SlashGear85est.
The Pixel Watch 5 is a highly polished and responsive wearable with a beautiful design and excellent health software, though it lacks some advanced medical sensors found in competitors.
Google Pixel Watch 5
12 expert reviews#3 in smartwatchesChecked 1 Nov 2026
Quick answer
The Google Pixel Watch 5 has a critic score of 82 out of 100 from 12 professional reviews, and 12 of them recommend it. It ranks #3 of 3 smartwatches we score. Critics praise its performance and design. The most common complaint is price.
Reviews checked 1 Nov 2026
Photo coming
For Android
Our verdict
12 professional reviewers tested the Google Pixel Watch 5, and 12 recommend it. Critics praise its performance and design. The most common complaint: price.
The catch: Small upgrade over the Pixel Watch 4.
Critic agreement: High
Scores run from 79 to 85
6 of these 12 outlets print no score. We estimated theirs from the review text and corrected for the known tendency of estimates to run high.
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What do critics say about the Google Pixel Watch 5?
Android Police85est.
The Pixel Watch 5 is a highly capable and smooth-performing smartwatch that excels in daily usability, though it is held back by a boring, uninspired design.
Android Central85est.
The Google Pixel Watch 5 is a highly recommended, stylish smartwatch that excels in health tracking and battery life, though it represents only an iterative design update over its predecessor.
CNET84
The Pixel Watch 5 is a polished and capable smartwatch that remains a top choice for Android users, though its iterative updates and price increase make it a tough sell for those who already own the previous generation.
ZDNET84
The Pixel Watch 5 offers modest improvements in processing speed and GPS accuracy, but the lack of significant battery life gains makes it a questionable upgrade for those who don't prioritize new AI features.
PCMag UK80
The Pixel Watch 5 is a top-tier Android smartwatch that excels thanks to its fast performance and proactive Gemini AI integration, even though the hardware remains largely unchanged from the previous generation.
The Verge80
The Pixel Watch 5 is a solid Android smartwatch with impressive GPS accuracy, but it feels incomplete at launch because its headline health features are not yet available and it comes with a price increase.
Expert Reviews80
The Pixel Watch 5 is a polished and capable smartwatch, but it offers too few hardware improvements over its predecessor to justify a full-price purchase.
Tech Advisor80
The Pixel Watch 5 is a capable and stylish smartwatch, but it offers very few hardware improvements over its predecessor.
How-To Geek79est.
The Pixel Watch 5 offers excellent battery life and a refined software experience, though it faces stiff competition from Samsung's thinner hardware and free health features.
CNN Underscored79est.
The Pixel Watch 5 is a highly capable and comfortable smartwatch with excellent health tracking, but it offers very little improvement over its predecessor, making the price increase difficult to justify for existing owners.
Engadget79est.
The Pixel Watch 5 is a solid, iterative update that offers useful improvements in processing speed, offline AI capabilities, and GPS accuracy, though it remains very similar to its predecessor.
Scores are converted to 0–100. "est." means the outlet gave no number, so we estimated one from its verdict. How we score
What critics praise most
Performance7 of 12
Design7 of 12
Battery life4 of 12
What critics dislike most
Price7 of 12
Few upgrades5 of 12
Subscription costs3 of 12
Alternatives
Not sure about the Google Pixel Watch 5?
Common questions
Is the Google Pixel Watch 5 worth it?
Most critics think so: 12 of 12 recommend it. Small upgrade over the Pixel Watch 4.
What do critics dislike about the Google Pixel Watch 5?
Price (7 of 12 reviews), Few upgrades (5 of 12 reviews), Subscription costs (3 of 12 reviews).
What is the best alternative to the Google Pixel Watch 5?
The Apple Watch SE 3 (critic score 88), best value.