Pixel watch 5 price hike confirmed: is $400 worth it?

Published on 09/07/2026 05:31 in technology • Anthony Wilson

Google is about to raise the price of its wearables. A significant leak originating from French tech site Dealabs has confirmed that the upcoming Pixel Watch 5 will launch with a $50 price increase across its entire lineup. This isn’t just a minor adjustment; it’s a signal that even tech giants are feeling the pinch of global economic pressures.

Four models, four price points

Four models, four price points

The Pixel Watch 5 will arrive in two sizes – 41mm and 45mm – each with Bluetooth/Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity options. This gives us a total of four distinct models, each carrying a higher price tag than its predecessor. The base model, the 41mm Bluetooth/Wi-Fi version, will now start at $399, a 15% jump from the Pixel Watch 4. The top-tier 45mm LTE model will set you back $529.

Here's a breakdown of the expected pricing, according to Dealabs:

  • Pixel Watch 5 41mm-Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: $399 / €419 / £369
  • Pixel Watch 5 41mm LTE: $499 / €519 / £469
  • Pixel Watch 5 45mm-Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: $429 / €449 / £399
  • Pixel Watch 5 45mm LTE: $529 / €549 / £499

The cause? A confluence of factors, primarily the global shortage of memory and storage chips. The surging demand for High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and NAND storage to fuel the AI data center boom has dramatically increased the Bill of Materials (BOM) costs for manufacturers. Google, like Apple and Samsung, faces a difficult choice: absorb these costs and accept lower profit margins, or pass them on to consumers.

Beyond the price, the leak also revealed the color options for the Pixel Watch 5: Natural Silver – Polished, Dark Anthracite – Matte, Pyrite – Matte, and Warm Gold – Polished (the last available only in the 41mm variant). Interestingly, a Pixel Watch 5 prototype surfaced earlier this year, recovered by a scuba diver, proving that Google isn’t keeping these devices entirely under wraps.

The official unveiling is set for August 12th at 6 PM EDT / 3 PM PDT, with a release date slated for August 20th, coinciding with the launch of the Pixel 8 series. The question now isn’t just what features the Pixel Watch 5 will offer, but whether the increased price will justify the upgrade for existing Pixel Watch owners and attract new customers in a competitive smartwatch market.