The Google Pixel Watch 4 arrived this week for our review, and I’ve worn it for the last few days. It follows the Apple Watch Series 11, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, and other smartwatches I’ve worn over the past few months, which means it has a lot to live up to. Here are my early impressions, and at this stage, the good outweighs the bad.
### Wear OS 6’s Design is the Star
Within a few hours of using the Pixel Watch 4, it became very clear that Wear OS’s latest redesign is an absolute winner. What makes Wear OS 6 so good?
Larger icons and buttons make the interface easier to read and use. The software makes use of the entire circular screen so it never feels constrained, and there are various themes to ensure text is always readable. The refreshed cards are great too. Despite showing plenty of information on some, enough thought has gone into the design so they never appear overwhelming.
I particularly like how cards such as the weather include multiple little tiles, each separated by color and shape. It’s all highly readable.
Wear OS desperately needed an overhaul, and not only is the software more enjoyable and easier to use than ever before, but it also has a distinct personality, giving the Pixel Watch 4 a fun and fresh feel.
### Battery Life is Good So Far
I’m writing this on the morning of my third day with the Pixel Watch 4 on my wrist, and the display shows there is 38% battery remaining. It has not visited the charger since the morning of the first day.
In the Pixel Watch’s past, I’d have expected to see 38% remaining at the end of a single day’s use. Since I doubt I’ll need to charge the Pixel Watch 4 until the start of day four, it shows Google has made a huge step forward with efficiency.
During this time, I have tracked sleep for two nights, tracked a single 30-minute workout using GPS, kept the always-on screen active, and used the smartwatch for notifications. It has also been going through its “getting to know you” phase, which usually results in higher energy use than normal.
The Pixel Watch 4’s battery life is shaping up to be a major reason to buy.
### You Have to Be Patient with It
The Pixel Watch 4’s software and efficiency can affect performance when you wake up the smartwatch, resulting in some noticeable lag. It’s frustrating to experience, and it takes away some of the polish.
However, when the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip is running smoothly, the Pixel Watch 4 zips along. You can scroll through cards, open notifications, and start apps with almost no delay. Even power-hungry apps like Google Maps perform really well, with no lag when scrolling or zooming in and out using the crown.
One area that still needs patience is notifications. Like many other Wear OS smartwatches, whether notifications arrive on the Pixel Watch 4 is somewhat hit-or-miss. When a notification does alert you, the screen rarely responds if you raise your wrist too quickly to see it.
How this is still a feature that needs improvement after all these years is beyond me. Be prepared to pull down the notification shade on the Pixel Watch 4 to see most of your notifications or slow down your response to its genuinely improved vibration alert.
### Be Prepared to Pay for Watch Faces
Google’s pre-installed, standard watch faces are a sorry bunch. There’s a handful of decent ones like Pacific, Concentric, and Shapes, but the rest are either too similar or contain too much information.
For all its work on Wear OS, Google has failed to make its watch faces enticing. This means if you want something interesting, you have to head to the Play Store to find it, and in almost all cases, this involves paying for a watch face.
While supporting developers is a good thing, the cost can quickly add up since a single watch face usually costs between $1 and $2.
This is not a problem unique to the Pixel Watch 4—it affects all Wear OS smartwatches. Only Apple makes a genuine effort to provide a wide, interesting, and unique watch face range for free, which elevates the Apple Watch beyond the competition.
### The Success of the Design is Still Up for Debate
Google’s poor selection of watch faces hurts the Pixel Watch 4 because, just like your choice of wheel on a car, the watch face can totally change the look and feel of the watch.
Pick the right one, and it can transform the Pixel Watch 4’s otherwise rather ordinary look.
The design itself couldn’t be more plain, even in the slightly interesting Moonstone color scheme of my review model. The silicone band isn’t bad, but it is quite stiff compared to some competitor bands.
At 65 grams with the band, it’s not heavy, but it isn’t very well balanced either, which means I’ve always been aware of it on my wrist. Not to the point where it’s annoying or prevents me from wearing it to track sleep, but more noticeable than with the Apple Watch Series 11 or Galaxy Watch 8.
The shape of the case back tends to get sweatier than other smartwatches too.
On a more positive note, the band attachment system is slick, and the edge-to-edge screen looks great. Although, the Gorilla Glass 5 is distractingly reflective.
The model in our photos is the 45mm version, which fits my 6.5-inch wrist just about right. I’m glad there’s a 41mm option available as well.
### A Good Start
I’m not ready to give a full review of the Pixel Watch 4 yet, but after just a few days, it’s proving to be a good smartwatch. Its software and battery life are current highlights.
However, it’s not dramatically different from the Pixel Watch 3, and several downsides seen in previous versions—such as unreliable notification support and poor watch face choices—remain.
If the last Pixel Watch wasn’t for you, this one likely won’t be either.
Our full review of the Pixel Watch 4 will come soon, but for now, the smartwatch is available to buy, starting at $350.
https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-watch-4-first-impressions/
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