Google announced this Wednesday (12) the Pixel Watch 5, which hits the market on August 20 for US$ 399. The watch, reviewed by The Verge, focuses its new features on artificial intelligence and health, with few hardware changes.
The design is practically the same as the previous model, with a new satin pyrite finish and new watch band colors. The Qualcomm processor is slightly faster and the battery had a small increase. The price went up US$ 50 compared to the Pixel Watch 4.
In software, the main new feature is offline Gemini, which allows performing simple tasks, such as starting timers and opening apps, without an internet connection. The assistant also became more proactive and started suggesting actions, such as checking Google Calendar from a message. The watch gained an icon on the screen that displays real-time information about timers, Uber arrival estimate, and workouts. The pinch and wrist-movement gestures, released in December, are now integrated into Wear OS 7.
Artificial intelligence also allows generating personalized watch faces. In a demonstration, a theme with "fat cats and elegant font" resulted in cat-shaped watch numbers, but not exactly as described.
Health
The newest feature is respiratory emergency detection, which identifies severe drops in blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). When it detects a drop, the watch calls emergency services and notifies registered contacts. To avoid false alarms, the device combines heart rate, movement, and altitude sensors. The function is only triggered if SpO2 drops to around 83% for a prolonged period and is disabled when the user has been sleeping for more than 30 minutes. The feature is not recommended for people with chronic respiratory diseases. It will be available in Europe at launch and awaits FDA approval in the United States.
Other new features include the monitoring of breathing quality during sleep, with monthly updates, and blood pressure and insulin resistance trends. These last two features arrive in September and require at least a week of data. They do not measure values directly nor make diagnoses, acting as an alert for changes. Google states that the insulin resistance algorithm was validated with blood tests and published in a peer-reviewed study in Nature.
Fitness and GPS
In the fitness area, Google states that the Pixel Watch 5's GPS will have AI correction, using data from satellites, weather stations, and 3D building models from Google Maps. The company says the result will be more accurate than that of the Garmin Fenix 8 and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The watch also gained AI-generated strength training plans, which can be accessed and followed directly on the wrist, without depending on the phone.
The Pixel Watch 5 is already available for pre-order. The special Steph Curry edition will be launched on September 3.
