Pixel Watch 4 Hands-on: A Long, Thoughtful List Of Improvements

Most group don’t deliberation of Google erstwhile they deliberation astir smartwatch makers, but nan latest Pixel Watch mightiness alteration that. A astonishing number of updates are coming to the Pixel Watch 4, and I was impressed by really these changes adhd up to make it little of an iterative update than I initially expected.

Of each its caller features, I recovered nan Pixel Watch 4’s outer communications capability, repairable creation and improved charging speeds astir compelling. Other changes, for illustration nan brighter, curved display, dual-chip architecture, upgraded haptics motor and speaker arsenic good arsenic Wear OS 6 and different package features are little exciting, but will matter much to nan day-to-day experience. The redesigned Fitbit app, which will person a caller AI acquisition astatine its core, will besides effect your regular usage more.

At first glimpse and from a caller hands-on, I’m intrigued by nan Pixel Watch 4 and really nan individual improvements mightiness adhd up to a much meaningful wide experience.

Satellite connectivity for emergency communications connected a smartwatch

I want to jump correct into nan caller characteristic I’m astir willing in: emergency outer communications. Google says nan Pixel Watch 4 is nan first standalone commercialized smartwatch to support this feature, and that astir apt mostly has to do pinch nan spot that powers it.

The Snapdragon Wear 5 Gen 2, which Qualcomm announced coming on pinch nan Wear 5+ Gen 2, is nan first wearable processor to connection outer support, according to nan company. It’ll usage Skylo’s Narrowband Non-Terrestrial Network (NB-NTN) and let for “two-way emergency messaging straight from nan wearable device.” It’s worthy noting that this will only activity connected LTE models and successful nan contiguous United States, though.

In a recorded demo of nan characteristic astatine a hands-on event, I saw what it would look for illustration connected a Pixel Watch 4 erstwhile you effort to link to a outer to nonstop a message. Now, to beryllium highly clear, this was a pre-recorded video that played connected loop connected nan device. All I did was deed play and watch. Still, it was bully to get an thought of what nan process would require. It looked for illustration you’d request to travel onscreen instructions to move your wrist astir while nan strategy searched for an disposable outer to link to. It was reminiscent of existing versions connected phones. Whether it’s yet reliable aliases effective is thing I can’t opportunity until I get to really trial it.

Improved charging dock and faster recharging

In contrast, I did get to spot for myself conscionable really quickly nan Pixel Watch 4 recharges. On paper, nan institution says nan caller watch tin spell from 0 to 50 percent charged successful 15 minutes aliases less. I sat adjacent to a Pixel Watch 4 for 10 minutes arsenic it sat connected a charging dock, and saw it spell from 70 percent to 90 percent successful that time. That’s impressive, and though that mathematics doesn’t look to lucifer what nan institution promised, there’s a reasonably straightforward reason.

A Google typical told maine that past 80 percent, nan charging changes from CC (constant current) to CV (constant voltage). Without getting excessively overmuch into the technicalities of what’s happening, fundamentally erstwhile CV kicks in, charging speeds slow down. This is simply a reasonably modular artillery optimization measurement for astir modern devices.

If nan Pixel Watch 4 were starting disconnected person to 0 percent, it’s imaginable that it would person recharged to 50 percent successful 15 minutes, but I don’t cognize for certain. I’m besides not judge whether nan truth that nan demo portion was connected to a portable artillery alternatively of a wall socket made immoderate quality successful this case. I am, however, gladsome to spot that it was capable to get 20 percent of juice successful conscionable 10 minutes — conscionable astir nan clip it takes for maine to get fresh for nan gym each morning.

Google besides redesigned nan charging dock. Instead of a puck that sits nether nan watch (like you’ll find connected almost each smartwatches today), nan Pixel Watch 4 has a cradle that it tin beryllium sideways in. The charger itself has a smaller footprint: alternatively of a information disc, it’s a rectangular dock astir nan size of a double A battery, pinch a groove successful it to accommodate nan watch. You tin spot nan Pixel Watch 4 successful there, knob broadside up pinch nan surface facing either direction. When it’s connected, nan watch will show nan clip and complaint level and I could spot that accusation from astir six feet away. It’s fundamentally nan iPhone’s Standby mode but for a watch that’s propped up connected its side.

I’m not judge really overmuch easier it is to driblet a watch sideways into a cradle arsenic opposed to consecutive onto a disc, but I do deliberation having nan complaint level beryllium viewable from a region is helpful. I’m besides gladsome that Google spent clip reasoning astir faster charging and making nan instrumentality past longer, since those were complaints we had pinch erstwhile models. To beryllium specific, nan institution says nan caller smartwatch lasts 25 percent longer than its predecessor, acknowledgment to a dual-chip architecture and efficiencies via Wear OS 6.

New curved, brighter display

Google says nan Pixel Watch 4 has each caller hardware connected some nan wrong and out. In fact, it went arsenic acold arsenic to opportunity it wholly redesigned nan Pixel Watch and that this is nan biggest update to nan instrumentality yet. One of nan astir visible changes is nan display. Not only is it 50 percent brighter than nan 1 connected nan Pixel Watch 3, but nan surface itself is domed this time, not conscionable nan solid astatine nan top.

I didn't really spot a quality astatine first, but erstwhile looking a Pixel Watch 4 and 3 side-by-side, nan caller exemplary was noticeably brighter, and watch faces seemed to agelong a spot person to nan separator of nan case. Since nan interface uses a achromatic background, though, it was difficult to show whether nan bezel was thinner.

There are rather a fewer caller features that I didn’t get to test, which I’ve collected successful a database astatine nan bottommost of this article. For now, it’s astir apt much applicable to talk astir things for illustration Gemini connected Wear OS 6, Raise to talk (to nan assistant), nan redesigned Fitbit app and nan AI-powered updates.

Raise to talk to Gemini and AI-generated connection replies

The Pixel Watch 4 isn’t nan first watch to motorboat pinch Google’s latest wearable level (that grant belongs to Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 series). But it does person an exclusive characteristic to make interacting pinch Gemini a spot easier: Raise to talk. Unlike connected nan Samsung wearable, wherever you person to verbally invoke nan adjunct aliases agelong property nan knob connected nan side, connected nan Pixel Watch 4 you tin bring your wrist to your look and Gemini will beryllium fresh for your requests.

When it recognizes nan gesture, nan Pixel Watch 4 will show a mini animated icon astatine nan bottommost of its surface to bespeak it’s listening. But connected my repeated attempts to trigger it, nan strategy only registered that I had brought my wrist up astir half of nan time. Granted, I was utilizing a watch that belonged to a Google typical and was a spot loose connected my wrist, truthful nan accuracy mightiness amended pinch a amended fit.

I did announcement different Google executives execute very deliberate movements to get nan watch to perceive and moreover past it seemed for illustration Raise To Talk required aggregate attempts to work. This is thing I will person to hold till I get a portion successful nan existent world to measure nan efficacy of, but for now I americium intrigued by nan imaginable convenience but skeptical of nan existent performance.

Senior head of merchandise guidance for Google Wearables Sandeep Waraich later explained that nan strategy is presently tuned to admit much deliberate movements arsenic a measurement to debar mendacious positives. Waraich said that complete time, and perchance by nan clip nan Watch 4 is connected shelves successful October, nan mobility required to trigger Raise To Talk should require little exaggeration.

When I did get Gemini to perceive me, it responded reasonably quickly to my mobility astir activities to do successful New York connected a basking summertime day. Again, I’d request much clip pinch nan instrumentality to judge really useful this would beryllium successful nan existent world.

There was different characteristic that had overmuch much imaginable to beryllium adjuvant though: AI-generated speedy replies to messages. I only saw a speedy demo connected a Google rep’s watch, but successful consequence to a connection saying “How’d nan hoops crippled go?” nan strategy suggested responses of “We won,” “We lost, but it was fun” and “It was great” pinch a hoops emoji. That’s overmuch amended than nan canned prompts from earlier that were much apt to beryllium “Yes,” “No,” “Call maine later” aliases immoderate different generic variant. It did return a 2nd for them to load, though.

A Google spokesperson astatine nan arena told america that this is perchance nan first clip an on-device connection exemplary has been deployed connected a smartwatch, which mightiness beryllium noteworthy but it’s not thing that will materially effect nan experience.

I will opportunity that while I didn’t get to dive excessively profoundly into nan remainder of Wear OS 6 pinch Material 3 Expressive connected nan Pixel Watch 4, we do already person a review of nan Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 up and successful it we screen immoderate of nan changes to nan platform. On Google’s smartwatches, I liked really nan caller package made amended usage of abstraction successful things for illustration nan Weather and Search cards, pinch an improved equilibrium betwixt putting much accusation wrong 1 page while still retaining a generous size for buttons and text.

A person look astatine nan redesigned Fitbit app

One of nan places immoderate Pixel Watch proprietor will beryllium spending overmuch of their clip is nan Fitbit app, wherever their collected wellness and fittingness information will beryllium presented. I spent immoderate clip pinch a preview type of nan redesigned app, which will beryllium disposable successful October to Premium users successful nan US. Aesthetically, nan app looks rather different, pinch a customizable dashboard of stats astatine nan apical of nan main page (aka nan Today tab). At nan bottommost are caller tabs “Today,” “Fitness,” “Sleep” and “Health.”

Though nan font feels much reminiscent of caller Android and Material designs, existing Fitbit users will find nan colour strategy familiar. Purple is still what your slumber advancement bar’s colour is, while your steps are still shown successful a teal bar. But beneath each those ocular representations of information is simply a paper pinch a punctual to chat pinch nan caller AI Coach, followed by what Google calls a “stream,” and a floating bluish “Ask Coach” fastener astatine nan bottommost right.

The watercourse is separated into Upcoming and “Your time truthful far” sections, pinch nan second populated by cards summarizing your advancement connected areas for illustration slumber and fitness. In a mini demo, Google's head of merchandise guidance for Fitbit and Health Andy Abramson walked america done nan caller product. He showed america his app, wherever a paper titled “Less slumber than accustomed past night” said he had astir 4 hours and 28 minutes of estimated sleep. It summarized nan magnitude of clip awake and interruptions during that period, and past asked “Given nan shorter duration, really are you emotion energetically this morning?” A paper further down, titled “Your assemblage is well-balanced today” and tagged “Readiness,” talked astir Abramson’s readiness score, what it intends and showed a floor plan connected his capacity this week.

You tin take to proceed conversations by tapping into each card, aliases simply disregard them and proceed scrolling down nan stream. Tapping done nan tabs astatine nan bottommost brings you into likewise laid retired pages pinch accusation circumstantial to your activity, slumber and vitals (as measured by nan wearable). That past 1 will show your bosom rate, respiratory rate, humor oxygen and different stats, followed by sections called “Health areas,” “Detection and aforesaid screening” and “Personal info.”

This presents a operation of accusation your fittingness locator collects, arsenic good arsenic information you enter. This each feeds into nan caller AI Coach, which will beryllium a paid Fitbit Premium feature, that is meant to beryllium your Gemini-powered “personal wellness coach.” It’s still a reasonably caller instrumentality that’s going to beryllium successful constricted preview arsenic Google continues to measure its efficacy and measure basal tweaks and guardrails, but astatine slightest it seems for illustration nan institution is good alert of nan imaginable pitfalls it mightiness brushwood successful nan improvement of immoderate AI instrumentality for health.

In a property merchandise announcing nan caller individual wellness coach and nan Fitbit redesign, Google said “We’re committed to building our individual wellness coach pinch starring manufacture experts and done technological research.” To that end, it’s partnering pinch Stephen Curry “and his capacity team” and “also moving intimately pinch our Consumer Health Advisory Panel, a divers group of starring experts successful medicine, AI and behavioral science.”

I stay skeptical of AI’s trustworthiness successful general, but if there’s 1 point Google and Fitbit person it’s an abundance of information from nan years of acquisition they person successful collecting wellness information from wearables. AI seems for illustration a suitable method to make consciousness of nan madness, arsenic agelong arsenic it’s done mindfully. And it does look for illustration nan Pixel Watch and Fitbit teams are reasoning cautiously astir their approach. I will request to hold till I get to usage nan caller app and AI Coach connected my ain to spot really personalized and useful it is, of course.

Repairability positive a database of different updates coming to nan Pixel Watch 4

There were rather a fewer different updates I didn’t get to trial during my clip pinch nan Pixel Watch 4, including nan AI-powered activity nickname system, improved sleep-tracking and overnight tegument temperature-sensing, arsenic good arsenic nan accuracy of nan caller dual-frequency GPS. I didn’t get to cheque retired nan characteristic that streams your motorcycle workout stats to your telephone successful existent clip truthful you tin spot nan specifications much easy erstwhile your instrumentality is mounted to your handlebar.

I besides didn’t spell astir measuring if nan Watch 4’s vibrations were so 15 percent stronger than its predecessor’s, and I wasn’t capable to verify if nan speakers were clearer than before, either.

In addition, I can’t vouch for nan durability of nan Pixel Watch 4, which is rated IP68 for dust- and water-resistance and has a civilization Gorilla Glass covering and aluminum housing. I uncertainty I will beryllium putting those ruggedness claims to nan test, but it’s heartening to cognize location is simply a respectable level of protection here.

The bully news is, moreover if you do negociate to break nan surface somehow, you won’t request to bargain a caller Pixel Watch 4. It has a repairable creation that allows you to region nan show and artillery successful lawsuit those parts request to beryllium replaced. Again, I didn’t break retired my screwdriver and hole a Pixel Watch 4, but I did scrutinize nan (very small) screws on nan lawsuit successful nan groove wherever nan straps connect to nan device. Theoretically, though, I applaud nan conception of repairable devices and americium pleased to spot Google return this approach.

The Pixel Watch 4’s pricing, readiness and value

One much point that’s laudable: The Pixel Watch 4’s value remains unchanged from nan Pixel Watch 3. It starts astatine $349 for nan 41mm Wi-Fi model, and you tin get nan larger size aliases LTE-connected variants for much money. The smartwatch is disposable for pre-order today, though it’ll only commencement shipping and beryllium successful stores connected October 9.

While I proceed to urge you hold till we tin people a afloat reappraisal earlier investing your hard-earned money connected immoderate device, I do deliberation nan database of improvements Google is bringing to nan Pixel Watch bid is simply a long, thoughtful and meaningful one. For a smartwatch that has faced its adjacent stock of challenges crossed nan generations, nan Pixel Watch 4 yet feels for illustration it’s some maturing and carving retired a abstraction for itself.