Google is bringing Watch OS 5 to the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2

It's a minor facelift for the Pixel smartwatch line.

Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Google announced today that the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 will be getting the new Watch OS 5. The latest operating system will roll out to Pixel Watches currently running Watch OS 3.5 and Watch OS 4 beginning today. Users will see a notification on their device as the update becomes available to them over the next week.

The Watch OS 5 update will bring improved camera controls to the older versions of the smartwatch hardware, in addition to adding support for Pixel Recorder and the grid-view app launcher. While early reports said that Watch OS 5 would also be improving battery life, Google didn't specify whether the new operating system will provide a boost to how long these older devices can go before they need a recharge.

Google recently released the Pixel Watch 3, which did impress us with its solid battery performance and other upgrades from last year's Pixel Watch 2. It was the first Pixel smartwatch to boast Watch OS 5 after the operating system debuted on the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra from Samsung.