Pixel Watch 5 review: A fantastic watch that’s missing features at launch – Engadget
The Pixel Watch 5 isn’t very different physically from the Pixel Watch 4. According to Google’s own comparison chart, there is a slight disparity in the display, with the newer watch listed as using a 320ppi AMOLED panel while the older model’s is described as “custom.” I’ll get into how the display held up in real life, but long story short, the two devices are basically the same.
I do love the peachy canyon shade of my Watch 5 review unit, and it was a beautiful match for the Pixel 11 Pro in the same hue. I will say, though, that I’m a bit concerned to find some discoloration on the band already, with some sort of dark stain appearing along its edges. I’m not sure if this might be because I recently started using a new black purse that might be leeching color, but it was saddening. Google does sell replacement or additional bands from $50 to $200, in case you wanted a spare.
We’re at the point in smartwatch maturity where I no longer need to say how these compare to traditional watches. Like the Galaxy Watch 9 and the Apple Watch Series 11, the Pixel Watch 5 is light and mostly unobtrusive. While I still hate to wear any of these things to sleep, it’s at least easy to forget you have them on when you’re out on a grocery run or just lounging around at home.
The one thing I will point out is that because of its domed glass case and display, the Pixel Watch seems more vulnerable to damage than the competition. But I’ve yet to break one, and thanks to its repairable design, I’m not very worried about completely ruining the device. And yes, the Pixel Watch 5 remains the only mainstream smartwatch with a replaceable screen and battery, which adds to its appeal.
Speaking of, the Pixel Watch 5 can get as bright as up to 3,000 nits, which is the same as its predecessor. In practice, the Watch 5 was easy enough to read, though that’s at its highest setting. When the screen dimmed in battery-saving mode, I struggled to see words on it.
While I’m talking about hardware, I might as well point out that the Pixel Watch 5 has a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated processor, compared to the Watch 4’s Snapdragon W5 Gen 2. It’s essentially the same chip, but the “Accelerated” version adds more memory and increases clock speeds slightly.. Both devices have the same IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, too.
WearOS and Gemini updates
In the process of this review, I had to update the following:
The Android software of the phone my watch was connected to, which happened to be a Pixel 11 Pro.
The Pixel Watch app (on phone)
The Google Health app (on phone)
System restart (on both phone and watch)
I also had to go into the Play Store on the watch itself and update at least eight apps there, including Health, ECG, Gemini, Messages, Pixel Watch Manager, Wear OS and Wear Media. At every step of testing, when a feature wasn’t working or was missing, I had to make sure I turned on yet another setting (Gemini, Gestures, Proactive Intelligence etc).
I say all that to add to the excuse pile of why it has taken me so long to write this review, but also to warn you that, should you get a Pixel Watch (or perhaps any other smartwatch) at launch, there will be a lot of settings and possible updates to wade through.
When you’re all set, you should find quite a few improvements. Google has introduced a few new elements to the Pixel Watch’s interface, including redesigned complications, new At a Glance pop-ups, expanded one-handed gestures and a refreshed appearance for Gemini on your wrist. And since it’s the era of AI, there’s also a new watch face generator that takes your prompts and turns them into wacky clocks.
The entire mechanism is a bit simplistic, though. No matter what you describe, it only impacts the style of the clock font. The rest of the stuff on the face, like the complication size and placement, are all fairly rigid. You can customize the four arcs around the clock by choosing which complications to use, and pick the color palette you prefer. Otherwise, all your whimsical descriptions like “flowery nature vibe” or “woodland elves prancing around a magical forest” will only impact the numbers that display the time.
It’s a fun touch, just not quite as impactful as I’d like. My prompts, which included the woodland elves one and one that said “smiley faces and emoji faces in a celebratory vibe” delivered great results, but I ended up preferring the Photos watch face featuring myself (and occasionally my loved ones) anyway. There are two new watch faces for the Pixel Watch 5 — Weave and Chronograph. They’re both attractive enough, plus the new Multicolor option for complications makes things feel more vibrant.
Even then, I think Google could learn something from Apple. While the former does have a wide variety of watch face styles to choose from, Apple’s watch faces, especially the ones with dynamic clock sizes, simply look better.
I do think Google has a smarter approach when it comes to widgets and tiles, though. You can customize the pages that appear when you swipe sideways on the Pixel Watch 5, which made it very easy for me to put my favorite functions within reach. Logging my morning workout, starting a recording, setting a timer and my favorite contacts are all just a few swipes away. I also appreciate that these widgets feature large, easy-to-hit buttons.
I’ll quickly go over some of the rest of the features new to the Pixel Watch 5. Arguably my favorite update is on-device Gemini, which I said last week was a bit overdue. When I was reviewing the Pixel Watch 4, I was deeply frustrated to find that Gemini was unresponsive when I left my phone behind and went on a run. I tried to ask the watch to log a workout or start a timer but had to stop and swipe through the faces to do so instead.
This time, you can ask Gemini to perform some basic tasks without needing a connection. These include setting timers, starting workouts, controlling your music playback, toggling your settings like water lock or Wi-Fi and even opening specific apps. Not only is the system now freed from needing a phone (or cellular network), it’s also a lot faster as a result.
Cherlynn Low for EngadgetGoogle also gave the Gemini interface a slight cosmetic refresh, so when the lower half of your screen glows when you’re talking to the assistant, its appearance matches the rest of Google’s Neural Expressive design. I like that it is easier to see what you’ve said to Gemini and doesn’t get in the way.
That bottom half of the display is also where you’ll see the new “At A Glance” chips pop up. This is similar to Apple’s smart stack hints. Whenever the system detects it might have relevant, timely information, it will show you a little button. This could be anything from an incoming Lyft ride, an ongoing workout or a boarding pass for your flight. Basically, apps that use the Live Update feature on Android should show up here, and you’ll be able to see multiple items or more details by swiping up.
I also liked double pinching my fingers in the air to open up At A Glance, as it was a convenient way to quickly view what I needed without even having to touch the screen. Previous Pixel Watches already supported the double pinch and wrist turn feature, but with this year’s model, Google made the gestures more functional. Now, double pinch can not only open At A Glance from the watch face, but it can also open the notification center. When a scroll bar is visible in Gemini’s responses or in your workout metrics or wallet app, double pinching will scroll through the content. Double pinching will also toggle between Maps views and manage the Recorder app, while the wrist turn action is now a universal back navigation.
That last addition is major for me. The act of turning your watch face away from you as a dismissal is so intuitive, it just makes sense. Plus, a universal back gesture is in my opinion one way Google’s interfaces are sometimes superior to Apple’s. I still love how, in Android, a simple swipe in from either edge of a phone screen takes you back to your previous page or app.