A well-rounded smartwatch with a shocking benefit

Everybody makes use of smartwatches in another way. There are the individuals who put on all of them day, those that solely put on them after they’re outdoors, those that solely use them whereas understanding and even those that solely put on them to mattress. In 2025, most smartwatches can do all of it and fulfill your wants no matter how you employ them. They carry out loads of fundamental exercise and sleep monitoring whereas serving as wonderful passive knowledge gatherers. Google’s newest, the Pixel Watch 4, stands sturdy in opposition to rivals like the Apple Watch Series 11 and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8, and if you happen to look simply at these mannequin numbers, it’s spectacular how far Google has are available in simply 4 generations.

The Galaxy Watch 8 might be the Pixel Watch 4’s closest competitor, contemplating they’re each appropriate with Android whereas the Apple Watch solely works with iPhones. Evaluating them can really feel a bit futile, because it’s almost certainly you’ll purchase the watch that works finest together with your model of telephone (i.e. Pixel look ahead to a Pixel telephone, Samsung for Samsung). Nevertheless it’s nonetheless worthwhile to see how they fare in opposition to one another. If you understand what a Samsung watch can do, it helps contextualize what ought to be thought of acceptable on, say, your Pixel or Apple watch.

It bodes effectively that for the Pixel Watch 4, I’m now not questioning its elementary performance or complaining about its battery life. Reasonably, I discovered myself pondering its adaptability and consistency, in addition to its strengths over the competitors. Unsurprisingly, because of its Google and Fitbit heritage, these strengths lie in AI and well being monitoring. However the Pixel Watch 4 has a shocking benefit that I by no means noticed coming: charging pace.

What’s new on the Pixel Watch 4

Earlier than I get into that although, let’s rapidly go over what’s modified on the Pixel Watch 4. It now has a curved show beneath its domed glass protecting, which makes it look even livelier than earlier than. It’s surrounded by bezels that Google says are 16 % smaller than the final mannequin’s, permitting its display screen to be about 10 % roomier. The show can also be brighter by about 50 %, now going as much as 3,000 nits. That’s the identical as Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8, however greater than the Apple Watch Collection 11’s 2,000 nits of peak brightness.

Altogether, the bodily adjustments make Pixel Watch 4 look eye-catching and enticing, and I saved getting compliments from individuals outdoors my common tech-savvy circles. Different {hardware} upgrades embody the brand new dual-frequency GPS, customized haptics engine and speaker, in addition to up to date processors and a revamped, sooner charging system that locations the contact factors on the watch’s edge as a substitute of the again. Importantly, although I didn’t take a look at it for this evaluate, the Pixel Watch 4 is extra repairable, since you’ll be able to unscrew its case to switch its show and battery if wanted.

Like many non-Apple smartwatches, the Pixel Watch 4 runs Google’s Put on OS, however with some new options like a wrist-raise gesture to set off the Gemini assistant. The corporate additionally improved its algorithms for activity- and sleep-tracking, introduced its Materials 3 Expressive design languages and new watch faces to the OS and . Nonetheless, the redesigned Fitbit app wasn’t accessible for testing throughout this evaluate, so that you gained’t see any evaluations of it right here.

Another factor I didn’t attempt on the Pixel Watch 4: Emergency SOS through Satellite tv for pc. Google’s smartwatch was the primary mainstream wearable to be introduced to have satellite tv for pc communications inbuilt, although Apple launched the Watch Extremely 3 with comparable capabilities shortly after. As a result of the setup would end in a name or message being despatched to emergency companies, I made a decision in opposition to testing the satellite tv for pc function for this evaluate.

In case you’re new to smartwatches or contemplating your first one, try our for particulars on what to anticipate of a tool in 2025. By and huge, although, this evaluate gained’t cowl the fundamentals of what a smartwatch does and what apps or options are usually accessible.

Quick-charging is so good that I now not fear

I by no means thought I’d be such a fan of quick cost occasions, however Google’s newest wearable is so quick at refueling that I’ve truly modified my conduct round it. I usually place my smartwatch (normally simply the newest Apple Watch I’ve examined) on my kitchen island in order that I see it once I seize my pre-bedtime cup of water and bear in mind to place it on the charger in a single day.

With the Pixel Watch 4, I’ve began to simply drop it on the charger once I get up, and by the point I’m finished brushing my tooth, washing my face and becoming my health club garments, it’ll have loads of energy for about half a day. I can’t say the identical for the Apple Watch, although the Collection 11 has respectable charging speeds that enable me to get sufficient for a morning stroll and a exercise after about 10 minutes of being plugged in.

For the precise numbers, you’ll be able to learn my colleague Sam Rutherford’s story the place he meticulously charted the cost time of the bigger 45mm mannequin of the Pixel Watch 4 he’s been utilizing. It jives with my expertise, the place, after simply six minutes, my system went from 37 % to 62 %.

I used to be additionally impressed once I noticed an alert on the watch’s face that instructed me the charger wasn’t truly plugged into an outlet. I’ve been burned up to now once I positioned different smartwatches on their charging pucks, solely to return again an hour later and understand it hadn’t truly been charging as a result of I didn’t join the cable to a socket. This function felt like a very considerate contact on Google’s half.

The Pixel Watch 4’s battery life

With such fast recharging, it could really feel like a long-lasting battery isn’t as essential. However the Pixel Watch 4 nonetheless manages to ship respectable runtimes.

Generally, I most well-liked to let the Pixel Watch 4 get a full cost, as a result of I seen its battery doesn’t get me by an entire day after just some minutes on the dock. However once I took it off the charger at 3:35PM one Friday afternoon, it managed to final all by Saturday night time, going from 100% to 22 % by 9PM the subsequent day. That’s after a full day of passive exercise monitoring, the place the watch famous that I had burned about 3,000 energy, hiked 6.73 miles and climbed the equal of 128 flooring.

The Pixel Watch 4 usually lasts about so long as the Apple Watch Collection 11. Each gadgets clock a few day and a half, relying on how regularly I exploit options like Gemini or the distant management view for the telephone’s digicam. That runtime additionally appears much like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, which my colleague Amy Skorheim reviewed.

Contemplating Google charges the 41mm model of the Watch 4 to final about 30 hours on a cost, the expertise I had principally surpasses that estimate. In fact, battery efficiency normally deteriorates over time, so my model new evaluate unit will seemingly get rather less long-lasting after some time.

Sleep monitoring: A story of insomnia and naps

I wouldn’t normally dwell on a function that has been round for generations of a tool, however Google did replace its sleep-tracking algorithms for the Pixel Watch 4, calling it “our most correct sleep-tracking.” Plus, as Apple solely simply launched Sleep Rating on the Collection 11, I assumed it was alternative to match the 2.

Each firms thoughtfully restrict the brightness of their watches’ shows once you’re in mattress, and tuned their software program in response to your common bedtimes so that you gained’t be awoken by infinite notifications whereas sleeping. All of them ship sleep scores and readouts of the zones you cycled by when you rested, too, that can assist you get higher perception in your slumber.

Whereas I choose Apple’s presentation of the sleep rating in a hoop with three segments to point areas of potential enchancment, I discover Google’s charts extra readable and particular knowledge simpler to search out. I’m not going to spend an excessive amount of time complaining about an app’s format, although, because it largely has to do with getting used to the best way an organization organizes its data. What’s extra essential is how their gadgets rely your sleep, and whether or not they achieve this precisely.

In anticipation of an extended day that may begin at about 4:45AM, I went to mattress at about 10PM, solely to get up at 1:57AM, unable to fall again asleep. I counted sheep, instructed myself to go to sleep, obtained indignant at myself for not with the ability to sleep and peeked at my telephone, which confirmed me that it had been an hour since I awakened. I lastly drifted off after a while, waking up when the Pixel Watch 4 dragged me out of a dream by buzzing relentlessly on my wrist. In my half-awake state, I truly thought the vibration was a part of the dream and virtually went again to sleep, till I remembered it was the silent alarm I had set for 4:45AM.

Colour me shocked once I noticed my sleep rating was 81 — deemed “Good” by the Pixel Watch 4 due partially to my accumulating six hours and 24 minutes of relaxation. I instantly dug into the sleep chart to see if my hour awake had been misattributed to sleep. It had been. The system did choose up many moments of restlessness, saying that motion was detected throughout 9 % of my sleep. Nevertheless it couldn’t inform that regardless of my mendacity pretty nonetheless, I had been, sadly, wakeful.

I can’t penalize Google or Fitbit too closely for that. Most sleep trackers can’t inform between durations of sleep and full stillness both. Google stated mendacity awake however very nonetheless in mattress earlier than you sleep can typically be tracked as sleep, and that it’s a recognized limitation of the algorithm that it’s engaged on bettering for future iterations.

One other space for enchancment: napping. On the best way dwelling to New York from Lake Placid, I handed out for about an hour at 9PM. Since that was late sufficient to rely as bedtime for some individuals, I hoped that the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch would each take these minutes into consideration. However neither did.

With the Pixel Watch 4, I came upon later that naps throughout the day can be counted, they only needed to final not less than two hours. Two-hour naps? On this economic system?? I don’t know who else has the time however a fast hourlong lie-down is large for me.

In the meantime, the Apple Watch was to have the ability to , however I’m nonetheless ready on official phrase and particulars about that.

Like I stated firstly of this evaluate, sleep-tracking isn’t a serious motive I exploit smartwatches. For these, like Sam, who do, the Pixel Watch 4 will probably be fairly satisfying. Sam famous that the system was principally correct in his expertise, and detected when he needed to rise up to feed his child at night time. Plus, it’s gentle and comfy sufficient to put on to mattress (when paired with the appropriate strap), and its battery will final all night time. Add the quick charging we’ve already raved about and it looks like there’s virtually no motive to not have the Pixel Watch 4 in your wrist always.

A phrase on alarms, timers and stopwatches

I additionally like that on the Pixel Watch, I used to be in a position to set an alarm to wake me with simply vibration and no sound, so I might rise up sooner than my associate earlier than we left for our five-hour drive to Lake Placid. I couldn’t discover this on the Apple Watch — although I did have the choice to permit the alarm to interrupt by silent mode. It’s simply one other approach the 2 firms differ, and I think about they’ll each copy one another and add the respective lacking options quickly sufficient.

One factor I do want Apple would change: the icons for the Stopwatch, Timer and Alarm apps on watchOS. All three of them are represented by orange circles within the app drawer, with barely totally different variations of circles with clock arms in them. They’re not labeled, both, so if you happen to’re not within the Listing view you’ll must guess which of those three orange orbs is the time-related app you need, and shuttle till you discover the appropriate one.

Google is just barely higher at this, because it makes use of an hourglass to characterize the Timer and the Alarm and Stopwatch icons are a bit extra distinct from one another. Plus, Alarm sits on the prime of the Pixel Watch’s drawer, whereas the Stopwatch and Timer are nearer collectively close to the underside. They’re clearly organized alphabetically, since different choices close to the highest are Contacts, Calendar and Digital camera whereas Recorder, Settings and Spotify are on the finish with Stopwatch and Timer.

In the meantime, all of Apple’s first-party apps are on the prime of the watchOS app drawer and if you happen to throw within the different orange circle that’s the World Clock, you’ll have 4 tacky orbs sitting in shut proximity to one another like Ritz crackers.

Gestures and Gemini — comfort with some caveats

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 was the primary smartwatch to have Google’s Gemini onboard, however when the Pixel Watch 4 launched, it introduced the “elevate to speak to Gemini” function with it. This enables for handy hands-free communication with the AI, as long as you’ve an web connection, anyway.

After I left my Pixel 10 Professional in a locker and went for a fast riverside stroll, I wasn’t in a position to get the assistant to set a timer so I knew when to begin heading again. This isn’t simply in regards to the wrist-raising gesture — Gemini merely gained’t work on the Pixel Watch 4 if it’s not on-line, whether or not that be through a tethered telephone or its personal mobile connection. In distinction, whereas I did must long-press the Apple Watch’s knob or say “Hey Siri,” I used to be not less than in a position to get it to set that alarm, even once I put it (and the iPhone it was linked to) on Airplane mode.

This isn’t a dealbreaker, nevertheless it’s irritating if you happen to don’t have an LTE model of the watch and determine to go away your telephone at dwelling. Certain, you’ll be able to contact the display screen and use the app to set that timer, however I don’t wish to must cease, raise up my wrist and choose the variety of minutes my countdown ought to run.

There are a number of caveats to notice when particularly speaking in regards to the wrist-raise gestures, too. For one, you’ll have to ensure the At all times On Show is enabled, because the system depends on the display screen being on to detect adjustments in motion and state. You’ll additionally must be pretty deliberate with the gesture, bringing your wrist to your mouth from about waist-level.

For probably the most half the Pixel Watch 4 responded as anticipated, with the onscreen indicator telling me Gemini was listening once I introduced my hand to my mouth. However every so often, particularly once I was sitting down, it might fail to react. There are few conditions extra embarrassing than sitting in a restaurant, repeatedly jerking your wrist as much as your face whereas holding a telephone as much as get a video of the function working. I might solely hope the opposite individuals on the espresso store the place I used to be penning this evaluate didn’t assume I used to be doing one thing worse.

Generally, the little glowing animation would seem to point out that my motion was profitable, but when I even moved my wrist barely after that, it might disappear. Additionally, if you happen to raise your wrist from any display screen apart from the house web page, you gained’t see the indicator. However if you happen to confidently converse your request into the ether anyway, you’ll understand Gemini was truly awoken by your gesture.

With the apps drawer open, I lifted my wrist and requested what the climate was like, and promptly obtained a response. There was additionally a light-weight vibration to let me know the watch had heard me. After I raised my hand once more and requested “how about tomorrow,” Gemini was fast to inform me it might be wet in my space. I used to be impressed by the speedy responses and the truth that I might preserve bringing my hand as much as my mouth to ask follow-up questions or interrupt a very wordy response, however I do must acknowledge that there’s a sure finesse that’s required to get the gesture proper every time.

I used to be somewhat perturbed that the motion must be considerably deliberate, proper up till the one time it by accident triggered once I flipped my wrist throughout a name. Out of nowhere, the assistant was responding to my dialog with my therapist. This solely occurred as soon as throughout my 10 or so days with the Pixel Watch 4, so the speed of false positives is pretty low. The jerkiness of raise-to-talk to Gemini is a tradeoff I’m prepared to make in alternate for fewer unintentional triggers.

Plus, Google has stated that is an preliminary foray into gesture-based interplay with the Pixel Watch, and it seems to proceed to tweak its algorithms for larger accuracy and sensitivity. The Watch 4 might not at present assist the double faucet and wrist flick gestures that Apple does (or ). However I’ve been within the trade lengthy sufficient to recollect when Android Put on watches allowed you to flip your wrist to scroll by lengthy notifications. It appears , together with a restricted set of gesture-based navigation actions. I used to be in a position to dismiss notifications and return to the house web page by rotating my wrist on the Pixel Watch 4 because of the prevailing “ungaze” gesture that’s designed to shut an alerting notification.

Auto exercise detection is totally different, however nonetheless right here

Over time, Google has gone backwards and forwards on its auto-workout-detection system. With , the system didn’t trouble to inform you if it seen you had gone on a stroll. You’d have to enter the Fitbit app a number of hours later to see that session. That modified with the Pixel Watch 2, which introduced reminders to begin a exercise for seven forms of actions together with operating, strolling, rowing and out of doors biking. The Watch 3 improved upon that by being fast on the uptake, suggesting I had been lively as quickly as I had been shifting for 10 minutes.

On the Watch 4, Google modified its strategy (once more). At first, it now not appeared to mechanically monitor my every day 20-minute walks to and from my health club. However as a result of I remembered my expertise with the unique mannequin, I went to the Fitbit app on my telephone and was relieved to see a instructed exercise logged there.

Subsequently, I found that the Watch 4 would immediate me to verify detected durations of exercise, however solely half-hour after I used to be finished. The concept is that the immediate to document a stroll or impromptu run would possibly interrupt your move, and whereas I can perceive that rationale, I want there was an choice for me to simply set it how I choose it.

The excellent news is that in my time with the Pixel Watch 4, I by no means felt shortchanged. So long as they lasted not less than quarter-hour, just about all my prolonged walks had been precisely logged (minus the situation info, which is sensible from a privateness perspective). I additionally wore a Galaxy Ring throughout my evaluate, since in my expertise that’s probably the most correct at monitoring each little stroll I take, and the 2 gadgets normally matched up. The Apple Watch, in the meantime, barely ever registered any of my walks, and I all the time wanted to recollect to manually begin an Outside Stroll exercise.

With its new dual-frequency GPS, the Pixel Watch 4 is healthier at mapping out my routes than its predecessors, particularly in building-dense cities just like the one I reside in. I by no means seen a major delay within the watch latching onto a sign, at the same time as I walked out of a small tunnel into the skyscraper-rich Newport space of New Jersey.

Stress-detection, messaging and extra

Every of this 12 months’s new smartwatches has some distinctive options. Samsung has its antioxidant index take a look at, Apple has hypertension notifications and Google has had lack of pulse detection and physique response alerts. That latter principally notices adjustments in your electrodermal exercise and prompts you to notice if you happen to’re feeling significantly harassed or excited. It’s been round , and isn’t enabled on the fourth-generation system by default so that you gained’t have to fret about it pinging you an excessive amount of. I had it activated and was buzzed a number of occasions most days to consider my temper, and every night I’d have a pleasant log of what number of occasions I used to be agitated.

There are fairly a number of new options on the Pixel Watch 4 that I gained’t spend an excessive amount of time evaluating. The true-time streaming of your bike exercise stats to your related telephone is one instance. Like Apple’s model of this function, it really works and makes it simple to see your stats safely on a mounted handset throughout your trip.

Google additionally launched one thing referred to as “notification cooldown” which minimizes interruptions after a number of of them come by in speedy succession. In case your group chat is getting significantly fiery, for instance, this can assist scale back the quantity of vibrations and alerts being despatched to your wrist after a while. I made my good friend Julian Chokkattu at Wired take a look at this out with me and we despatched one another single-word messages nonstop for minutes at a time and each of us discovered notification cooldown kicked in after a number of alerts.

Talking of, the Pixel Watch 4 additionally options AI-generated instructed replies to messages that assist the Put on OS fast reply protocol. Google stated this can be a first-of-its-kind small language mannequin designed to be used on a watch. As a result of it’s on-device, it gained’t require an web connection to work, although if you happen to’re receiving messages I’ve to think about you’re not less than related to mobile. When it did work, it was good to see the sensible reply recommendations as a substitute of the generic canned ones earlier than. However many of the apps I exploit, like Telegram and Instagram messages, don’t assist fast reply. Google additionally says sensible replies gained’t work on Workspace or choose WhatsApp messaging.

The interface you’re almost certainly to work together with on any smartwatch is your essential watch face, and usually the brand new watch faces on the Pixel Watch 4 are wealthy with info and shortcuts. Whereas I want Google would transfer away from the cartoonish, rounded fonts in favor of one thing cleaner and sharper, I like that each one its layouts provide loads of customization choices with plenty of room for handy issues. I selected to place my most essential stats on my dwelling display screen, in addition to a shortcut to launch Spotify. I do want Google would make nicer faces like Apple’s Images one which has a dynamic clock to raised spotlight your photos, as a substitute of the present choice on the Pixel Watch that sticks the textual content within the backside and calls it a day.

Wrap-up

After I reviewed the Pixel Watch 3, it felt like the primary time Google’s smartwatch was on par with the likes of Apple’s and Samsung’s choices. With the Pixel Watch 4, not solely is Google closing the hole even additional than it did final 12 months, nevertheless it’s additionally bringing distinctive instruments you gained’t discover elsewhere. This 12 months’s mannequin differentiates itself with a repairable design, tremendous quick charging and, although it’s now not the one one in the marketplace to supply this, satellite tv for pc communications. The primary two alone really feel like recreation changers, and even with its limitations, elevating your wrist to speak to Gemini is a handy gesture when it really works.

Past the brand new options sit the great suite of health-related instruments that make the Pixel Watch 4 a formidable smartwatch and wonderful companion on your smartphone. Put on OS and Materials 3 Expressive make for a vibrant, easy-to-navigate interface for a system that may do virtually something your telephone can, simply on a smaller display screen.

At $350, the Pixel Watch 4 is $20 greater than the Galaxy Watch 8 (and $50 lower than the Apple Watch Collection 11). It’s exhausting to justify that precise value distinction and inform you which is a worthier buy. My suggestion stays the identical as ever: Get the watch that’s from the identical firm as your telephone. It’ll be higher for you.