Is one year between smartwatches too soon? The Google Pixel Watch 4 is being released about 12 months after the Pixel Watch 3 and brings with it a bigger and brighter display, longer battery life, and greater integration with Gemini AI, all for the same price as last year's model.
Based on our initial hands-on time with the Pixel Watch 4, it looks to be a very impressive watch. You'll have to wait for our full review, which will come soon enough, to see how the new offering from Google compares with the best smartwatches.
While the enhancements may not be enough to convince Pixel Watch 3 owners to upgrade, those with older models might want to take a closer look.
Google Pixel Watch 4: Quick facts
- Big and bright display: The Pixel Watch 4 has a screen that's 10% larger and has a max brightness of 3000 nits
- Battery bump: The battery is rated to last up to 40 hours in always-on mode, 16 hours more than the Pixel Watch 3. However, it could last even longer than that
- Gemini smarts: Google's AI can craft more intelligent responses to text messages and can better detect physical activities
- Satellite SOS: Satellite messaging can connect you to help when you need it most
Google Pixel Watch 4: Specs
Pixel Watch 4 |
Pixel Watch 3 |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Starting price |
$349 |
$349 |
$349 |
Sizes |
41mm, 45mm, |
41mm, 45mm, |
40mm, 44mm, 47mm (Classic) |
Display |
320 ppi AMOLED, 3,000 nits |
320 ppi AMOLED, 2,000 nits |
327 ppi AMOLED, 3,000 nits |
Weight |
31g (41mm), 36.8g (45mm) |
31g (41mm), 36.8g (45mm) |
30g (40mm), 34g (44mm), 63.5 g (Classic) |
Case colors |
Matte Black, Polished Silver, Satin Moonstone (45mm); Matte Black Polished Silver, Champagne (41mm) |
Matte Black, Polished Silver, Matte Hazel (45mm); Matte Black, Champagne Gold, Polished Silver (41mm) |
Graphite, Silver (standard model); Black, White (Classic model) |
Processor |
Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, Cortex M55 co-processor |
Qualcomm SW5100, Cortex M33 co-processor |
Exynos W1000 |
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 6.0, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz, 5GHz 4G, NFC, UWB, LTE |
4G LTE (optional), Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 802.11n, NFC, UWB |
LTE (optional), Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4+ 5 GHz, NFC |
Water resistance |
50 meters |
50 meters |
50 meters |
Battery life with always-on display (rated) |
30 hours (41mm), 40 hours (45mm) |
24 hours |
30 hours |
Storage/RAM |
32GB/2GB |
32GB/2GB |
32GB/2GB |
Compatibility |
Android 11.0 or later |
Android 10.0 or later |
Android 12.0 or later |
Google Pixel Watch 4: Price and availability
The Pixel Watch 4 is available for pre-order as of August 20, and will go on sale on October 9. Like the Pixel Watch 3, the Watch 4 is available in two sizes and in two configurations:
- 41mm (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi): $349
- 45mm (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi): $399
- 41mm (LTE): $449
- 45mm (LTE: $499
Like the last version, both LTE models of the Pixel Watch 4 will come with two years of service for free, provided you buy the watch through the Google Store or Best Buy.
Google Pixel Watch 4: Design
The Pixel Watch 4 has a touchscreen that’s 10% larger than before, so while the watch itself is the same size, it has smaller bezels. When looking at it side-by-side with the Pixel Watch 3, the change is subtle, but compared to the Pixel Watch 2, you can really see the difference in the bezel thickness.
The Pixel Watch 4 display has a rated brightness of 3,000 nits, which is considerably higher than the Pixel Watch 3 (2,000 nits) and Pixel Watch 2 (1,000 nits), and on a par with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, also rated at 3,000 nits. And, Google's watch can also drop down to as low as 1 nit, so you don't bother people at night or in the movie theater.
In addition, the Pixel Watch 4's screen has a slight curve to it; again, it's very subtle, but when I dragged my finger across the display, it felt a bit more natural than the older models.
Like before, the Pixel Watch 4 has a crown and a button on the right for navigating menus, but now on the right side are two metal contacts for recharging the device. The new charger sits the watch upright on its side, and the display automatically rotates 90 degrees, so that you can use the watch as a mini alarm clock on your bedstand.
The Pixel Watch 4 is waterproof to 50 meters, and it's the first Google watch with a replaceable battery and display, so you don’t have to chuck the whole thing if it gets damaged. That said, you'll need to send the device to Google or a certified repair technician; the screen and battery can't be swapped at home.
Google Pixel Watch 4: AI features
While Google introduced Gemini with the Pixel Watch 3, the company's AI is being further incorporated into the Pixel Watch 4. For instance, the watch will now automatically launch Gemini when you raise your wrist toward your face — no more saying "Hey Google."
Gemini can also be used to provide smarter, contextualized replies to messages. So, if someone texts you "Are you still coming to dinner?", Gemini can look at the time, your calendar, and where you are, and come up with an automatic reply such as "I'm running 10 minutes late."
Within the Pixel Watch 4's fitness features, Gemini can automatically (and retroactively) identify workouts. So, if you forget to start tracking your run, the watch will send you a notification after you've finished, saying something to the effect of, "It looks like you went for a run. Do you want me to save this as a workout?"
The more activities you log yourself, the more accurate the Pixel Watch 4 will get at automatically detecting what it is you're doing.
Google Pixel Watch 4: Health and fitness features
Hardware-wise, there aren't any huge improvements with the Pixel Watch 4. There are a few upgrades over the previous model that should help with activity tracking, though.
The Pixel Watch 4 will feature dual-band GPS, putting it on a par with the Galaxy Watch 8 (and a step ahead of the Apple Watch 10). This should make it more accurate in cities and heavily wooded areas, where GPS signals can often be blocked by tall buildings and/or trees.
Also new to the Pixel Watch 4 is an improved skin temperature sensor, which Google says will make sleep tracking 18% more accurate.
While it's not new, the Pixel Watch 4 will also have Loss of Pulse Detection — a feature that launched earlier this year on the Pixel Watch 3. Fall and Car Crash Detection also return with the new watch.
Google Pixel Watch 4: Battery life
The 45mm model of the Pixel Watch 4 has a 455 mAh battery, which Google says will last up to 40 hours with the always-on display, and up to 72 hours with Battery Saver mode. The 41mm model has a 325 mAh battery, good for up to 30 hours with the always-on display, and 48 hours with Battery Saver mode.
Those figures are considerably higher than the Pixel Watch 3, which was rated for 24 hours with an Always-On Display and 36 hours in Battery Saver. While we need to test these claims ourselves, the two reasons for the big uptick are the result of larger batteries in the Pixel Watch 4 and a more efficient processor.
Of course, if the Pixel Watch 4 is anything like the Pixel Watch 3, the larger 45mm could greatly surpass that rating. After all, the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 lasted an average of 48 hours per charge in our testing.
Just as impressive are the claimed recharging times: The Pixel Watch 4 can get a 50% charge in 15 minutes, an 80% charge in 25 minutes, and a 100% charge in 45 minutes. Again, this is something we'll need to test, but in our hands-on time, I put a Pixel Watch 4 in its charger and saw it gain a charge very quickly.
Google Pixel Watch 4: Satellite SOS
If you're out in the middle of nowhere and get into trouble, the Pixel Watch 4 now has emergency satellite communication — a first for smartwatches, though it's rumored that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will also have this feature when it ships, which could be as soon as next month.
If you try and contact 911, but there's no signal, the Pixel Watch will automatically try and send a text message, along with your GPS coordinates, to emergency responders.
Satellite SOS is only available on LTE models of the Pixel Watch 4, but you don't need to have an LTE plan to use it. That said, at launch, the feature is only available in the contiguous United States.
Google Pixel Watch 4: First impressions
With a bigger battery, a larger and brighter screen, better integration of Gemini AI features, and a new, potentially life-saving safety tool, the Pixel Watch 4 looks to be a meaningful upgrade over its predecessor.
Of course, the Pixel Watch 3 (in 45mm) remains one of the best Android smartwatches for battery in 2025 (tied with the Galaxy Watch Ultra), lasting roughly two days per charge (one day for the 41mm Pixel Watch 3). However, the Pixel Watch 4 is well-positioned to snatch the longevity crown.
This would give Google a serious advantage over the latest Samsung watches, which, in our testing, were good for roughly 30 hours per charge for the Galaxy Watch 8 standard and 40 hours per charge for the Classic. Of course, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic has an arguably cooler design (love that clicky bezel) and comes with some unique health and fitness insights.
Stay tuned for our full review of the Pixel Watch 4 to see if it will take the mantle of best Android smartwatch.
