MKBHD aka Marques Brownlee commented on X only:
This might be the most Google event of all time.
At the same time, some users accuse Pitchford of outright lying. And the industry magazine Kotaku also expresses its concerns about the truthfulness of the story. Editor Zack Zwiezen questions whether Google would actually hire Randy Pitchford for such a marketing move – after all, he has not always been known for truthful statements in the past.
What do you think? Do you believe the story from the Borderlands mastermind or are you more skeptical? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
Randy Pitchford is indeed a polarizing figure. On one hand, due to potential false statements towards gamers and on the other hand, due to controversial takes. Last year, he mentioned in an interview how much Borderlands 4 is really worth and why he would still prefer to give the game away.
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