The rise of the smartwatch has never really managed to catch me in its net. Call me old fashioned but I’m a horologist at heart, and nothing beats a traditional watch that simply tells the time and date. Though, I do find my eyes wandering at the potential convenience that technology can offer. With the release of the Google Pixel Watch 4, my curiosity got the better of me, and I was intrigued to see whether Google’s latest smartwatch could convince me to adopt the smart wrist apparatus lifestyle.
First off, the look of the Pixel Watch 4 gets a big tick thanks to its circular design (I’ve never been a fan of square watches), which sports an aluminium case and an AMOLED Gorilla Glass display. But unlike a traditional watch and the Pixel Watch 3, the screen is curved, making it easier to view from many angles and adding some extra sex appeal.
The screen feels smooth and responsive to use, and it’s also the brightest Pixel Watch 4 yet with 3000 nits of brightness, a substantial increase from the Pixel Watch 3 and Apple Watch Series 11’s 2000 nits, and it’s great to look at outside or in the dark, where it will adjust down to 1 nit so you don’t annoy your significant other in bed.
It has two buttons on the right, with the crown used to access and scroll through the menus with a single push, and a double push opening your Google wallet. Another button allows access to recent apps when pushed and activates Gemini when held, while on the left you’ll find the charging pins. It’s certified with an IP68 water resistance rating, which allows the device to be submerged up to 50 metres, though doing so is probably not highly recommended, but going for a swim and taking a shower while wearing it will be fine.
Choose your size and flavour
It comes in both 41mm and 45mm models, each with different colour options (why that’s a thing I’m not sure). The 41mm weighs 31g and is available with a Matte Black case and Obsidian black band, a Polished Silver case with either Iris (light purple) or Porcelain band, and a Champagne Gold case with a Lemongrass band. The 45mm weighs just under 37g and is available in a Matte Black case and Obsidian black band, a Polished Silver case and Porcelain band, and a Moonstone (greyish) band with Satin Moonstone aluminium case. For review I was provided a 41mm model with a Matte Black case and Obsidian band.
Inside the box you’ll get everything you need to get the watch up and running (provided you have a USB-C wall charger already), and it comes with a small and large size band so you can get the best fit. Setup is super easy and takes no more than 10 minutes, but a quick reminder that you need the Pixel Watch app to set up the watch, which is only available on the Google Play Store, meaning that it will work with Android phones but not iPhones.
On the software front, WearOS 6 introduces a handful of new watch faces to use and tweaks to some existing ones. Modular was my go-to face, but there were a couple others that could have gotten the gig. As Google continues its AI push, Gemini has been given more power to work its magic. A new feature called Raise to Talk lets users activate Gemini by simply raising their wrist to their mouth. When activated, the bottom of the watch will show a little blue glow, and if it detects that you didn’t want to ask it anything it will stop after a couple of seconds. You can disable it in the settings and adjust the sensitivity – I recommend level three for the best experience.
Acquiring Fitbit in 2019 has provided the Pixel Watch 4 with its suite of health and fitness features that are not only useful for those keeping their bodies tight and living a healthy lifestyle, but also for people wanting to make a change and see the data behind their results. I’ll be honest, this was the main reason I wanted to test the Pixel Watch 4, and the main reason why I am going to continue using it after reviewing it. I’m nearing 39 years old (40 is the new 30 right?) and want to start a family, so it’s time to start living just a bit healthier, and the Pixel Watch 4 is hopefully one of the catalysts to help me follow through on that. One new feature is Activity Detection. Should you start walking or running (or whatever) for more than 15 minutes, within the hour the watch will notify you that it detected your activity.
Customise your watch face
Could probably do with more shuteye
Unlike a traditional watch and the Pixel Watch 3, the screen is curved, making it easier to view from many angles and adding some extra sex appeal
Battery life on the Pixel Watch 4 is one of the most impressive features. Google claims that the 41mm will get 30 hours from a full charge and 40 hours for the 45mm, while using battery saver you’ll get up to 48 hours and 72 hours. During my testing I got two days of normal use out of the Pixel Watch 4, charging it every second night, which I was pretty stoked about. Impressively, a 15-minute charge will give you about 50% of juice, while a full charge takes about 45 minutes (41mm) and 60 minutes (45mm).
Once again, Google has redesigned how the Pixel Watch charges, making it the third time it has switched things around. Instead of lying flat on the magnetic charger, the Pixel Watch 4 sits sideways on dock, letting you utilise it like a tiny digital clock. It’s a lot better than the Pixel Watch 2 and 3 charging, which I found clunky to use.
Working in retail, one thing that customers want to know about, especially when it’s for an older person, is the emergency features. Fall Detection will see Google alert emergency services and share the location if a fall occurs and the user doesn’t respond after a minute. Other features include Loss of Pulse Detection, which can detect when the user’s heart stops beating from events such as a heart attack and contact emergency services, SOS satellite communications that allows you to contact emergency services via your watch even when you don’t have cellular or WiFi connectivity, and Safety Check, which once activated shares your location and battery level with your emergency contacts. Thankfully, I didn’t require these during my review testing, but it’s great to know that the Pixel Watch 4 has these features.
The tiniest smart clock
Final Thoughts
As far as smartwatches go, the Pixel Watch 4 covers all the basics: it tells the time, has a bunch of health and fitness options, can be used for payments, and can take calls. And it looks great doing it all. But while it hasn’t fully convinced me to make the switch to a smartwatch full-time, I’m still wearing it a couple of days a week and every time I go to the gym, so it’s doing something right. Priced at $579 for the 41mm ($749 for cellular) and $679 for the 45mm ($849 for cellular), it’s about the average you’ll pay for a smartwatch. But if you’re an Android user in the market for one, the Pixel Watch 4 has all the looks and features you’ll need.
Review unit supplied by the manufacturer
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