Pixel Watch 5
Lug width: 45 mm Pixel bands
Source: MakerCase size: 45 mm
- Status
- Listed by the maker
The story · Since 2016
The story of the Google Pixel Watch
Sundar Pichai rarely wears any watch in public, yet in September 2022 he sat on stage with an unreleased Pixel Watch on his wrist. Four generations later, the same line can call for help when its wearer's pulse or breathing stops.
- 2016 to 2021 The watch Google shelved Google had two Pixel-branded watches in development in 2016, but they were reportedly cancelled over hardware chief Rick Osterloh's concerns that they did not sync well with Pixel phones, and LG released them as the Watch Style and Watch Sport in 2017.
- 2022 A dome of glass Google previewed the watch at I/O in May 2022, promising Fitbit sleep, heart rate and workout tracking on Wear OS, for Android phones only.
- 2023 Lighter, longer, more aware The Pixel Watch 2 was announced on 4 October 2023 at $349 and went on sale on 12 October, its housing switched to recycled aluminium and 10% lighter.
- 2024 Two sizes, twice the light The Pixel Watch 3, unveiled on 13 August 2024, doubled peak brightness to 2,000 nits and gave the new 45 mm model 40% more screen than before.
- 2025 Help from orbit Announced on 20 August 2025, the Pixel Watch 4 put a domed display peaking at 3,000 nits under a 16% slimmer bezel.
- 2026 Listening for every breath The Pixel Watch 5 went on shelves on 20 August 2026 with a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip and up to 40 hours of battery in the 45 mm size.
3,000 nits
peak brightness of the domed display since the Pixel Watch 4
Worn by
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3,000 nitspeak brightness of the domed display since the Pixel Watch 4
40 hoursrated battery life of the 45 mm Pixel Watch 5
36 gweight of the original 41 mm Pixel Watch
15emergency contacts Safety Check can alert, introduced with the Pixel Watch 2
9/10iFixit's provisional repairability score for the Pixel Watch 4, against 4/10 for the Pixel Watch 3
140 to 215 mmwrist range of the one-size Performance Loop band, also used for the Stephen Curry edition
13 minutestime a Google designer needed to remove the Pixel Watch 4 battery and display while answering questions
Chapters
- 2016 to 2021
The watch Google shelved
Google had two Pixel-branded watches in development in 2016, but they were reportedly cancelled over hardware chief Rick Osterloh's concerns that they did not sync well with Pixel phones, and LG released them as the Watch Style and Watch Sport in 2017. Google instead bought Fitbit, closing the deal in January 2021 after a long regulatory review. Osterloh said the deal was about devices, not data, and Google committed that Fitbit health data would not be used for Google ads.
- 2022
A dome of glass
Google previewed the watch at I/O in May 2022, promising Fitbit sleep, heart rate and workout tracking on Wear OS, for Android phones only. The finished 41 mm watch weighed 36 g, ran an Exynos 9110 chip with a low-power co-processor and shipped in nine countries. Reviewers liked the domed design and health features but criticised battery life.
- 2023
Lighter, longer, more aware
The Pixel Watch 2 was announced on 4 October 2023 at $349 and went on sale on 12 October, its housing switched to recycled aluminium and 10% lighter. Google promised 24 hours with the always-on display, a heart sensor with numerous LEDs up to 40% more accurate in vigorous workouts, and an electrodermal activity sensor that can flag signs of stress. Safety Check could alert up to 15 contacts.
- 2024
Two sizes, twice the light
The Pixel Watch 3, unveiled on 13 August 2024, doubled peak brightness to 2,000 nits and gave the new 45 mm model 40% more screen than before. It added runner's tools such as Cardio Load, Target Load and a workout builder for interval sessions. Its Loss of Pulse Detection received FDA clearance in February 2025 and was enabled by update the following month.
- 2025
Help from orbit
Announced on 20 August 2025, the Pixel Watch 4 put a domed display peaking at 3,000 nits under a 16% slimmer bezel. Satellite SOS let LTE models call for help without a phone or signal in the contiguous US, and Gemini answered when the wearer raised a wrist to talk. Charging contacts moved to the side, reaching 50% in 15 minutes.
- 2026
Listening for every breath
The Pixel Watch 5 went on shelves on 20 August 2026 with a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip and up to 40 hours of battery in the 45 mm size. Its Health Guardian suite added breathing emergency detection, which Google calls an industry first on the wrist, launching first in Europe. Google also claimed GPS accuracy twice that of earlier generations in the toughest environments.
Worn by
Sundar PichaiBusiness2022
Google's CEO wore a gold Pixel Watch on a yellow Lemongrass band during his Code Conference interview with Kara Swisher on 6 September 2022, a month before launch.
Megan RapinoeSport2023
The US soccer star wore a Pixel Watch on a then-unreleased Coral band in Google's Fixed on Pixel ad, timed to the start of the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Stephen CurrySport2025
Named Google's Performance Advisor at Made by Google on 20 August 2025, the Golden State Warriors guard switched with his team to Pixel devices; Google says he relies on his Pixel Watch to track heart rate, sleep and daily activity. Usage under a long-term sponsorship deal, not independent ownership.
Moments
2026. Google extended its partnership with Stephen Curry to a Pixel Watch 5 Special Edition, a 45 mm watch with a sweat-resistant woven band, his own watch face and #LockIn branding, sold as a bundle from 3 September 2026.
2025. Loss of Pulse Detection, introduced on the Pixel Watch 3, was cleared by the US FDA in February 2025. If the wearer does not respond within 20 seconds, the watch calls emergency services itself.
2025. On 20 August 2025 Google named Stephen Curry its Performance Advisor, a long-term deal in which he and his team test products and give feedback; that month he showed the Pixel Watch 4 to the student athletes of his Curry Camp.
2025. The Pixel Watch 4 was the first Pixel Watch built to be opened with screwdrivers: in a WIRED teardown a Google designer removed battery and display in under 13 minutes, and in October 2025 iFixit gave it a provisional 9 out of 10, calling it the most repairable smartwatch on the market.
2022. Months before launch, a Pixel Watch prototype was found left in a US restaurant, a leak widely compared to the iPhone 4 prototype lost in a bar in 2010.
2022. Sundar Pichai, who normally wears no watch in public, appeared at the Code Conference with a gold Pixel Watch on his wrist, ahead of its October launch event.
Awards
- 2023iF DESIGN AWARD · GoldReference Pixel Watch (first generation)
The first Pixel Watch won one of the 75 iF Gold awards of 2023; the jury praised a look that references traditional timepieces and close attention to haptics.
Generations and strap changes
- 2026Pixel Watch 5
Released August 20, 2026 in 41 mm and 45 mm cases, both 12.3 mm thick.
Android Central says each size keeps using the same bands as earlier Pixel Watches of that size.
- 2025Pixel Watch 4
Announced August 20, 2025 and released October 9, 2025, again in 41 mm and 45 mm, with a new side-mounted charging dock.
- 2024Pixel Watch 3
Added a new 45 mm size next to the 41 mm model.
Bands swap between Watch, Watch 2 and 41 mm Watch 3; Google Canada said 41 mm bands will not fit the 45 mm, which has a larger attachment.
- 2023Pixel Watch 2
Announced October 4, 2023, with a 100% recycled aluminum housing, about 10% lighter than the original, and a larger crown.
Same 41 mm case size, so bands carry over from the first Pixel Watch.
- 2022Pixel Watch
Announced on October 6, 2022 and released in the US on October 13, 2022, with a 41 mm round case.
Launched with Google's proprietary bands only; Android Central says every 41 mm Pixel Watch since this one shares bands.
Firsts and innovations
The Pixel Watch 3 introduced Loss of Pulse Detection, which Google called first-of-its-kind. It detects when the heart suddenly stops and can call emergency services.
The Pixel Watch 4 (2025) was Google's first smartwatch designed to be repaired, with a replaceable screen and battery.
The original Pixel Watch used a band that attaches from the side, unlike most smartwatch bands.