Pixel Watch 5 Adds Breathing Alerts, Insulin Tracking
Get the Tech newsletter
Daily tech — startups, AI labs, chips, the launches that shape the next decade. Free.
- Google's Pixel Watch 5 launches at $399 with a $50 price hike from last year, available for preorder today and on shelves August 20; the Steph Curry Special Edition arrives September 3.
- Breathing Emergency Detection triggers emergency calls when the watch detects SpO2 dropping to roughly 83% for an extended period, using heart rate, motion, and altitude sensors; it disables after 30 minutes asleep and is available on Pixel Watch 4 and 5 in Europe at launch, pending FDA clearance in the US.
- Non-invasive insulin resistance trend tracking rolls out to Pixel Watch 3 and later (plus Fitbit Air) in September, with Google validating the algorithm against blood draws in a peer-reviewed Nature study; the feature is wellness-only and provides no direct readings.
- Offline Gemini handles simple tasks like starting timers and launching apps on the wrist, though the author noted notably slower performance offline; the assistant also surfaces proactive suggestions like pulling up Google Calendar when a text asks about availability.
- AI-corrected GPS on the Pixel Watch 5 uses satellite data, weather station inputs, and 3D building models from Google Maps to post-process route data, with Google claiming it will outperform the Garmin Fenix 8 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
- Blood pressure trends use the optical heart rate sensor plus motion data fed into an AI model estimating pulse wave shape and speed, providing monthly trend warnings rather than systolic or diastolic measurements.
- AI-generated watchfaces powered by Google's Nano Banana model let users describe a theme — the author's request for "fat cats and an elegant font" produced plump cat-shaped clock numbers — described as a gimmick that nonetheless works.
Why it matters: The $50 price hike is the only hardware-adjacent change — everything else is software. The most ambitious features (insulin resistance, blood pressure trends) won't ship until September and are explicitly non-diagnostic, while Breathing Emergency Detection requires FDA clearance in the US, so buyers may pay more for capabilities that arrive later, work softer than promised, or depend on regulators.
Ask SkimNews
