Google Upgrades Pixel Watch 5 with AI Features, Enhances GPS Tracking and Breathing Alerts

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Google Upgrades Pixel Watch 5 with AI Features, Enhances GPS Tracking and Breathing Alerts
Photo: Engadget
tech· A press review of 3 outlets

  1. If you don't plan to use all the AI features Google is packing into the Pixel Watch 5 and simply want a smartwatch for general activity and sleep tracking, its faster processor may be a marginal upgrade. Coupled with the fact that the battery life is basically the same from the Pixel Watch 4, it may not be in your best interest to buy the Watch 5, even if it's the shinier option.

    Compare 1 other version
    Engadget

    For now, I'm reviewing the Pixel Watch 5 as it is. I will continue to use and test it in the following weeks and, when the new functions land, I will update this review with my impressions. While I don't expect that any of these new features will affect the initial score I'm giving the Watch 5, I will adjust that number accordingly and note the change if they do.

  2. That was a slight detour on something that isn't new to the Pixel Watch 5, but it does bring me to something that is: improved accuracy on GPS route tracking. I've explained it in my hands-on last week, but basically, Google says it's made the "most accurate GPS route-tracking ever on a Pixel Watch."

    Compare 1 other version
    ZDNet

    One of the first tests I conduct while evaluating smartwatches is GPS location accuracy -- I want to see how close it can track my actual path. Most of the time, the overall distance is fairly close, but zooming in on the GPS track reveals differences in where I walked. Google focused heavily on improving the accuracy of its location tracking in the Pixel Watch 5, so I took it out running, walking, and biking with a Garmin Fenix 8 Pro over the past few weeks to compare.

  3. Google also expanded the loss of pulse detection alerts that it introduced in 2024, bringing a feature it's calling breathing emergency detection this year. But the feature is currently only available in some European countries, and also, short of me somehow managing to develop a persistent drop in oxygen saturation, there is no real way for me to test this, though our editor in chief Aaron Souppouris may have a solution and volunteered as tribute.

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    ZDNet

    Last year, Google launched the pulse detection feature that will hopefully save lives for anyone who suffers cardiac issues without someone close by. This year, Google launched the breathing emergency detection feature and as someone who tends to choke easily I look forward to this security blanket being approved for use in the U.S. soon.

From the margins

3 details only one outlet reported

Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.

  1. 01 Engadget

    It might be time for an upgrade. There are several popular smartwatches that are going to reach end-of-life in 2026, from the Pixel Watch 2 to Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro, as well as a whole slew of Apple Watch models. These devices won't stop working, but they'll stop receiving new features and, in some cases, security patches.

  2. 02 TechCrunch

    The new $225 Pebble Time 2 smartwatch feels like a toy, and we mean that in the best sense of the word. The refreshed version of the indie smartwatch brand, rebooted by its original founder, feels casual, fun, and playful, — not like a mini-computer on your wrist. Its quirky watchfaces and simple apps and games give it a sort of hacker energy, while its physical buttons, e-paper screen, and long battery life provide its retro vibes.

  3. 03 ZDNet

    ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

Assembled from 3 corroborated claims drawn from 3 independent outlets. Every passage above is taken verbatim — Dorothy doesn't paraphrase or summarize.

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Sources (3)

  • zdnet
  • engadget
  • techcrunch

Original Articles (8)

Consumer These modern smartwatches are in their last year of updates — Engadget
Consumer This handy Google Pixel feature can help solve annoying Android Bluetooth problems — Engadget
Consumer Pixel Watch 5 review: A fantastic watch that's missing features at launch — Engadget
Enterprise The $225 Pebble Time 2 is a refreshingly fun smartwatch — TechCrunch
Enterprise Pixel Watch 4 vs. Pixel Watch 5: Is Google's new model worth it? It comes down to this — ZDNet
Enterprise Google's new Pixel Tag tracker has a big advantage over AirTags (and they cost the same) — ZDNet
Enterprise Google Pixel Watch 5 vs. Garmin Fenix 8 Pro: Which has more accurate GPS? — ZDNet
Enterprise After one week wearing the Pixel Watch 5, here's what I want most — ZDNet