ഗൂഗിൾ പിക്സൽ വാച്ച് 5 റിവ്യൂ: ആൻഡ്രോയിഡ് ലോകത്തെ ഏറ്റവും മികച്ച സ്മാർട്ട് വാച്ച് ഇതാണോ?

Summary

The Google Pixel Watch 5 is comfortable, good looking and robust. And it is an excellent health, fitness and sleep tracker. Now with a larger battery and AI smarts, is it the best Androifd wearable on the market?

Let's get this out of the way quickly: Unless you own a Samsung smartphone or you are an athlete who needs an "Ultra" smartwatch (or a fitness band geared toward athletes), Google's Pixel Watch 5 is the best Android smartwatch on the market. You can chalk it up to the phenomenal battery life and the vastly improved Pixel Watch UI (Wear OS 7).

The Pixel Watch 5 has a circular display (Actua 360 display) which is protected by Custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It's powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated chip. The 45mm variant comes with a 465mAh battery and offers up to 40 hours with the always-on display (up to 30 hours with the 41mm's 332mAh battery). The watch is also IP68 water- and dust-resistant rated. The Bluetooth variant is the only one available in India.

Google decided not to change the design this time around. Smart decision, I'd say, as the Pixel Watch 4 was supremely comfortable and was an eye-catching smartwatch. The weight (without the band) is identical. You get two bands in the box (a small and a large Active Band).

The curved, domed display that's at the heart of the Pixel Watch 5 is the same as the one on the Pixel Watch 4. It's a bright display, reaching up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. The differences between the Watch 5 and 4 boil down to RAM (50% more in Watch 5), twice the storage, and a new strap material. It also has a faster processor, more accurate GPS tracking, and on-device Gemini Nano. Another change I really like is that Google revamped the Wear OS complication system to show more information.

While the batteries are slightly bigger, I really appreciate that Google hasn't changed the watch's charging mechanism. It has the same charging cradle with speedy charging as its predecessor. Unlike the Galaxy Watch9, which I reviewed recently, I could top up the Pixel Watch 5 battery in no time. That meant that I never had to worry about the smartwatch dying on me. I easily averaged a day and a half, and I mostly charged it before bed. It charges to 50% in just 15 minutes, and that's good enough to last you an entire day. With the Pixel Watch 5, you can go from dead to fully charged in just under an hour.

Top-notch activity tracking

When it comes to tracking your metrics, Garmin wearables are considered the crème de la crème of the industry. While the Pixel Watch 5 doesn't match a Garmin watch, it comes pretty close. Step count is accurate, and heart rate tracking is better than most smartwatches. GPS tracking has also improved.

More than steps and heart rate tracking, I've been impressed by the smartwatch's sleep tracking. The Pixel Watch 5 can track how many times I woke up in the night, and how restless I was during sleep. There's also a useful Smart Wake Alarm which wakes you up at an ideal time based on your sleep stage.

Levelling up the software

One of the big changes in 2026 is the addition of the AI-powered Google Health Coach and the new Google Health app (rebranded and redesigned from the Fitbit App).

With Wear OS 7, gestures are more common than ever. You pinch your fingers twice to open the notification panel, and then again to scroll. You can twist your wrist to dismiss the panel, raise your wrist to talk to Gemini, and more. It's almost as if Google doesn't want you touching the Pixel Watch 5. The 'pinch' feature is now available with more apps and widgets.

The AI Health Coach was largely useful throughout my testing. First available on the Pixel Watch 4, the Health Coach has certainly improved with greater use. It offers recommendations on when to wind down and hit the sack, how much energy you should expend on workouts and much more. Of course, if it flags something, don't take it as the gospel truth but consult a doctor. It's a little verbose, but it's more useful than not, and very encouraging. After I had taken a break from my morning walks, it constantly nudged me (and wasn't over-patronising) to get back into my routine, which I genuinely appreciated.

Best Android smartwatch?

The Pixel Watch 5 costs ₹42,900 for the 41mm model and ₹45,900 for the 45mm one. Even though Samsung's Galaxy Watch9 is cheaper, I'd still recommend Google's Pixel Watch 5, and that's because of the latter's phenomenal battery life. Yes, it isn't class-leading like many Chinese smartwatches, but it is miles ahead of offerings from Apple and Samsung.

It's also one of the most comfortable smartwatches out there, with intuitive gestures, accurate workout tracking, improved sleep tracking, faster performance, and the best AI assistant, Gemini.

That said, if you own a Pixel Watch 4, then you don't really need to upgrade. Second, the Fitbit Air is launching soon, so if you don't need a screen on your wrist, then it's worth waiting for the Air. You'll even save money whilst doing so. One last thing to note: the AI-Health Coach and some other features are locked behind a Fitbit Premium subscription.

Sahil Bhalla is a Delhi-based writer. He posts @IMSahilBhalla.