GoKawiil
Tech News
Google's September software update extends its newer, more dimensional 3D emoji design to the Pixel Watch 2, 3, and 4, matching the look already shipped on the Pixel Watch 5 and on phones running Android 17. The redesign adds shading and depth to emoji faces and objects, replacing the flatter previous style, according to 9to5Google.
Google Health version 5.09 is rolling out on Android and iOS, bringing the newly announced Pixel Watch Health Guardian features—blood pressure tracking, insulin resistance trend charts, and sleep breathing quality data—to Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 owners. The update also lets Garmin and Apple Watch users sync workouts into Cardio Load calculations, adds new activity-logging options, fixes a step streak display bug, and improves how custom food items handle serving units and meal times.
Google has activated Health Guardian on the Pixel Watch 3, Watch 4, and the new Watch 5, adding blood pressure trend detection, insulin resistance trends, and sleep breathing quality analysis. These join the Breathing Emergency detection feature already available on the Watch 4 and 5 in limited European markets. The features are free for Pixel Watch owners, while Fitbit Ace users must pay to access them.
Google is deploying its Health Guardian features—blood pressure trends, insulin resistance trends and sleep breathing quality metrics—to the Google Health app this week, with initial trend reports available starting in early October. The rollout covers Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 owners for free, while Fitbit Air owners with a Google Health Premium subscription will get insulin resistance and blood pressure trends later this year.
Android Authority's Paul Jones argues that despite the $350 Moto Watch Ultra's strong feature set—LTE eSIM, Wear OS 6, a 1.5-inch pOLED screen and Polar health tracking—its weaker processor and limited two-generation OS upgrade path make it a risky buy. Instead, he recommends five alternatives including the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025), Google Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, Garmin Venu 4 and Amazfit Balance 2. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025, now around $330 on Amazon, is highlighted as the top pick for Samsung phone owners thanks to its rugged sapphire-glass build, 64GB storage, multi-day battery and four years of promised software updates.
A new wave of screenless wearable devices is gaining popularity as alternatives to mainstream smartwatches like the Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, and Pixel Watch. These minimalist gadgets focus on health tracking without a display, appealing to users who want fitness and biometric data without the distractions of a screen.
Retailers are discounting the Pixel Watch 5 LTE model by roughly 20%, or about $100 off, just weeks after its launch. The smartwatch includes heart-rate tracking, over 50 workout modes, cellular connectivity, and fast charging.
Google is rolling out its Smart Wake alarm function, first introduced on the Pixel Watch 5, to earlier generations of its smartwatch lineup. The feature uses sleep-tracking data to adjust when an alarm sounds, aiming to wake users during lighter sleep phases rather than at a fixed time.
Google rolled out its latest Pixel Feature Drop, adding expanded home-screen widgets and notification badges for quickly reaching VIP contacts on Pixel 6 and newer. The update also broadens Scam Detection across chat apps and Gboard in ten countries, brings a Wear OS 7 update with offline Gemini and improved GPS to Pixel Watch 5, and introduces Harry Potter-themed customization packs with free Audible access.
The 41mm LTE version of Google's Pixel Watch 4 is now selling for $329.99, a $120 discount from its usual price and the lowest price recorded since launch. The smartwatch runs Wear OS with Fitbit health tracking and supports cellular connectivity for calls without a paired phone nearby.
Apple published a detailed study comparing the heart rate sensing of its new Health Sensing System in Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 against rivals like Garmin, Google Pixel Watch, Huawei, Samsung, WHOOP, and Oura Ring. The test involved over 1,400 participants across five sites in the US and Malaysia, using a Polar H10 chest strap as the accuracy benchmark during activities like running, cycling, HIIT, and daily tasks.
Google has released the first software update for the Pixel Watch 5, moving the firmware from CD5A.260611.008 to CP3A.260905.002 while keeping the device on Wear OS 7 based on Android 17. The rollout includes September security fixes, but the accompanying changelog largely restates Gemini and gesture features that already shipped at launch rather than introducing new capabilities.