Pixel Watch 4: Google’s biggest update to a smartwatch ever

By John McCann Updated August 21, 2025

The Google Pixel Watch 4 has arrived, launching alongside the Pixel 10 series and Pixel Buds 2a, bringing new features to tempt you to upgrade your wrist-worn wearable.

Google says this is its biggest update to Pixel Watch to date, and the Pixel Watch 4 features a few industry first, such as its domed Actua 360 display and the fact it’s the first smartwatch to offer standalone Satellite Communication, allowing you to send emergency messages, even if you’re off-grid and out of network coverage.

The Google Pixel Watch 4 was announced on August 20, 2025, with pre-orders of the smartwatch opening the same day.

However, unlike the Pixel 10 , 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL handsets, the Pixel Watch 4 won’t be available soon after launch (August 28 for those phones).

Instead, the Google Pixel Watch 4 release date is set for October 9, the same on-sale date as the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

That is more than a month after the launch, and it leaves the door open for Apple to beat it to market with the Apple Watch 11, which we expect to be announced during the iPhone 17 launch sometime in mid-September.

The Google Pixel Watch 4 price starts at $349, which matches the launch price of the Pixel Watch 3. There’s no inflation price rise here.

With the Pixel Watch 4 available in two sizes, and with the option to have it with or without LTE connectivity – there are four prices to get your head around.

Google says the Pixel Watch 4 is made from “Aerospace-grade aluminum” which, along with the custom Corning Gorilla Glass on the screen, should provide decent durability.

It might be tough, but Google’s also made the Watch 4 easily repairable. The watch has been designed to make it easy to replace the battery or screen, which will put the minds of those more clumsy at ease.

A digital crown is found on the right of watch housing, allowing you to scroll through menus, and it doubles as a button so you can select options on screen. There’s a second button, located just above this.

Google is petty chuffed with the screen it’s put on the Pixel Watch 4. As mentioned in the intro, you get a domed Actua 360 display on the watch – as first of its kind.

What does this mean? Well, the screen is actually curved which, Google says, allows for a “10% larger active area” and a 16% reduction in the size of the bezel.

The screen is 50% brighter than the one found on the Pixel Watch 3, with the Watch 4 claiming a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. That should mean it’s easy to see, even in direct sunlight.

Google has improved its health and fitness features for the Pixel Watch 4, with perhaps the most useful of the upgrades being the new automatic tracking.

The Pixel Watch 4 can automatically detect when you start working out, and will log the activity without you having to manually prompt it. It should be able to work out what type of exercise you’re doing as well, such as running, cycling or tennis, to log your activity correctly. If it doesn’t get it right, you can update the workout, helping it learn for next time.

Google’s increased the number of exercise modes the Watch can recognize, adding new activities including basketball and pickleball. It means the Pixel Watch 4 can recognize and track over 50 different exercises.

You also get improved sleep tracking on the Pixel Watch 4, which Google says is 18% more accurate than its previous system thanks to advancements made in its machine learning models.

There’s a new skin temperature sensor too, allowing the Pixel Watch 4 to alert you if your temperature falls outside of your personal range. This can help indicate when you might be about to fall ill.

And finally there’s something specifically for cyclists, with real-time bike stats. This beams health metrics from the Pixel Watch 4 to the Fitbit app on your smartphone.

When mounted on your handlebars, your phone becomes a real-time HUD (heads-up display) with live information not only about your ride, but also your personal exertion.

The Pixel Watch 4 is the world’s first smartwatch to offer standalone satellite communication, which has been made possible by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chipset.

Leave your phone at home, or in the car, before you venture out on a long off-grid run, trek, or walk, and the Pixel Watch 4 will be able to contact emergency services for you.

If you find yourself in difficulties, you will be able to send a message and your location to emergency services, without the need for your phone or cellular coverage.

The Pixel Watch 4 also features dual-band GPS, which should give you more accurate route tracking – great for those active workouts, or logging long walks.

And if you’re willing to pay a bit more, you can get LTE connectivity included – giving you access to mobile data (when in a coverage area), without the need for the watch to piggy-back off your phone.

On-screen, you’re treated to the Material 3 Expressive UI, which Google says makes for a more personal and dynamic experience, with the interface able to deliver richer, and more glanceable information.

It makes Pixel Watch 4 more colorful, and there is a range of new watch faces for you to pick and customize.

The Pixel Watch 4 comes with a new way to interact with Gemini. All you need to do is raise your wrist and Gemini will be ready to listen to whatever is on your mind – just start speaking. There’s no need to use a wake word, or press a button.

Google says it will make it easier for you to interact with Gemini when you have your hands full.

The speaker has also been improved over the previous model, making it easier for you to hear Gemini and other audio.

Thanks to power efficiencies from the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chipset, and further enhancements in compute architecture, the Pixel Watch is 25% faster than its predecessor, while consuming just half the power.

That means the Pixel Watch 4 boasts some impressive battery life stats – although you’ll have to wait for our full review to see if it can live up to the claims.

In fact, this is Google’s fastest charging, and longest lasting smartwatch ever. On a single charge, the Pixel Watch 4 can last up to 40 hours, for the 45mm variant. The 41mm model can supposedly last a still-impressive 30 hours between charges.

Things become a little odd when it comes to actually charging the Pixel Watch 4, as the connector to do so is located on the left edge of the watch. It means you need the dedicated charging dock which comes with the smartwatch – you can’t use a previous watch charger – and it sits horizontally on the dock.

We imagine this will look nice on a nightstand, as it can double as a small bedside clock, but you might need to invest in a few of these chargers to place around your home.