The Pixel Watch 5 could come with an unwelcome surprise for buyers

What you need to know

• Google is raising Pixel Watch 5 prices by $50, with the 41mm starting at $399 and the 45mm at $429 in the US.
• LTE variants will cost $100 more than the non-cellular versions.
• The Pixel Watch 5 comes in four colors, though the polished Warm Gold is exclusive to the smaller 41mm model.

Just a day after we learned that Google is planning to raise prices for the Pixel 11 series, the same leaker has now revealed that Google is also increasing prices for the Pixel Watch 5 models.

Google confirmed yesterday that it'll be hosting a launch event on August 12 at 6:00 PM ET. The company is widely expected to introduce both the Pixel 11 series and the Pixel Watch 5 models at the event, and now we have a few more details about the latter.

According to Dealabs, the Pixel Watch 5 series will stick with the same sizes we've seen before, in 41mm and 45mm. However, it looks like Google is set to raise prices by $50. That means the 41mm Pixel Watch 5 would start at $399 in the U.S., while the 45mm model is expected to start at $429.

You can expect the LTE variants to cost $100 more than the non-cellular versions.

It's not too hard to see why Google is raising prices, given the rising cost of memory components. Budget gadgets are being hit the hardest, and unfortunately, the Pixel Watch 5 falls into that category. It's also worth noting that this is the first price increase since the Pixel Watch series first launched.

On top of the pricing, a new report from Nieuwe Mobiel claims the Pixel Watch 5 series will come in four colors this year: Natural Silver, Dark Anthracite, Warm Gold, and Pyrite.

It's worth noting that the leak claims that the silver and gold options will come in polished finishes, while the anthracite and pyrite will have a matte finish. According to the leak, the gold color will only be available on the smaller 41mm model, not the 45mm version.

We all saw Google's teaser yesterday confirming that the Pixel 11 series will come in a gold finish, so this new gold Pixel Watch option seems designed to complement it. That said, I'm not entirely sold on the direction here, since a polished gold finish could end up being a real scratch magnet.

Either way, everything should become clearer over the coming days, with Google set to announce the new Pixel lineup just over a month from now.