The latest Apple Watch Series 12 is promised to deliver the “most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable”, but how does it compare to the Google Pixel Watch 5?
Sure, choosing between the Apple Watch and Google Pixel Watch will mainly come down to what phone you use, but what actually separates the two wearables? Are you missing out on features if you go for one over the other?
We’ve compared the specs of the Apple Watch Series 12 to the Google Pixel Watch 5 to see what really separates the two wearables. Make sure you also check out our Apple Watch Series 12 vs Series 11 guide as we explain what’s new with this year’s flagship.
If you’re not sold on Apple or Google’s wearable, then our best smartwatch and best fitness tracker guides offer more options across multiple brands.
Specs Comparison Table
Apple Watch Series 12Google Pixel Watch 5ChipS11Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 AcceleratedAIApple Intelligence, Audio IntelligenceGemini IntelligenceOperating SystemWatchOS 27WearOS 7Emergency SOSYesYesWater Resistance50m50mBatteryUp to 24 hoursUp to 40 hoursUK RRP£369£369
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Price and Availability
At the time of writing, the Apple Watch Series 12 is available for pre-order and will launch officially from September 18th. The wearable starts at £369/$399 for the 42mm, aluminium case.
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The Google Pixel Watch 5 is available to buy now and shares the same starting price of £369/$399.99 as the Apple Watch Series 12.
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Pixel Watch 5 is made for Android and Apple Watch Series 12 is made for iPhone
One of the most important differences to keep in mind is that the Pixel Watch 5 is made for Android while the Apple Watch Series 12 is designed purely for iOS. That means you simply cannot use a Pixel Watch 5 with an iPhone, nor can you use an Apple Watch with an Android phone either.
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Google claims the Pixel Watch 5 has the “best GPS” of a smartwatch
The Pixel Watch 5 is fitted with dual-band GPS that’s powered by machine learning, which Google claims is the best of any smartwatch. In addition, Google claims a 2x improvement in accuracy specifically in urban environments by utilising data from Google Maps. If you’ve ever tried to navigate your way through a city packed with skyscrapers, you’ll know how difficult it can be to follow a route.
GPS route tracked from Pixel Watch 5. Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
While overall we found the Pixel Watch 5 to accurately track our outdoor runs and walks, we did see a few wobbles through Canary Wharf. Even so, generally the device is accurate and most users won’t be disappointed.
We haven’t reviewed the Apple Watch Series 12’s GPS ability yet, however we did find that last year’s Apple Watch Series 11’s GPS “consistently locks in quickly” to accurately track a route. With that in mind, we expect a similar performance with the newer Watch Series 12.
Apple claims the Apple Watch Series 12 offers the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable
While Google claims its Pixel Watch 5 has the best GPS of a smartwatch, Apple claims its Apple Watch Series 12 has the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable. Apple backs this claim with a study conducted on over 1000 participants which compared the Apple Watch’s new heart rate sensing accuracy against leading wearables. The result saw Apple Watch provide the highest accuracy across devices”.
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So what’s behind Apple’s accuracy claims? Essentially it’s Apple’s new Health Sensing System which features new optical and electrical heart sensors plus larger LEDs that measure heart rate every five seconds. In addition, the Apple Watch Series 12 now measures HRV up to 24 times more often too, so you can gain wider insight into your stress and recovery.
Google Pixel Watch 5 promises longer battery
Neither Apple nor Google are famed for their industry-leading battery life promises and, although there have been some improvements, it’s a similar story with their 2026 flagship wearables. While the Apple Watch Series 12 promises 24 hours of life between charges, which is unchanged from last year’s Apple Watch Series 11, the Pixel Watch 5 promises 40 hours.
In fact, we found in our review that we could eke out even more than Google’s promise, and found we saw 45-50 hours between charges – though that was for the larger 45mm variant.
Both wearables also offer fast charging too. While a 15-minute top-up will give the Apple Watch Series 12 an additional 12 hours of battery, the Pixel Watch 5 sees 40 hours with the same amount of time.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
Apple Intelligence vs Gemini Intelligence
The Apple Watch Series 12 runs on Apple’s own S11 processor which is hailed as the brand’s “most powerful wearable chip”. The processor enables the Apple Watch to accurately track health and fitness metrics, plus powers Apple’s new Audio Intelligence features too.
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Audio Intelligence is new the Apple Watch Series 12 and utilises the wearable’s built-in microphone for tools including Sound Recognition which detects sirens, doorbells and other alerts that you should be aware of, Live Rewind which lets you go back by 15 seconds to catch something you may have missed, and Siri recap which actively takes notes for your conversations.
Apple has claimed that you can control when Siri Recap is listening, and the Apple Watch Series 12 doesn’t store recordings on-device either.
Otherwise, the Pixel Watch 5 is fitted with Google’s Gemini Intelligence. We’ve concluded that Gemini is one of the most useful smartwatch assistants around, as it responds to queries quickly and accurately. Gemini Intelligence also powers the Google Health app – specifically Google Health Coach that’s found within the Premium subscription. With Google Health Coach, you’ll receive personalised insights into your data alongside advice on how to reach your fitness goals.
It’s an additional £7.99/$9.99 a month and, though it isn’t a necessary add-on, we would recommend it as it works brilliantly.
Early Verdict
The main deciding factor between the Apple Watch Series 12 and Google Pixel Watch 5 will ultimately come down to whether you’re sporting an iOS or Android phone. However, if you have some flexibility then there are additional factors that might influence your decision.
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While the Pixel Watch 5 promises the best GPS, is fitted with Gemini Intelligence and offers longer battery life, the Apple Watch Series 12 is promised to be more accurate than ever, and is equipped with new Apple Intelligence features too.
We’ll update this versus once we review the Apple Watch Series 12.