Google Pixel Watch 5 Can Now Detect Breathing Emergencies and Call for Help

Smartwatches have been quietly turning into safety devices, and Google's Pixel Watch 5 pushes that further than any before it. Alongside the usual upgrades to battery and screen, it adds a feature Google calls an industry first: breathing emergency detection.

Safety first

If the watch detects a breathing emergency, it can automatically contact emergency services. It builds on Loss of Pulse Detection, which Google introduced on earlier models, and the Pixel Watch 5 also adds satellite SOS for when you are out of mobile coverage, which is a meaningful addition in a country with as much empty space as Australia. Check local availability of these features, as some roll out region by region.

Health and fitness

• sleep tracking that Google says is 15 per cent more accurate, plus a Smart Wake alarm
• monthly trend summaries, including sleep breathing quality
• high and low heart rate alerts and ECG
• GPS that Google claims is twice as accurate in tricky environments such as city streets, using 3D building models
• on-wrist strength training coaching, coming soon

Gemini on your wrist

Raise to Talk lets you speak to Gemini simply by lifting your wrist, with fast on-device processing and some actions working offline. At a Glance offers proactive, context-aware updates, and new one-handed gestures let you control the watch without touching the screen.

Hardware

The Pixel Watch 5 comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes with a 3,000-nit domed Actua 360 display. Battery life is up to 30 hours on the 41mm and 40 hours on the 45mm, and a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip with 50 per cent more RAM makes it around 20 per cent faster overall.

Price and availability in Australia

• 41mm Wi-Fi: $649
• 45mm Wi-Fi: $699
• LTE models: $829 and $879
• Availability: on sale now

Sources: Google, iTWire. Image courtesy of Google.