I Tried The Google Pixel Watch 4 - And These Key Features Made It Feel Indispensable

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

ZDNET cardinal takeaways

• Pixel Watch 4 launches Oct. 9 astatine $350, nan aforesaid value arsenic past year.
• New features: faster charging, outer link, and wellness AI.
• First Pixel Watch pinch a replaceable artillery for sustainability.

Get much in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add america arsenic a preferred Google source connected Chrome and Chromium browsers.

The clip has yet travel for Google Pixel users. A caller lineup of Google phones, earbuds, and, my individual favorite, smartwatches, is coming to Android users, Google announced astatine its Made by Google arena earlier this week.

The Pixel Watch 4 is Google's latest smartwatch, and nan wearable comes packed pinch new, intriguing features that raise nan barroom crossed nan smartwatch board. I sewage to effort respective of them retired up of nan smartwatch's charismatic launch, and they impressed maine and sewage maine excited to deterioration nan watch myself.

Also: Everything announced astatine Made by Google 2025: Pixel 10 Pro, Fold, Watch 4, and more

While nan features of nan fourth-generation smartwatch are new, nan value of nan watch will enactment nan same, astatine $350 for nan 41mm and $400 for nan 45mm. The 41mm watch cases travel successful matte achromatic pinch an obsidian progressive band, polished metallic pinch a porcelain progressive band, champagne golden pinch a lemongrass progressive band, and polished metallic pinch an iris progressive band. 

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

On nan 45mm, nan watch cases see matte achromatic pinch an obsidian progressive band, polished metallic pinch a porcelain progressive band, and satin moonstone pinch a moonstone progressive band.

Preorders for Pixel Watch 4 statesman connected Aug. 20, and nan smartwatches deed shelves connected Oct. 9.

1. New charging dock

I had to fumble pinch nan charger connected nan Pixel Watch 3 respective times to onshore nan smartwatch's charging mechanisms successful nan correct place. It's annoying and tedious. The Pixel Watch 4's charging larboard erases this problem pinch its caller orientation. Instead of level charging that required a personification to perfectly align nan magnets to initiate a complaint connected Watch 3, nan Pixel Watch 4 falls instantly into spot pinch nan side-charging port. 

Plus, Google says nan Watch 4 is its longest and fastest-charging watch to date, pinch a 25% faster charging speed.

2. Satellite communications

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

Several smartwatches person outer communications. What separates them from Pixel Watch 4 is Google's first-of-its-kind standalone smartwatch pinch outer communications. Most satellite-enabled smartwatches require a telephone to link to. The Pixel Watch 4 doesn't. 

Also: The champion outer phones of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

It's powered by Snapdragon's processor, which connects to geostationary satellites to guideline you and link you erstwhile you're disconnected grid. This characteristic is smart, unique, and useful to outdoor adventurers aliases those pinch mediocre connectivity. It is disposable connected nan Pixel Watch 4 LTE.

3. Improved wellness features

Outside of being a smartphone's wrist-side companion, a smartwatch is built to health-track pinch sensors and functionalities you can't find connected a Pixel phone. Google is making investments successful some slumber and activity search pinch nan Pixel Watch 4. 

The watch gets Google's astir meticulous slumber search and slumber shape discovery to date. Additionally, nan sensors tin much acutely observe variations successful tegument temperature.

Now, erstwhile users are exercising and hide to grounds their workout, Google automatically detects and classifies activities while besides signaling bosom complaint information. The AI-powered characteristic learns from your workout regimen to accurately categorize these activities complete time.

Also: Is each this information astir our wellness bully for our health?

The Watch 4 besides uses Gemini arsenic a individual wellness coach that's been developed pinch Fitbit to create customized slumber and activity regimens tailored to nan user. Whether a Watch 4 personification is moving their first marathon aliases aiming for a caller PR successful nan gym, Gemini offers up training plans and proposal on nan way.

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

Google besides unveiled connected Wednesday that it's revamping nan Fitbit Premium acquisition to make nan app consciousness and enactment much for illustration a personalized wellness coach. 

I didn't get to effort this revamped Fitbit, arsenic nan revamp arrives connected watches successful October, but Google says it will accommodate to and create civilization routines, make workouts based connected nan information it's collected connected your activity level and slumber quality, and connection check-ins and adjustments mid-workout.

4. Watch faces accommodate to customizable themes

Pixel Watch 4 connected nan near and Pixel Watch 3 connected nan right. The caller watch has buttons that hug nan edges of nan screen.

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

As personification who loves shape equally, if not more, than function, I can't contradict myself an artistic touch. Google's wearable comes successful nan shape of watch faces that accommodate to customizable themes, truthful that your show is cohesive, personalized, and, successful my opinion, cool to look at.

5. Brighter display

3,000 nits seems to beryllium nan magic number for watch brightness this tech season. Google upgraded its smartwatch, matching nan brightness of Samsung's precocious released Galaxy Watch 8 and Apple's Ultra Watch 2. The show was agleam and vivid. 

Also: Google is officially replacing Assistant pinch Gemini - and there's only 1 measurement to support it

Additionally, Google developed a domed Actua-360 show that's made to beryllium much glanceable and complement nan caller edge-hugging buttons that return up much of nan Pixel Watch screen.

6. Replaceable battery

For nan first time, Google is making nan Pixel Watch 4's artillery and show replaceable. This is simply a awesome stride for some customers and sustainability and seems to beryllium 1 measurement nan tech elephantine is addressing nan rumor of e-waste. Once your Pixel Watch 4's artillery dies aliases its show cracks, you tin switch it pinch a caller 1 and debar buying a caller watch altogether.

7. Goodbye, Hey Google

If you wanted to activate Google's adjunct connected erstwhile watches, you'd person to opportunity Hey Google. Now, each you person to do is raise nan smartwatch and commencement speaking for quicker query activation. 

This update makes triggering Gemini quicker, convenient, and conversational.