The new smartwatch also gets a bigger, brighter display and dual-frequency GPS
Google has officially taken the wraps off the Pixel Watch 4, its latest-generation Wear OS smartwatch.
The much-leaked device builds on the success of its predecessor with a host of significant upgrades, including an emergency satellite connection, a redesigned side-charging system, a larger and brighter display, and the long-awaited addition of dual-frequency GPS.
As expected, the new watch continues Google’s trend of combining a sleek, minimalist design with Fitbit’s health-tracking prowess baked into the core. However, this time, it will also come bolstered by the brand’s AI helper, Gemini, built into the device (and our time with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 showed that this, in itself, is a significant upgrade).
While many core health features like the advanced heart rate sensor and Loss of Pulse Detection are carried over from the Pixel Watch 3, the new hardware upgrades are aimed squarely at addressing the key weaknesses of the previous generation and leapfrogging the competition (for now) in safety.
So, essentially, this is an evolution of the Pixel Watch 3, a device we at Wareable rated as the best smartwatch for most Android users thanks to its superb design and the battery life improvements brought by the larger 45mm model.
The Pixel Watch 4 looks to cement that top spot by delivering a more powerful, capable, and refined experience—but we’ll have to wait until full testing to confirm that. For now, let’s run through five key points from Google’s announcement.
Five key things to know about the Google Pixel Watch 4
1. The charging mechanism has completely changed
The most radical physical change is the move away from the traditional back-puck charger, which Google has incidentally done a good job of hiding in the marketing materials we’ve seen so far.
The new side-mounted ‘Quick Charge Dock’ is 25% faster, the brand says, and capable of taking the watch from zero to 50% in just 15 minutes. When docked, the watch enters a new mode that displays the time and charging status, effectively turning it into a useful bedside clock.
This new design is also linked to Google’s welcome new focus on making the device more repairable, it says, with the display and battery now being serviceable parts.
2. It’s the first smartwatch with satellite SOS
In a huge safety upgrade, the Pixel Watch 4 is the first major smartwatch to feature emergency satellite communications.
Similar to the feature found on modern iPhones (and rumored to be coming to the rumored Apple Watch Ultra 3 in September), this allows users to connect to emergency services for help even when they are completely off the grid without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
This is a massive addition for hikers, trail runners, and anyone who values peace of mind when exploring, and ensures Google’s smartwatch has some of the most robust safety features around (a trend that began with the Pixel Watch 2’s safety additions).
3. The display is bigger and brighter
The new ‘Actua 360’ domed display pushes the screen closer to the edge, with 15% smaller bezels that result in 10% more active screen area on the same 41mm and 45mm case sizes.
It’s also significantly brighter, now capable of hitting a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, making it much easier to see in direct sunlight.
As with the other physical design changes, the bezel change is hard to judge until we have the Pixel Watch 4 on the wrist. Sometimes it’s game-changing, and other times it’s hardly noticeable. However, that brightness boost puts it right in line with the industry’s best displays, such as the one on the Huawei Watch 5 released back in May.
4. GPS has finally been given a pro-level upgrade
One of our biggest criticisms of the Pixel Watch 3 was its lack of top-tier GPS. Google has rectified this by adding dual-frequency (L5 GNSS) support to the Pixel Watch 4.
This technology—which has quickly become a mainstay on rival smartwatches and sports watches in recent years—should provide much more accurate and reliable route tracking for runners, cyclists, and hikers, especially in challenging environments like dense cities with tall buildings or deep, wooded valleys.
Again, as ever, the true test will be how it performs in the real world, but Google’s Pixel Watch devices have consistently performed well in this area (even without the gold-standard tech).
5. Battery life is solid (but maybe not improved?)
Google is quoting a battery life of “up to 40 hours” for the 45mm Pixel Watch 4 model, which is up from the 24 hours per charge it referenced for the same case size last year.
The confusion? Our testing of the bigger Pixel Watch 3 model showed that it’s consistently able to achieve around 48 hours even with the always-on display enabled (and sometimes beyond, if you employ battery-saving mode techniques).
So, Google has either updated its estimate to be more accurate for this generation and we truly can expect around 40-ish hours—or, if it follows last year’s trend and underestimates performance. In the latter case, we could be looking at around three days of AOD time for the 45mm edition.
We’ll put the claims to the test in our comprehensive review testing.
