It’s no surprise that the Pixel Watch 5 is on its way. It has already been leaked in a few ways (including one believed to have been found at the bottom of the sea).
Now, Google’s upcoming flagship smartwatch has been filed with the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), but this comes with some confusion.
The device showing up as normal confirms that the Pixel Watch 5 is coming soon. It can be seen there under the model numbers G25QD, G1XJ6, G0F3Y and GFW3R – previously confirmed via the BIS listing – and is all listed as a ‘wireless device’.
That’s all well and good, as we expect the usual set of four wearables: two sizes and a choice of connectivity.
This is where the confusion arises, as the FCC listings state that all four models have LTE (4G) as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This means there won’t be a cheaper Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-only setup like normal.
Chris Martin / Foundry
While there is some debate over whether Google will make another Pro or Ultra model in addition to this Pixel Watch 5, I think things are a lot less complicated than that.
Sorry to be boring, but this list is most likely due to the fact that all Pixel Watch 5 models will be manufactured with the same internal parts. So the PCB has a modem capable of 4G connectivity, but this is simply disabled at the firmware level before leaving the factory.
It’s a bit like how some vehicles leave the factory with a speed limiter due to their intended use. Theoretically it is still capable of higher speed, with the same engine underneath, but has been modified.
There’s bigger news here
Perhaps the bigger reveal here is that the Pixel Watch 5 won’t be upgraded to 5G to match that of the Apple Watch Series 11.
To expand a little further, this may be curious, as upcoming smartwatches in 2026 will come with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite chipset, which does have 5G RedCap. This could well power a key rival, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 series, but it’s also expected to be limited to 4G LTE.
Onleaks x Android Heads
The likely reason is that in the midst of the memory crisis, which is significantly increasing the price of technology, the cost of upgrading these devices to 5G is not worth it – especially when most of the target market will not notice or appreciate the benefit.
Instead, they may simply buy a cheaper version to protect their profit margin. The Pixel Watch 5 will also see a price increase.
We won’t have to wait too long to find out, as the Pixel Watch 5 will launch alongside the Pixel 11 phones in August and Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Watch 9 series, along with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, at its rumored Unpacked event on July 22.
