Google Pixel Watch 4: Everything we know and want to see

The next Made by Google event will likely happen before the end of summer, meaning we're not that far away from the Google Pixel Watch 4. While we haven't seen too many leaks yet, we know enough for a clear vision of how Google will upgrade the Pixel Watch 3, one of the best Android watches of last year.

Google has already outlined the new features coming to Wear OS 6, from Gemini commands and a new Material 3 Expressive UI to new watch faces. This will come to older Pixel Watches, too, but it does point to the areas where Google will try to improve the Watch 4 hardware.

I also heard from a Qualcomm exec last year about what to expect from the next Snapdragon Wear chip. We expect the Watch 4 to replace the dated hardware of its predecessor, with an emphasis on improving AI and battery life.

Here's everything we know or suspect about the Google Pixel Watch 4, as well as everything on our wishlist for Watch 4 upgrades to fix the issues I've noticed during and after my Watch 3 review.

Google Pixel Watch 4: Leaked design changes

Back in April, OnLeaks and 91Mobiles released alleged Pixel Watch 4 renders showing what the upcoming smartwatch would look like. These aren't official Google renders, but they show that this model may be about 2mm thicker than the Pixel Watch 3, with several key design changes.

The rounded display look hasn't changed, but it appears to have even smaller bezels than the Watch 3, which itself shrunk the Watch 2's thick border. While the Watch 3 had 1.27- and 1.43-inch displays, we may be closer to the same 1.3- and 1.5-inch sizes as the Galaxy Watch 7.

We also see from the renders that the Watch 3's four charging pins have been removed from the rear sensor package. This could signal a wireless charging coil, which could partially explain the thicker design. If it specifically supports the Qi2 standard, it would mean one fewer proprietary charging cable in our lives.

The leak also suggested the thicker design could indicate a "thicker battery," but this is just hopeful speculation at this point. Otherwise, the bottom sensor array seems to suggest we'll see similar Fitbit-based health data as the last two generations.

The renders show a return of the rotating crown and back button located above it. Intriguingly, the Pixel Watch 4 may have two new buttons, located along the left edge above and below the speaker slit. But we don't know what these would do, yet; they're so small that they may not even be functional buttons.

The leak also suggested that the Pixel Watch 4 will ship in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. This matches the Pixel Watch 3, so no surprises there.

Google responded to criticism last year that the Pixel Watch 3 design is unrepairable, so it can only send you a new watch and throw away the old one if something goes wrong. A Google rep later said they are "thinking about" how to make the Pixel Watch design repairable, but there's no sign yet from these design leaks whether the Watch 4 is any different in this regard.

Google Pixel Watch 4: Hardware

The Pixel Watch 2 and 3 use the 4nm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chipset with Arm cores, the same chip found in the OnePlus Watch 3 and Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas. But I have strong reason to believe the Pixel Watch 4 will get a long-overdue upgrade.

In 2023, Google and Qualcomm announced a RISC-V partnership, where they'd coordinate on developing the next Snapdragon Wear chipset using open-source, custom RISC-V cores.

Then, last year, I interviewed Qualcomm VP of wearables Dino Bekis about the Qualcomm-Google partnership, when he discussed the "feature-focused" and "AI-driven" Snapdragon Wear chipset coming "next year" (meaning 2025).

According to Bekis, this chip would deliver "more compute capability" and "headroom" for a significant boost over the current Gen 1. And he says the eventual goal is to make a chipset that delivers "a week's worth of battery life" for Wear OS, instead of a couple of days.

Bekis says Qualcomm and Google are currently "working on" making Wear OS software compatible with RISC-V, which has the potential to make Wear OS watches last much longer with the same capacity. In theory, this new system and improved battery life would apply to the Pixel Watch 4, but there's no guarantee it's ready yet.

Complicating things, an internal Google document leaked last year suggesting that the Pixel Watch 5 (no, not the 4) could use a custom wearable Tensor chip with one ARM Cortex-A78 core and two ARM Cortex-A55 cores. For context, the Galaxy Watch 7's Exynos W1000 SoC uses these same cores, but has four A55s, making the Watch 5 preemptively underpowered.

At the moment, we don't know enough about the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 to say definitively if it'll use RISC-V or not, nor if Google will leave it behind for Tensor a year from now. But I can strongly predict that the Pixel Watch 4 will make a significant performance boost over the Watch 3, which may help it run Gemini commands more efficiently.

Google Pixel Watch 4: Confirmed software

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I had a chance to test a beta build of Wear OS 6 at Google I/O, giving me an early look at the new software that'll launch first on the Pixel Watch 4 before coming to older watches. Read that, or my Wear OS 6 guide, for a full list of features, but these are the highlights:

• The Material 3 Expressive UI adds more fluid scrolling, buttons and notification cards that shrink closer to the display edge while still showing info, and buttons that expand when tapped.
• Dynamic theming will pull one primary and two secondary colors from the watch face to seed throughout the UI. There are also manual theme options.
• 3rd-party watch faces will be supported again through the Watch Face Push API.
• Tiles now fit more buttons and information, making it easier to trigger actions without going into an app.
• This version reportedly delivers 10% battery life improvements.

That GIF above shows Wear OS 6 in action on a Pixel Watch 3, with content morphing smoothly to fit however much display space it has.

Aside from this cool UI change and new developer tools like an improved AOD mode for apps, the main Wear OS upgrade coming soon is Gemini. Google has promised Gemini will come to Wear OS "in the coming months," which could align with Wear OS 6 or come even sooner.

Just like Assistant on the Watch 3, you'll be able to trigger Gemini on the Pixel Watch 4 with a long button press or "Hey Google" wake word. But Gemini will be better at natural language recognition and will have better vertical integration with other Google apps, so you can do things like ask Gemini to summarize your recent emails or messages.

Google Pixel Watch 4 wishlist

The Google Pixel Watch 3 still ranks second among the best Wear OS watches, closely matched to the Galaxy Watch 7. But if Google wants to surpass its Wear OS partner with the Google Pixel Watch 4, it should improve on its predecessor with our suggestions below.

Better battery life

The Pixel Watch 3 uses the Wear OS Hybrid Interface and efficient XML watch faces to extend its battery life; even though it's only rated to last 24 hours with AOD, we've found the Watch 3 45mm can last two days in normal conditions.

Still, other Wear OS watches like the OnePlus Watch 3 can last five days! Google says Wear OS 6 will be 10% more efficient, but the Pixel Watch 4 would need a much more massive boost to become on par with rival brands. The leaked design renders suggest the Watch 4 will be thicker, so we can hope some of that bulk goes towards a larger battery capacity.

Boost performance and use it well

We brought up the likely possibility that Google will use a new Snapdragon or RISC-V chip in the Pixel Watch 4. But what will Google do with that power? Samsung's new 3nm Exynos W1000 chip in the Galaxy Watch 7 is fast, but Samsung didn't seem to do much with its "3.7x" power boost over the last chip.

Ideally, this new Snapdragon SoC would have a battery efficiency boost (see above) or some kind of revamped on-device neural processing for Gemini. Maybe it'll be able to respond instantly to your health data and analyze it, like Apple's new running coach but more specialized. Perhaps the Watch 4 could support better on-watch games? Basically, I'm curious if Google can put this extra headroom to good use.

Dual-band GPS and more sport specialization

The Pixel Watch 3 has some fantastic running-focused software like custom run workouts, Fitbit Premium AI-generated daily run workouts, weekly cardio load tracking versus your target load, running form analysis, and a Morning Brief showcasing your Daily Readiness to work.

Unfortunately, Google didn't give the Pixel Watch 3 dual-band GPS, so it struggled with location accuracy during my testing and gave inaccurate mileage results. Samsung gave the Galaxy Watch 7 dual-band GPS, and I hope Google follows suit this generation.

Google could also piggyback on its new offline Google Maps capabilities and offer proper downloadable courses on the Pixel Watch 4 for runners, hikers, and cyclists; it could be a more user-friendly solution than what Garmin and other fitness brands offer.

We also want to see Fitbit's capabilities improve for indoor workouts. Compared to Garmin or Samsung watches that can count your reps for strength training, the Pixel Watch 3 can only track basics like calories and time; the Watch 4 should put greater focus on this area.

New health data

The Pixel Watch 2 added continuous body response (cEDA), passive irregular heart rhythm warnings, and skin temperature data. The Pixel Watch 3 added Loss of Pulse for cardiovascular emergencies and a better HR algorithm, but not much else. Will the Pixel Watch 4 give us something new to get excited about?

Patents aren't guaranteed to show up in products, but we've seen several intriguing Fitbit health patents over the years, including one for detecting arterial stiffness as a warning sign for cardiovascular issues, as well as several blood pressure monitoring patents over the years.

One Fitbit patent suggests using on-wrist games to monitor your mental health. Another describes a "Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS)" for generating a smartwatch "Fit Score" that warns you if the watch's sensors aren't reading your health data properly.

Other key upgrades

I like my Pixel Watch 3 a lot, but I'd like to see the Watch 4 add sapphire glass for better protection. If it's really going to get 2mm thicker, then it'll be even more susceptible to bonks and cracks over time.

Otherwise, I'm curious if we'll ever see a "Pixel Watch Ultra" equivalent to the Galaxy Watch Ultra, one that has a more traditional metal bezel to go with a larger size and extra battery life. But we've had no hint of such a device (yet).