AI News Feed
Market watch
Zoom CX Pushes Conversation to Completion as Contact Center AI MetricOpenAI Eyes Patagonia Data Center as China Chip Exports Surge and Canada Tariffs Hit MotorcyclesMeta changes AI prompts after invasive questions about user's childrenOpenAI Weighs Slowing Frontier AI as Safety Warnings and Data Center Backlash GrowFinCEN Tells U.S. Banks to Improve Scam Reporting as Losses Approach $13 BillionApple Watch Ultra 4 Keeps Ultra 3 Design, Adds S11 Chip and New Health Sensors at $799
Zoom CX Pushes Conversation to Completion as Contact Center AI MetricOpenAI Eyes Patagonia Data Center as China Chip Exports Surge and Canada Tariffs Hit MotorcyclesMeta changes AI prompts after invasive questions about user's childrenOpenAI Weighs Slowing Frontier AI as Safety Warnings and Data Center Backlash GrowFinCEN Tells U.S. Banks to Improve Scam Reporting as Losses Approach $13 BillionApple Watch Ultra 4 Keeps Ultra 3 Design, Adds S11 Chip and New Health Sensors at $799
Products & Applications

Google Pixel Watch 5 Review: Iterative Upgrade With More Accurate GPS

TechRadar's review says the Google Pixel Watch 5 is a polished Android smartwatch with highly accurate GPS and new health features, but short battery life and limited on-wrist Gemini keep it from being a major leap.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-11 23:51

The Pixel Watch 5 starts at $399.99 / £369 / AU$649 for the 41mm model and $429.99 / £399.99 / AU$699 for the 45mm model, with LTE available at an additional cost. TechRadar tested the 45mm version. The review said the pricing is roughly equivalent to the Apple Watch Series 12 and slightly more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Watch9, which makes it reasonable value unless the watch is bought primarily for fitness. That caveat comes from Google Health, whose premium subscription costs $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.99 per month to unlock all features. TechRadar noted that Samsung and Apple do not lock core fitness features behind a paywall, and that Apple Fitness+ is a workout content service rather than a paywall for health data. The review deducted half a star from the watch's value score, giving it 3.5 out of 5.

The 45mm Pixel Watch 5 measures 45 x 45 x 12.5mm and weighs 37.5g without a band. It has an aluminum case and bezel, an Actua 360 domed display using a 320 ppi AMOLED LTPO panel that can reach up to 3,000 nits, and dual-frequency GPS covering GPS, Galileo, Glonass, Beidou and QZSS. Google lists battery life at up to 40 hours with Always-On Display. Connectivity includes 4G LTE, Satellite SOS, Bluetooth 6.0, Wi-Fi and NFC, and the watch is water resistant to 5ATM. TechRadar said the unique vertical charging stand, curved teardrop design, sizes and band-switching mechanisms are identical to previous editions, and that the Pixel Watch 5 looks and feels basically the same as the Pixel Watch 4.

TechRadar highlighted more accurate fitness-tracking GPS, Breathing Emergency Detection and Insulin Resistance Trends as the main new additions. It also listed Loss of Pulse Detection and other top-tier health features among the watch's strengths. The review said these features are great, but that they work largely in the background, improve existing features, or wait to detect an event that may never arrive. The repairable teardrop design was also praised as very strong. On the negative side, the review pointed to battery life that is still very short, on-wrist Gemini that is not truly agentic yet, and Google Health's reliance on its premium AI service.

Gemini has become smarter, according to TechRadar, but the review attributed that change to the wider Google ecosystem rather than to the watch itself. The watch provides on-wrist access to Gemini when there is an internet connection, which the reviewer compared to a small, constant Hitchhiker's Guide companion. It was less useful for driving the watch's day-to-day functions, and the reviewer ended up using it in the same way as other, more basic voice assistants. The review said it found problems with Gemini both as an entity and as an agentic on-wrist assistant.

The review described the Google Health revamp as the source of the biggest day-to-day changes in fitness features. Pixel Watches previously used Fitbit software, but since Fitbit became the AI-first Google Health app, the free version is quite stripped back, while the premium version relies heavily on an AI chatbot, again based on Gemini, to interact with data, build workouts, log food and otherwise use the service in a meaningful way. TechRadar said the subscription-free version of the app is sparse. That may be acceptable for users of the super-cheap Google Fitbit Air, but buyers spending $429.99 / £399.99 / AU$699 on a premium smartwatch without paying for Google Health Premium may feel left out in terms of fitness features.

Despite those concerns, TechRadar said the Wear OS third-party app library, the elegant repairable design, and quality and accuracy improvements cement the Pixel Watch 5's position as the best Android-native watch to buy for another year. The review described the watch as fast, accurate, nice-looking and comfortable to wear. For new adopters, it is the best Android watch yet, but the review repeated that those not keen on Google's over-reliance on Gemini may want to skip it.

Editor's Summary TechRadar's review of the Google Pixel Watch 5 describes it as a polished but incremental Android smartwatch with highly accurate GPS, new health detection features and a repairable design. Its main drawbacks are short battery life, a still-limited on-wrist Gemini experience, and fitness features that depend heavily on the paid Google Health service. The watch starts at $399.99 for the 41mm model and $429.99 for the 45mm model, with LTE costing extra.