I tried the Google Pixel Watch 4 - and these key features made it feel indispensable

14 hours ago 5

ZDNET cardinal takeaways

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

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

The Pixel Watch 4 is Google's latest smartwatch, and the wearable comes packed with new, intriguing features that rise the barroom crossed the smartwatch board. I got to effort respective of them retired up of the smartwatch's authoritative launch, and they impressed maine and got maine excited to deterioration the ticker myself.

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

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

On the 45mm, the ticker cases see matte achromatic with an obsidian progressive band, polished metallic with a porcelain progressive band, and satin moonstone with a moonstone progressive band.

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

1. New charging dock

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

Plus, Google says the Watch 4 is its longest and fastest-charging ticker to date, with a 25% faster charging speed.

2. Satellite communications

Several smartwatches person outer communications. What separates them from Pixel Watch 4 is Google's first-of-its-kind standalone smartwatch with outer communications. Most satellite-enabled smartwatches necessitate 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 usher you and link you erstwhile you're disconnected grid. This diagnostic is smart, unique, and utile to outdoor adventurers oregon those with mediocre connectivity. It is disposable connected the Pixel Watch 4 LTE.

3. Improved wellness features

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

The ticker gets Google's astir close slumber tracking and slumber signifier detection to date. Additionally, the 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 portion besides signaling bosom complaint information. The AI-powered diagnostic learns from your workout regimen to accurately classify these activities implicit time.

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

The Watch 4 besides uses Gemini arsenic a idiosyncratic wellness manager that's been developed with Fitbit to make customized slumber and enactment regimens tailored to the user. Whether a Watch 4 idiosyncratic is moving their archetypal marathon oregon aiming for a caller PR successful the gym, Gemini offers up grooming plans and proposal on the way.

EMBARGO -- Google Pixel Buds 2a and Watch 4

Google besides unveiled connected Wednesday that it's revamping the Fitbit Premium acquisition to marque the app consciousness and enactment much similar a personalized wellness coach.

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

4. Watch faces accommodate to customizable themes

As idiosyncratic who loves signifier equally, if not more, than function, I can't contradict myself an aesthetic touch. Google's wearable comes successful the signifier of ticker faces that accommodate to customizable themes, truthful that your show is cohesive, personalized, and, successful my opinion, chill to look at.

5. Brighter display

3,000 nits seems to beryllium the magic fig for ticker brightness this tech season. Google upgraded its smartwatch, matching the 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 with Gemini - and there's lone 1 mode to support it

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

6. Replaceable battery

For the archetypal time, Google is making the Pixel Watch 4's artillery and show replaceable. This is simply a large stride for some customers and sustainability and seems to beryllium 1 mode the tech elephantine is addressing the contented of e-waste. Once your Pixel Watch 4's artillery dies oregon its show cracks, you tin regenerate it with a caller 1 and debar buying a caller ticker altogether.

7. Goodbye, Hey Google

If you wanted to activate Google's adjunct connected erstwhile watches, you'd person to accidental Hey Google. Now, each you person to bash is rise the smartwatch and commencement speaking for quicker query activation.

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

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