Google Pixel Watch 4 Gets a Step Closer to Being the Perfect Smartwatch

Google’s Pixel Watch 4 arrives with quiet confidence, building on what worked before and adding features that are actually useful. A familiar circular design greets you when you first see the Pixel Watch 4, but subtle changes make it stand out.

The new Actua 360 display curves gently at the edges, giving the watch a 10% larger active area by shrinking the bezels by 16%. At 3,000 nits, the screen is 50% brighter than the Pixel Watch 3, so you can read it during a sunny afternoon run. Google’s Material 3 Expressive interface takes full advantage of this display, with clock faces that pop with more color and user interfaces that feel more responsive. A custom haptic engine, 15% stronger than before, gives you a nice tactile feedback with every tap, and an upgraded speaker makes the built-in Gemini AI assistant sound clear and crisp.

Battery life has always been a sore spot for smartwatches, but Google is addressing it head-on with the Pixel Watch 4. The 41mm model lasts up to 30 hours, the 45mm up to 40 hours with the always-on display enabled. Switch to Battery Saver mode and you can get two days from the smaller model or three from the larger one. A new side-mounted Quick Charge Dock gets the watch from 0% to 50% in 15 minutes if you use a 30W or higher wall plug (not included). Underneath all this is a dual-chip setup: the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 and a next-gen co-processor that’s 25% faster and uses half the power of the previous one.


The Pixel Watch 4 adds a skin temperature sensor to detect changes in your well-being, like early signs of illness. Sleep tracking is 18% more accurate thanks to advanced machine learning that maps out your sleep cycles better. Dual-frequency GPS ensures route tracking in dense urban areas or thick forests. Cyclists will love real-time stats streamed to the Fitbit app which can display on your phone as a heads-up display on your handlebars. New exercise modes for pickleball and basketball bring the total to over 50 and AI-powered activity recognition will log workouts you forget to start and send you a recap afterwards. These build on Google’s already robust health suite including stress management, ECG assessments and the Health Metrics Dashboard.


Emergency satellite communication sets the Pixel Watch 4 apart as the first smartwatch to offer this feature without needing a phone nearby. On LTE models, you can contact emergency services via geostationary satellites when you’re off the grid, as long as you have a clear view of the sky. After you try to call 911, the watch will prompt you to send an SOS message, which can also alert your emergency contacts. This feature is limited to the contiguous U.S. and is great for hikers, runners or anyone in areas with spotty cell coverage.


Gemini’s integration goes beyond health coaching. The AI assistant now responds to a simple wrist-raise gesture, so you don’t have to say “Hey, Google.” Smart Replies, powered by on-device AI, offer context-aware responses to messages so you can stay connected without pulling out your phone. The watch runs on Wear OS 6 with 32GB of storage so it’s ready for future updates. While Gemini requires a cloud connection (so you’ll need your phone or LTE), it feels seamless and the stronger haptics and speaker make interactions more fun.


Durability and repairability round out the package. The Pixel Watch 4 uses Corning Gorilla Glass and aerospace-grade aluminum and is water resistant up to 50 meters. For the first time, Google designed the watch to be serviceable, with a replaceable battery and display. This is a rare move in the smartwatch world where repairs often mean replacing the entire device.