Pixel Watch 4 Review: A Well-rounded Smartwatch With A Surprising Advantage

Everyone uses smartwatches differently. There are nan group who deterioration them each day, those who only deterioration them erstwhile they’re outside, those who only usage them while moving retired and moreover those who only deterioration them to bed. In 2025, astir smartwatches tin do it each and fulfill your needs sloppy of really you usage them. They execute a batch of basal activity and slumber search while serving arsenic fantabulous passive information gatherers. Google’s latest, the Pixel Watch 4, stands beardown against rivals for illustration the Apple Watch Series 11 and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8, and if you look conscionable astatine those exemplary numbers, it’s awesome really acold Google has travel successful conscionable 4 generations.

The Galaxy Watch 8 is astir apt nan Pixel Watch 4’s closest competitor, considering they’re some compatible pinch Android while nan Apple Watch only useful pinch iPhones. Comparing them tin consciousness a spot futile, since it’s astir apt you’ll bargain nan watch that useful champion pinch your marque of telephone (i.e. Pixel watch for a Pixel phone, Samsung for Samsung). But it’s still worthwhile to spot really they fare against each other. If you cognize what a Samsung watch tin do, it helps contextualize what should beryllium considered acceptable on, say, your Pixel aliases Apple watch.

It bodes good that for nan Pixel Watch 4, I’m nary longer questioning its basal functionality aliases complaining astir its artillery life. Rather, I recovered myself pondering its adaptability and consistency, arsenic good arsenic its strengths complete nan competition. Unsurprisingly, acknowledgment to its Google and Fitbit heritage, those strengths dishonesty successful AI and wellness tracking. But nan Pixel Watch 4 has a astonishing advantage that I ne'er saw coming: charging speed.

What’s caller connected nan Pixel Watch 4

Before I get into that though, let’s quickly spell complete what’s changed connected nan Pixel Watch 4. It now has a curved show nether its domed solid covering, which makes it look moreover livelier than before. It’s surrounded by bezels that Google says are 16 percent smaller than nan past model’s, allowing its surface to beryllium astir 10 percent roomier. The show is besides brighter by astir 50 percent, now going up to 3,000 nits. That’s nan aforesaid arsenic Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8, but higher than nan Apple Watch Series 11’s 2,000 nits of highest brightness.

Altogether, nan beingness changes make Pixel Watch 4 look eye-catching and attractive, and I kept getting compliments from group extracurricular my accustomed tech-savvy circles. Other hardware upgrades see nan caller dual-frequency GPS, civilization haptics motor and speaker, arsenic good arsenic updated processors and a revamped, faster charging strategy that places nan interaction points connected nan watch’s separator alternatively of nan back. Importantly, though I didn’t trial it for this review, nan Pixel Watch 4 is much repairable, since you tin unscrew its lawsuit to switch its show and artillery if needed.

Like galore non-Apple smartwatches, nan Pixel Watch 4 runs Google’s Wear OS, but pinch immoderate caller features for illustration a wrist-raise motion to trigger nan Gemini assistant. The institution besides improved its algorithms for activity- and sleep-tracking, brought its Material 3 Expressive creation languages and caller watch faces to nan OS and overhauled nan Fitbit app to halfway astir an AI coach. However, nan redesigned Fitbit app wasn’t disposable for testing during this review, truthful you won’t spot immoderate evaluations of it here.

One much point I didn’t effort connected nan Pixel Watch 4: Emergency SOS via Satellite. Google’s smartwatch was nan first mainstream wearable to beryllium announced to person outer communications built in, though Apple released nan Watch Ultra 3 pinch akin capabilities soon after. Because nan setup would consequence successful a telephone aliases connection being sent to emergency services, I decided against testing nan outer characteristic for this review.

If you’re caller to smartwatches aliases considering your first one, cheque retired our smartwatch buying guide for specifications connected what to expect of a instrumentality successful 2025. By and large, though, this reappraisal won’t screen nan basics of what a smartwatch does and what apps aliases features are typically available.

Fast-charging is truthful bully that I nary longer worry

I ne'er thought I’d beryllium specified a instrumentality of short complaint times, but Google’s latest wearable is truthful accelerated astatine refueling that I’ve really changed my behaviour astir it. I typically spot my smartwatch (usually conscionable nan astir caller Apple Watch I’ve tested) connected my room land truthful that I spot it erstwhile I drawback my pre-bedtime cup of h2o and retrieve to put it connected nan charger overnight.

With nan Pixel Watch 4, I’ve started to conscionable driblet it connected nan charger erstwhile I aftermath up, and by nan clip I’m done brushing my teeth, washing my look and changing into my gym clothes, it’ll person plentifulness of powerfulness for astir half a day. I can’t opportunity nan aforesaid for nan Apple Watch, though nan Series 11 has respectable charging speeds that let maine to get capable for a greeting locomotion and a workout aft astir 10 minutes of being plugged in.

For nan existent numbers, you tin publication my workfellow Sam Rutherford’s communicative wherever he meticulously charted nan complaint clip of nan larger 45mm exemplary of nan Pixel Watch 4 he’s been using. It jives pinch my experience, where, aft conscionable six minutes, my instrumentality went from 37 percent to 62 percent.

I was besides impressed erstwhile I saw an alert connected nan watch’s look that told maine nan charger wasn’t really plugged into an outlet. I’ve been burned successful nan past erstwhile I placed different smartwatches connected their charging pucks, only to travel backmost an hr later and recognize it hadn’t really been charging because I didn’t link nan cablegram to a socket. This characteristic felt for illustration a peculiarly thoughtful touch connected Google’s part.

The Pixel Watch 4’s artillery life

With specified speedy recharging, it tin consciousness for illustration a long-lasting artillery isn’t arsenic important. But nan Pixel Watch 4 still manages to present respectable runtimes.

In general, I preferred to fto nan Pixel Watch 4 get a afloat charge, because I noticed its artillery doesn’t get maine done a full time aft conscionable a fewer minutes connected nan dock. But erstwhile I took it disconnected nan charger astatine 3:35PM 1 Friday afternoon, it managed to past each done Saturday night, going from 100 percent to 22 percent by 9PM nan adjacent day. That’s aft a afloat time of passive activity tracking, wherever nan watch noted that I had burned astir 3,000 calories, hiked 6.73 miles and climbed nan balanced of 128 floors.

The Pixel Watch 4 typically lasts astir arsenic agelong arsenic nan Apple Watch Series 11. Both devices timepiece astir a time and a half, depending connected really often I usage features for illustration Gemini aliases nan distant power position for nan phone’s camera. That runtime besides seems akin to nan Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, which my workfellow Amy Skorheim reviewed.

Considering Google rates nan 41mm type of nan Watch 4 to past astir 30 hours connected a charge, nan acquisition I had mostly surpasses that estimate. Of course, artillery capacity usually deteriorates complete time, truthful my marque caller reappraisal portion will apt get a small little long-lasting aft a while.

Sleep tracking: A communicative of insomnia and naps

I wouldn’t usually dwell connected a characteristic that has been astir for generations of a device, but Google did update its sleep-tracking algorithms for nan Pixel Watch 4, calling it “our astir meticulous sleep-tracking.” Plus, arsenic Apple only conscionable introduced Sleep Score connected nan Series 11, I thought it was a bully opportunity to comparison nan two.

Both companies thoughtfully limit nan brightness of their watches’ displays erstwhile you’re successful bed, and tuned their package successful consequence to your accustomed bedtimes truthful you won’t beryllium awoken by endless notifications while sleeping. They each present slumber scores and readouts of nan zones you cycled done while you rested, too, to thief you get amended penetration connected your slumber.

While I for illustration Apple’s position of nan slumber people successful a ringing pinch 3 segments to bespeak areas of imaginable improvement, I find Google’s charts much readable and circumstantial information easier to find. I’m not going to walk excessively overmuch clip complaining astir an app’s layout, though, since it mostly has to do pinch getting utilized to nan measurement a institution organizes its info. What’s much important is really their devices count your sleep, and whether they do truthful accurately.

In anticipation of a agelong time that would commencement astatine astir 4:45AM, I went to furniture astatine astir 10PM, only to aftermath up astatine 1:57AM, incapable to autumn backmost asleep. I counted sheep, told myself to autumn asleep, sewage angry astatine myself for not being capable to slumber and peeked astatine my phone, which showed maine that it had been an hr since I woke up. I yet drifted disconnected aft immoderate time, waking up erstwhile nan Pixel Watch 4 dragged maine retired of a dream by buzzing relentlessly connected my wrist. In my half-awake state, I really thought nan vibration was portion of nan dream and almost went backmost to sleep, until I remembered it was nan silent siren I had group for 4:45AM.

Color maine shocked erstwhile I saw my slumber people was 81 — deemed “Good” by nan Pixel Watch 4 owed successful portion to my accumulating six hours and 24 minutes of rest. I instantly dug into nan slumber floor plan to spot if my hr awake had been misattributed to sleep. It had been. The instrumentality did prime up galore moments of restlessness, saying that activity was detected during 9 percent of my sleep. But it couldn’t show that contempt my lying reasonably still, I had been, sadly, wide awake.

I can’t penalize Google aliases Fitbit excessively heavy for that. Most slumber trackers can’t show betwixt periods of slumber and complete stillness either. Google said lying awake but very still successful furniture earlier you slumber tin sometimes beryllium tracked arsenic sleep, and that it’s a known limitation of nan algorithm that it’s moving connected improving for early iterations.

Another area for improvement: napping. On nan measurement location to New York from Lake Placid, I passed retired for astir an hr astatine 9PM. Since that was precocious capable to count arsenic bedtime for immoderate people, I hoped that nan Apple Watch and Pixel Watch would some return those minutes into consideration. But neither did.

With nan Pixel Watch 4, I recovered retired later that naps during nan time would beryllium counted, they conscionable had to past astatine slightest 2 hours. Two-hour naps? In this economy?? I don’t cognize who other has nan clip but a speedy hourlong lie-down is large for me.

Meanwhile, nan Apple Watch was reported to beryllium capable to track naps successful a watchOS 11 beta, but I’m still waiting connected charismatic connection and specifications astir that.

Like I said astatine nan commencement of this review, sleep-tracking isn’t a awesome logic I usage smartwatches. For those, for illustration Sam, who do, nan Pixel Watch 4 will beryllium rather satisfying. Sam noted that nan instrumentality was mostly meticulous successful his experience, and detected erstwhile he had to get up to provender his babe astatine night. Plus, it’s ray and comfortable capable to deterioration to furniture (when paired pinch nan correct strap), and its artillery will past each night. Add nan accelerated charging we’ve already raved astir and it seems for illustration there’s almost nary logic to not person nan Pixel Watch 4 connected your wrist astatine each times.

A connection connected alarms, timers and stopwatches

I besides for illustration that connected nan Pixel Watch, I was capable to group an siren to aftermath maine pinch conscionable vibration and nary sound, truthful I could get up earlier than my partner earlier we near for our five-hour thrust to Lake Placid. I could not find this connected nan Apple Watch — though I did person nan action to let nan siren to break done silent mode. It’s conscionable different measurement nan 2 companies differ, and I ideate they’ll some transcript each different and adhd nan respective missing features soon enough.

One point I do wish Apple would change: nan icons for nan Stopwatch, Timer and Alarm apps connected watchOS. All 3 of them are represented by orangish circles successful nan app drawer, pinch somewhat different versions of circles pinch timepiece hands successful them. They’re not labeled, either, truthful if you’re not successful nan List position you’ll person to conjecture which of these 3 orangish orbs is nan time-related app you want, and spell backmost and distant until you find nan correct one.

Google is only somewhat amended astatine this, since it uses an hourglass to correspond nan Timer and nan Alarm and Stopwatch icons are a spot much chopped from each other. Plus, Alarm sits astatine nan apical of nan Pixel Watch’s drawer, whereas nan Stopwatch and Timer are person together adjacent nan bottom. They’re intelligibly organized alphabetically, since different options adjacent nan apical are Contacts, Calendar and Camera while Recorder, Settings and Spotify are astatine nan extremity pinch Stopwatch and Timer.

Meanwhile, each of Apple’s first-party apps are astatine nan apical of nan watchOS app drawer and if you propulsion successful nan different orangish circle that is nan World Clock, you’ll person 4 cheesy orbs sitting successful adjacent proximity to each different for illustration Ritz crackers.

Gestures and Gemini — convenience pinch immoderate caveats

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 was nan first smartwatch to person Google’s Gemini onboard, but erstwhile nan Pixel Watch 4 launched, it brought nan “raise to talk to Gemini” characteristic pinch it. This allows for convenient hands-free connection pinch nan AI, truthful agelong arsenic you person an net connection, anyway.

When I near my Pixel 10 Pro successful a locker and went for a speedy riverside walk, I wasn’t capable to get nan adjunct to group a timer truthful I knew erstwhile to commencement heading back. This isn’t conscionable astir nan wrist-raising motion — Gemini simply won’t activity connected nan Pixel Watch 4 if it’s not online, whether that beryllium via a tethered telephone aliases its ain cellular connection. In contrast, while I did person to long-press nan Apple Watch’s knob aliases opportunity “Hey Siri,” I was astatine slightest capable to get it to group that alarm, moreover erstwhile I put it (and nan iPhone it was linked to) connected Airplane mode.

This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it’s frustrating if you don’t person an LTE type of nan watch and determine to time off your telephone astatine home. Sure, you tin touch nan surface and usage nan app to group that timer, but I don’t want to person to stop, assistance up my wrist and prime nan number of minutes my countdown should run.

There are a fewer caveats to statement erstwhile specifically talking astir nan wrist-raise gestures, too. For one, you’ll person to make judge nan Always On Display is enabled, since nan strategy relies connected nan surface being connected to observe changes successful activity and state. You’ll besides person to beryllium reasonably deliberate pinch nan gesture, bringing your wrist to your rima from astir waist-level.

For nan astir portion nan Pixel Watch 4 responded arsenic expected, pinch nan onscreen parameter telling maine Gemini was listening erstwhile I brought my manus to my mouth. But each now and then, particularly erstwhile I was sitting down, it would neglect to react. There are fewer situations much embarrassing than sitting successful a cafe, many times jerking your wrist up to your look while holding a telephone up to get a video of nan characteristic working. I could only dream nan different group astatine nan java shop wherever I was penning this reappraisal didn’t deliberation I was doing thing worse.

Sometimes, nan small glowing animation would look to show that my action was successful, but if I moreover moved my wrist somewhat aft that, it would disappear. Also, if you assistance your wrist from immoderate surface different than nan location page, you won’t spot nan indicator. But if you confidently speak your petition into nan ether anyway, you’ll recognize Gemini was really awoken by your gesture.

With nan apps drawer open, I lifted my wrist and asked what nan upwind was like, and promptly sewage a response. There was besides a ray vibration to fto maine cognize nan watch had heard me. When I raised my manus again and asked “how astir tomorrow,” Gemini was speedy to show maine it would beryllium rainy successful my area. I was impressed by nan speedy responses and nan truth that I could support bringing my manus up to my rima to inquire follow-up questions aliases interrupt an overly wordy response, but I do person to admit that location is simply a definite finesse that is required to get nan motion correct each time.

I was a small perturbed that nan action needs to beryllium somewhat deliberate, correct up until nan 1 clip it accidentally triggered erstwhile I flipped my wrist during a call. Out of nowhere, nan adjunct was responding to my speech pinch my therapist. This only happened erstwhile during my 10 aliases truthful days pinch nan Pixel Watch 4, truthful nan complaint of mendacious positives is reasonably low. The jerkiness of raise-to-talk to Gemini is simply a tradeoff I’m consenting to make successful speech for less accidental triggers.

Plus, Google has said this is an first foray into gesture-based relationship pinch nan Pixel Watch, and it appears to proceed to tweak its algorithms for greater accuracy and sensitivity. The Watch 4 whitethorn not presently support nan double pat and wrist flick gestures that Apple does (or Samsung’s pinch-based actions). But I’ve been successful nan manufacture agelong capable to retrieve erstwhile Android Wear watches allowed you to flip your wrist to scroll done agelong notifications. It seems Wear OS still supports that, on pinch a constricted group of gesture-based navigation actions. I was capable to disregard notifications and return to nan location page by rotating my wrist connected nan Pixel Watch 4 acknowledgment to nan existing “ungaze” motion that’s designed to adjacent an alerting notification.

Auto workout discovery is different, but still here

Over nan years, Google has gone backmost and distant connected its auto-workout-detection system. With the original Pixel Watch, nan instrumentality didn’t fuss to show you if it noticed you had gone connected a walk. You’d person to spell into nan Fitbit app a fewer hours later to spot that session. That changed pinch nan Pixel Watch 2, which brought reminders to commencement a workout for 7 types of activities including running, walking, rowing and outdoor biking. The Watch 3 improved upon that by being speedy connected nan uptake, suggesting I had been progressive arsenic soon arsenic I had been moving for 10 minutes.

On nan Watch 4, Google changed its attack (again). At first, it nary longer appeared to automatically way my regular 20-minute walks to and from my gym. But because I remembered my acquisition pinch nan original model, I went to nan Fitbit app connected my telephone and was relieved to spot a suggested workout logged there.

Subsequently, I discovered that nan Watch 4 would punctual maine to corroborate detected periods of activity, but only 30 minutes aft I was done. The thought is that nan punctual to grounds a locomotion aliases impromptu tally mightiness interrupt your flow, and while I tin understand that rationale, I wish location was an action for maine to conscionable group it really I for illustration it.

The bully news is that successful my clip pinch nan Pixel Watch 4, I ne'er felt shortchanged. As agelong arsenic they lasted astatine slightest 15 minutes, beautiful overmuch each my extended walks were accurately logged (minus nan location information, which makes consciousness from a privateness perspective). I besides wore a Galaxy Ring during my review, since successful my acquisition that’s nan astir meticulous astatine search each small locomotion I take, and nan 2 devices usually matched up. The Apple Watch, meanwhile, hardly ever registered immoderate of my walks, and I ever needed to retrieve to manually commencement an Outdoor Walk workout.

With its caller dual-frequency GPS, nan Pixel Watch 4 is amended astatine mapping retired my routes than its predecessors, particularly successful building-dense cities for illustration nan 1 I unrecorded in. I ne'er noticed a important hold successful nan watch latching onto a signal, moreover arsenic I walked retired of a mini passageway into nan skyscraper-rich Newport area of New Jersey.

Stress-detection, messaging and more

Each of this year’s caller smartwatches has immoderate unsocial features. Samsung has its antioxidant scale test, Apple has hypertension notifications and Google has had nonaccomplishment of beat discovery and assemblage consequence alerts. That second fundamentally notices changes successful your electrodermal activity and prompts you to statement if you’re emotion peculiarly stressed aliases excited. It’s been astir since nan Pixel Watch 2, and isn’t enabled connected nan fourth-generation instrumentality by default truthful you won’t person to interest astir it pinging you excessively much. I had it activated and was buzzed respective times astir days to deliberation astir my mood, and each evening I’d person a bully log of really galore times I was agitated.

There are rather a fewer caller features connected nan Pixel Watch 4 that I won’t walk excessively overmuch clip evaluating. The real-time streaming of your motorcycle workout stats to your connected telephone is 1 example. Like Apple’s type of this feature, it useful and makes it easy to spot your stats safely connected a mounted handset during your ride.

Google besides introduced thing called “notification cooldown” which minimizes interruptions aft respective of them travel done successful accelerated succession. If your group chat is getting peculiarly fiery, for example, this tin thief trim nan magnitude of vibrations and alerts being sent to your wrist aft immoderate time. I made my friend Julian Chokkattu astatine Wired trial this retired pinch maine and we sent each different single-word messages nonstop for minutes astatine a clip and some of america recovered notification cooldown kicked successful aft a fewer alerts.

Speaking of, nan Pixel Watch 4 besides features AI-generated suggested replies to messages that support nan Wear OS speedy reply protocol. Google said this is simply a first-of-its-kind mini connection exemplary designed for usage connected a watch. Because it’s on-device, it won’t require an net relationship to work, though if you’re receiving messages I person to ideate you’re astatine slightest connected to cellular. When it did work, it was bully to spot nan smart reply suggestions alternatively of nan generic canned ones before. But astir of nan apps I use, for illustration Telegram and Instagram messages, don’t support speedy reply. Google besides says smart replies won’t activity connected Workspace aliases prime WhatsApp messaging.

The interface you’re astir apt to interact pinch connected immoderate smartwatch is your main watch face, and successful wide nan caller watch faces connected nan Pixel Watch 4 are rich | pinch accusation and shortcuts. While I wish Google would move distant from nan cartoonish, rounded fonts successful favour of thing cleaner and sharper, I for illustration that each its layouts connection plentifulness of customization options pinch tons of room for convenient complications. I chose to put my astir important stats connected my location screen, arsenic good arsenic a shortcut to motorboat Spotify. I do wish Google would make nicer faces for illustration Apple’s Photos 1 that has a move timepiece to amended item your pictures, alternatively of nan existent action connected nan Pixel Watch that sticks nan matter successful nan bottommost and calls it a day.

Wrap-up

When I reviewed nan Pixel Watch 3, it felt for illustration nan first clip Google’s smartwatch was connected par pinch nan likes of Apple’s and Samsung’s offerings. With nan Pixel Watch 4, not only is Google closing nan spread moreover further than it did past year, but it’s besides bringing unsocial devices you won’t find elsewhere. This year’s exemplary differentiates itself pinch a repairable design, ace accelerated charging and, though it’s nary longer nan only 1 connected nan marketplace to connection this, outer communications. The first 2 unsocial consciousness for illustration crippled changers, and moreover pinch its limitations, raising your wrist to talk to Gemini is simply a convenient motion erstwhile it works.

Beyond nan caller features beryllium nan broad suite of health-related devices that make nan Pixel Watch 4 a formidable smartwatch and fantabulous companion for your smartphone. Wear OS and Material 3 Expressive make for a vibrant, easy-to-navigate interface for a strategy that tin do almost thing your telephone can, conscionable connected a smaller screen.

At $350, nan Pixel Watch 4 is $20 much than nan Galaxy Watch 8 (and $50 little than nan Apple Watch Series 11). It’s difficult to warrant that nonstop value quality and show you which is simply a worthier purchase. My proposal remains nan aforesaid arsenic ever: Get nan watch that’s from nan aforesaid institution arsenic your phone. It’ll beryllium amended for you.