Pixel Watch 5 may reuse last year’s processor but gains 3GB of RAM

Google’s Pixel Watch 5 may arrive with 3GB of RAM, but the processor information looks remarkably familiar. A Google Play Console listing points to the same SW5100 platform, Cortex-A53 CPU cores and Adreno 702 graphics found in last year’s watch.

As revealed by 9to5Google, the listing names the device as Pixel Watch 5 and gives it the codename “godric.” It also shows 2.8GB to 2.9GB of available memory, which means Google is almost certainly fitting the watch with 3GB of RAM.

That would be the first memory increase in the history of the Pixel Watch range. Every model since the original Pixel Watch has shipped with 2GB.

The processor looks unchanged

The Play Console identifies the system-on-chip as Qualcomm SW5100. It lists four Cortex-A53 CPU cores running at 1.7GHz, paired with an Adreno 702 GPU at 1GHz.

Those figures match the Pixel Watch 4 listing. They also trace back to the Snapdragon W5 platform Google first adopted with the Pixel Watch 2.

There is a little more nuance here than the listing initially suggests. The SW5100 name covers the main application processor used across different Snapdragon W5 generations, so it does not tell us the complete platform configuration.

Google moved to the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 with the Pixel Watch 4. That upgrade retained the same basic CPU and GPU arrangement but added support for Satellite SOS, improved location technology and a newer Cortex-M55 co-processor.

The Play Console does not identify the Pixel Watch 5 co-processor. Google could, potentially, upgrade that part of the platform while leaving the main processor untouched. However, there is no evidence of such a change yet.

As things stand, the safest conclusion is that Pixel Watch 5 will offer little or no conventional CPU and GPU improvement over Pixel Watch 4. Which is a bit of a disappointment.

More memory could be the real upgrade

The jump from 2GB to 3GB of RAM is positive, though. An extra gigabyte gives Wear OS more room for apps, background services and increasingly demanding AI features.

Google has been pushing Gemini deeper into its smartwatch software, and the previously leaked Pixel Watch 5 renders show a new analogue face with a prominent Gemini shortcut. The same design appears in the Play Console image (as shown above), adding another indication that the listing relates to finished hardware rather than an early prototype.

More RAM does not automatically make a processor faster. It can, however, reduce the need to reload apps and allow more services to remain available in the background. That may prove more noticeable in daily use than a modest increase in clock speed.

It could also help Google introduce new Gemini features without making them exclusive to cloud processing. That remains speculation for now, as the listing says nothing about specific AI capabilities.

Samsung has the faster platform on paper

The timing makes Google’s apparent processor decision stand out. Samsung has just launched the Galaxy Watch 9 with Qualcomm’s newer Snapdragon Wear Elite platform.

The 3nm chip uses one Cortex-A78 performance core and four Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. It also includes dedicated AI hardware, while the watch itself has 2GB of RAM.

That gives Samsung a sizeable architectural advantage on paper. Our earlier look at the Snapdragon Wear Elite explains why it represents a much bigger processor step than the changes Qualcomm made between the two W5 generations.

Real-world performance will still depend on software, power limits and how often a smartwatch needs its fastest cores. A Pixel Watch does not have to win a benchmark contest to feel responsive, but Google may have a harder time explaining a price increase if the core processor barely changes.

The Pixel Watch 5 is expected to launch on August 12 in 41mm and 45mm sizes. Previous leaks suggest the familiar domed design will return, so the combination of 3GB of RAM, software changes and any unannounced co-processor upgrade may have to carry much of this year’s hardware story.