Google is still plugging away at the wearable market, offering Android users who aren’t tied into Samsung some decent features in a nicely designed watch.
The latest addition to the range is the Pixel Watch 4. Google has largely stuck to the same design – a round face, with the digital crown – but this version comes with a bigger, brighter display and a better battery life.
The watch has all the features you would expect – sensors to track everything from activity and sleep to blood oxygen, plenty of built-in workouts, and GPS to guide you.
Like Apple and Samsung, Google has engineered the set-up process to be as simple as possible. Turn on the watch for the first time, bring it within range of your phone and, all things going well, it should automatically recognise the device and kick off the set-up process.
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But occasionally, these things stumble. There was a hiccup or two when getting started in my case. The watch decided to reboot for some as yet unknown reason and the process failed. That left me in a frustrating loop of trying to unpair a watch that was not properly paired to start with, and restart the entire process.
The on-screen “connecting to your watch, This may take a moment” message started to feel like it was mocking me.
Eventually though, I managed to get the two devices – a Pixel phone, no less – to talk to each other and we were off. From there on out, it was smooth.
The Fitbit login for health tracking took a few moments. Setting up additional features was also an easy process, including the personal safety features.
If you don’t have a Pixel phone, don’t worry. Google has decided not to gate off too many of the features, including any of the really critical ones, in an attempt to make you buy one of its phones. Buy one, or don’t; as long as it is an Android device, Google doesn’t seem to be too bothered.
All you need is the Pixel Watch app, which is widely compatible with Android devices – Android Go aside – and it should all work smoothly.
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Following Google’s recent moves to make AI happen, Gemini is built in. That makes the watch easier to interact with, but it is something you need to set up and it can be disabled if you don’t want to use the AI-powered feature.
Although the Pixel Watch 4 keeps many of the same design features as the previous generation, there are some differences.
The display is noticeably better, with a top brightness of 3,000 nits, versus 2,000 for the previous generation. That means outdoors in bright sunlight you should be able to see everything on the watch face. And you can appreciate the domed display that now seems like a single element; it is so sharp that someone asked if it was a demo sticker on the outside of the glass.
The Pixel Watch 4 throws one curve ball though: it uses a different charger. Instead of lying flat to charge, like the Apple Watch and three generations of Pixel Watches before it, the new watch comes with the Fast Dock, which is side mounted. It means any older accessories that were repurposed as spare chargers will have to be retired.
But there are two main benefits. First is the charging speed – the dock, as the name suggests, can power up your smartwatch in superfast time. Within 15 minutes, your watch can be at 50 per cent. It also means the watch can now be repaired more easily, with the display and the battery both replaceable. That is a huge benefit for potential buyers.
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Less significant but a welcome bonus is that charging the watch on its side gives you a mini bedside display into the bargain.
That battery will also last longer. Officially it is 30 hours of use for the 41mm version, tested here, and 40 hours for the 45mm version. But unlike previous generations of the Pixel Watch, I didn’t have to search for a charger by the end of the day, or even a second day.
Heavy use of GPS might shorten that window but in my day-to-day use, the battery life was a nice surprise.
Good
The domed display is a nice effect, removing any sense of space between the glass and the display underneath, and the reduction in the bezels means you get extra space without increasing the size of the watch. That is important when you have smaller wrists and a dislike of bulky, oversized watches.
It measures everything from your sleep to your cardio load, so it should cover all ranges of activity.
Battery life is also good, improved from previous generations of Pixel Watch.
Bad
The included strap in the box is the “active” version, and there are no options to customise. Bad news if your skin hates silicone bands.
Everything else
The Pixel Watch 4 comes in two case sizes: 41mm and 45mm, and there is an option for an LTE version too. Unlike some watches, none of the crucial features are reserved for use with Pixel phones.
Verdict:
The best smartwatch out there for all non-Samsung Android users.
