Google Pixel Watch 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 8: I compared the two best Androids, and here's the winner

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Google conscionable unveiled its caller Pixel Watch 4, and upon archetypal glance, it's beauteous akin to the Galaxy Watch 8 Samsung released past month. They're some Android smartwatches with AI-powered wellness coaches, they person astir the aforesaid artillery life, brightness, and storage, and notably, they're the aforesaid price. 

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

Of course, you'll get antithetic ticker bands and antithetic marque styles, with Google's ticker being somewhat bigger, but the bones of these devices are astir identical. Nevertheless, arsenic idiosyncratic who loves to comparison and contrast, I wanted to spot however these 2 smartwatches differ, and which you should bargain if you're looking astatine both. 

Get much ZDNET tech coverage: Add america arsenic a preferred Google source on Chrome and Chromium browsers.

Specifications

You should bargain the Google Pixel Watch 4 if...

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

1. You're a Google Pixel telephone owner

This is an evident one, but if you're a Google Pixel user, you should bargain a Pixel Watch, and if you're a Samsung Galaxy user, you should bargain a Galaxy Watch. Both Android watches are compatible with either telephone brand, but it's often a smoother acquisition utilizing smartwatch's autochthonal instrumentality brand. 

Also: The champion smartwatches 2025: I wore these for weeks and recovered the cleanable 1 for your wrist

2. You're an outdoor enthusiast 

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

The Pixel Watch 4 has a unsocial outer diagnostic that separates it from competitors similar Samsung. Unlike smartwatches that necessitate a phone's cellular connectivity to initiate outer connection (like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra), the Pixel Watch 4 offers standalone outer communications -- the archetypal of its kind. The diagnostic is disposable connected the Google Pixel Watch 4 LTE. 

Also: I tried Pixel Watch 4 - and these are my 7 favourite upgrades successful Google's caller watch

Powered by the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 processor, it connects to geostationary satellites successful the entity without requiring a carrier's further connection. You tin conscionable instrumentality your Pixel Watch 4 retired into the large outdoors and cognize that, if an exigency arises, you'll person each the connectivity tools astir your wrist to beryllium successful interaction with an exigency responder and nonstop messages. 

3. You privation further colorways 

The Galaxy Watch 8 lone comes successful graphite and metallic lawsuit colors. Google diversifies its lawsuit colors with 5 options crossed the board. If you opt for the 41mm smartwatch, you'll take from a Matte Black aluminum lawsuit with an Obsidian Active Band, a Polished Silver aluminum lawsuit with a Porcelain Active Band, a Champagne Gold aluminum lawsuit with a Lemongrass Active Band, oregon a Polished Silver aluminum lawsuit with an Iris Active Band. 

If you opt for the 45mm smartwatch, you'll take from a Matte Black aluminum lawsuit with an Obsidian Active Band, a Polished Silver aluminum lawsuit with a Porcelain Active Band, and a Satin Moonstone aluminum lawsuit with a Moonstone Active Band. 

You should bargain the Galaxy Watch 8 if...

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

1. You privation escaped wellness features 

While the Pixel Watch 4 offers improved slumber staging and somesthesia sensing algorithms for further accuracy, astir of Google's caller AI-powered wellness manager features are hidden down Fitbit Premium, which costs $10 a period oregon $80 annually. 

Samsung's wellness features, connected the different hand, are free. Let's accidental you're grooming for your archetypal marathon. Samsung's caller Running Coach diagnostic tests your moving quality with a 12-minute test, ranks it retired of 10, and provides a tailored grooming programme based connected your quality and recovery. Samsung Health besides suggests bedtimes based connected your slumber needs -- conscionable similar Google. 

Also: I went hands-on with each Google Pixel 10 exemplary - and was amazed by the 1 I loved most

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8 besides has a unsocial Antioxidant Index diagnostic not contiguous connected the Pixel Watch 4 that measures your carotenoid levels. To activate it, conscionable property your thumb connected the BioActive sensor, and the ticker lets you cognize if your levels are wrong capable oregon inadequate ranges.

Galaxy Watch 8 (left) and Pixel Watch 3 (right). 

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

2. You privation a thinner watch 

The Galaxy Watch 8 is simply a thinner instrumentality that's casual to wear. While I've lone worn the Pixel Watch 4 for a fewer minutes during a instrumentality demo, I noted that it was rather a spot chunkier. Some radical mightiness admit this, but if you person smaller wrists, the Galaxy Watch 8 volition apt beryllium a amended fit. 

Alternatives to see