Google's Made by Google 2026 event was not only about phones. Alongside the Pixel 11 series, the company introduced the Pixel Watch 5 and the Pixel Tag — its first Bluetooth item tracker and a direct answer to Apple's AirTag — plus software updates for the Pixel Buds line, TechCrunch reports.
Pixel Watch 5 price and hardware
The Pixel Watch 5 starts at $399 (around ₱24,400) for the 41mm size and $429 (around ₱26,300) for the 45mm — increases of $50 (around ₱3,100) and $30 (around ₱1,800) over the previous generation, per 9to5Google's event roundup. Cellular models add $100 (around ₱6,100), and pre-orders opened on August 12. A Stephen Curry special edition aimed at workout-focused buyers is priced at $579 (around ₱35,400), according to TechCrunch.
Inside is Qualcomm's Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated chip, which brings a 12% CPU boost. RAM rises from 2GB to 3GB and storage doubles to 64GB, and Google says the watch feels about 20% faster overall. New watch faces include Weave, Chronograph, and generative faces that an AI model designs on the watch.
Health tracking goes deeper
Health is the bigger story. The Pixel Watch 5 adds monthly summaries of blood pressure trends and insulin resistance trends — measurements people normally only see during clinic visits. A new Breathing Emergency Detection feature watches for breathing trouble, route tracking during outdoor workouts is twice as accurate, and strength and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) sessions get improved tracking. Bedtime Automations and a sleep-sync feature detect when you fall asleep, then pause your music and disable the touchscreen. Gemini, Google's AI assistant, now handles some commands offline, so timers, alarms, and workout controls work even without a connection. The watch's At a Glance surface also gets smarter with Gemini, pulling in details such as flight and transit information when they are relevant to your day.
Pixel Tag: Google's answer to the AirTag
The Pixel Tag costs $29 (around ₱1,800) each, or $99 (around ₱6,100) for a four-pack, and ships on November 11. The pill-shaped tracker runs on a removable coin cell battery rated for about a year of use — you replace the battery, not the whole tag, a small but pointed jab at trackers with sealed batteries. It supports UWB (ultra-wideband, the short-range radio that enables precise, arrow-style finding) and connects to Find Hub, the crowd-sourced finding network that runs on Android phones with Android 9 or later. You can ring or locate a Tag from a Pixel Watch, or simply ask Gemini to find it.
Apple's AirTag has had this market largely to itself since 2021. Google's pitch rests on the sheer size of the Android installed base feeding the Find Hub network — the more phones that participate, the faster a lost tag surfaces.
Pixel Buds updates
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 gains a new Olive color, available now. A September software update adds dynamic noise cancellation that adapts to how the buds fit in your ear, Gemini audio controls, and an upgraded Live Translate covering more than 70 languages. The cheaper Pixel Buds 2a also gets Gemini audio control in September.
What this means for Filipino buyers
Google has not announced official Philippine availability for the Pixel Watch 5 or the Pixel Tag, and the peso figures above are conversions at around ₱61 per US dollar, not local prices. Imported Pixel Tags should still work with Find Hub here, since the network runs on ordinary Android phones — plentiful in the Philippines — but warranty and after-sales support remain the usual trade-offs of importing. Filipinos who want an officially supported smartwatch instead can look at Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Watch9, which launched locally from ₱22,990.
