GoKawiilThe Pixel Watch 5 isn't very different physically from the Pixel Watch 4. According to Google's own comparison chart, there is a slight disparity in the display, with the newer watch listed as using a 320ppi AMOLED panel while the older model's is described as "custom." I'll get into how the display held up in real life, but long story short, the two devices are basically the same.
I do love the peachy canyon shade of my Watch 5 review unit, and it was a beautiful match for the Pixel 11 Pro in the same hue. I will say, though, that I'm a bit concerned to find some discoloration on the band already, with some sort of dark stain appearing along its edges. I'm not sure if this might be because I recently started using a new black purse that might be leeching color, but it was saddening. Google does sell replacement or additional bands from $50 to $200, in case you wanted a spare.
We're at the point in smartwatch maturity where I no longer need to say how these compare to traditional watches. Like the Galaxy Watch 9 and the Apple Watch Series 11, the Pixel Watch 5 is light and mostly unobtrusive. While I still hate to wear any of these things to sleep, it's at least easy to forget you have them on when you're out on a grocery run or just lounging around at home.
The one thing I will point out is that because of its domed glass case and display, the Pixel Watch seems more vulnerable to damage than the competition. But I've yet to break one, and thanks to its repairable design, I'm not very worried about completely ruining the device. And yes, the Pixel Watch 5 remains the only mainstream smartwatch with a replaceable screen and battery, which adds to its appeal.
Speaking of, the Pixel Watch 5 can get as bright as up to 3,000 nits, which is the same as its predecessor. In practice, the Watch 5 was easy enough to read, though that's at its highest setting. When the screen dimmed in battery-saving mode, I struggled to see words on it.
While I'm talking about hardware, I might as well point out that the Pixel Watch 5 has a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated processor, compared to the Watch 4's Snapdragon W5 Gen 2. It's essentially the same chip, but the "Accelerated" version adds more memory and increases clock speeds slightly.. Both devices have the same IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, too.
WearOS and Gemini updates
In the process of this review, I had to update the following:
The Android software of the phone my watch was connected to, which happened to be a Pixel 11 Pro.
The Pixel Watch app (on phone)
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