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As for the hardware itself, much of Google’s efforts this year seem to revolve around speeding things up and improving performance. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated chip with a Cortex-M55 co-processor, Google says the Pixel Watch 5 offers 20 percent faster processing. The dual-band GPS is also twice as accurate at route mapping in tough environments like cities, and Google is so confident that it claims the Pixel Watch 5’s GPS outperforms the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro. The screen can hit a peak brightness of 3,000 nits too, matching the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Part of the speed improvements also mean surfacing helpful information when you need it, and Google says its At a Glance feature will bring up relevant details, like Gate information when you’re at the airport, or how many stops are left on your bus route home. Also, you can finally use Gemini even when the watch is not connected to the internet to manage certain tasks, like timers, alarms, and workouts, with your voice.
Also new is Sleep Breathing Quality, which monitors minute-by-minute variations in your blood oxygen levels, which could help you understand how your quality of sleep is affecting your overall energy, recovery, and heart health. And then there’s Breathing Emergency Detection, which can place an emergency call on your behalf if you’re unresponsive and it detects a persistent drop in oxygen levels, like with drug toxicity accidents, pneumonia, or choking (though, once again, this feature is not cleared by the FDA). Google says this feature is launching first in select European countries.
The 41-mm Pixel Watch 5 costs $399, or $429 for the 45-mm size, and you’ll have to pay more for the models with cellular connectivity. There’s also a Stephen Curry Edition for $579 launching on September 3, with an exclusive sweat-wicking performance loop band.
The Pixel Tag
Google has made concerted efforts to upgrade its Find Hub network over the last year to bring it on par with Apple’s Find My, and the icing on the cake is its very own tracker: the $29 Pixel Tag. It’s made with a mix of plastic and metal, is rated IP67, supports ultra-wideband for precise tracking, and weighs 0.4 ounces. It’s powered by a user-replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery that lasts more than a year.
Pair the tag with your Android device (it only supports devices running Android 9 or newer), and it’ll use the massive Android network to relay your lost item’s location, whether the tag is on your keychain or in your wallet or backpack. Google says you can locate and ring the tag not just through phones but through WearOS smartwatches with the Find Hub app, or ask Gemini through your Pixel Buds. Unlike the rest of the hardware on show today, the Pixel Tag won’t be available right away; it shows up on November 11.
