I love the Google Pixel Watch. I was an early adopter when the original one was released in 2022, and I have had every installment of the series ever since. I’ve used other smartwatches in the past, but I’ve always come back to the Pixel Watch series. With the release of the Google Pixel Watch 5, I had a fairly good idea of what I was going to be getting into, which is fine by all accounts, but I was also hoping for a little bit more this time around.
To say that I am embedded so far within the Google ecosystem would be an absolute understatement. From my phone to my Google Nest, Chromecast, and Google TV, everywhere I go, Google is with me. So naturally, staying within the Google ecosystem for all of my smart devices was a no-brainer. As mentioned, I’ve been a day-one adopter of the Google Pixel Watch series, and I’ve loved every single one of them.
Coming off using the Google Pixel Watch 4 for the last year, I was really curious to see what major advancements Google made to make their consumers want to run to their local tech stores and pick up this latest smartwatch. The quick and easy answer is that not much has happened with the Google Pixel Watch 5 on the hardware side, but there are a significant number of new quality-of-life features that will keep you satisfied as a long-time user.
I received the 41mm Obsidian colorway of the Google Pixel Watch 5 for my review unit. This was a pleasant change for me, as I’ve been using the 45mm Google Pixel Watch 4 as my everyday smartwatch over the last year. The Pixel Watch 5 also comes in a 45mm version, as well as a special Steph Curry limited edition. Outside of the obvious size difference, both of these smartwatches, hardware-wise, are virtually the same.
The main difference from the Pixel Watch 4 is that the latest model sports a slightly bigger battery at 465mAh, while the Pixel Watch 4 has a 455mAh battery. With this newer smartwatch, you get a nice upgrade in internal storage, doubling the standard 32GB to 64GB. You still get the same 2GB of RAM. The display remains the same LTPO AMOLED, peaking at 3000 nits and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The process for this year’s Pixel Watch remains the same, using the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 G2 (nm) chipset with the Adreno A702 GPU.
“…not much has happened with the Google Pixel Watch 5 on the hardware side, but there are a significant number of new quality-of-life features that will keep you satisfied as a long-time user.”
Although the hardware didn’t see a major upgrade, Google provided users with many valuable quality-of-life features with this smartwatch. Google has dubbed the Pixel Watch 5 as the most advanced health and wellness offering yet. There has been a significant implementation of health and fitness options that are all quite impressive. With advancements in machine learning and the addition of newer sensors, the user can now track blood pressure patterns.
Additionally, you can track insulin resistance over time to monitor your progress, depending on the user, helping you stay on top of your insulin management month over month. Another great addition is that these sensors can also look for signs of atrial fibrillation (Afib), identify potential signs of stress, and track your heart rate—all in the new and improved Google Health App.
For fitness enthusiasts, the Pixel Watch 5’s readiness score tracks over 50 unique exercises, allowing you to curate your own workout plan and manage circuits, reps, weights, intervals, and sync everything with the Google Health App. Once set up, your smartwatch will act as your virtual active partner, providing audio and visual cues for each set and rest period. For runners, the upgraded GPS utilizes dual-frequency technology to help you navigate any mapped area on Google Maps—parks, trails, and even intricate urban spaces. You can run with confidence, knowing your smartwatch will serve as your navigator and keep you on track without the risk of getting lost.
What if you’re not a fitness enthusiast or don’t care to track anything in the Google Health App? The standard features of the smartwatch still work wonderfully, with some interesting upgrades. The Google Pixel Watch 5 introduces the ability to create custom watch faces using Gemini AI. I originally saw this demoed at the Google Preview event. The process involves selecting the watch face options, choosing Create New, and then giving Gemini a prompt about the type of watch face you want to create. Once finished, Gemini will present a few options based on the prompt.
As someone who is always on the go, I appreciate the integration of Google Wallet with my smartwatch. From credit cards to boarding passes and even your IKEA membership card, having these items readily available makes navigation through busy airports much easier.
Google did a great job with the release of the Pixel Watch 5. My only complaint is the hardware. The leap from Pixel Watch 3 to 4 was very significant, but the leap from Pixel Watch 4 to 5 was barely a small hop. Yes, there are some really great features with the software, but I wanted to see a more defined screen with better battery life.
That being said, if you are looking for a smartwatch and are within the Google ecosystem, I would still highly recommend the Google Pixel Watch 5. It does some really cool things exclusively for Google devices, while also delivering on what a traditional smartwatch can do as well. Though this might not be for everyone, I would still say that among the smartwatches currently on the market, the Google Pixel Watch 5 is definitely worth a look.
- The new Google Pixel Watch 5 offers a smarter way to a healthier you.[1,2]; Designed for Gemini Intelligence, get proactive help, and personalized insights from Google Health[3,4]; watch is compatible with Android devices only; not compatible with iOS devices
- Precision-crafted to do it all: The Google Pixel Watch 5 features the domed Actua 360 display with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass and up to 40 hours of battery life[1,5]
