Why I keep coming back to Google’s Pixel Watch 4 (you might disagree)
After a month of testing the Pixel Watch 4, here's my hot take that may ruffle some feathers.
I spent a month just now with the Pixel Watch 4 and an entire year with the previous model.
The one thing that keeps pulling me back to Google's smartwatch is the design (I can't get enough of the dome display). There are other reasons, but this one has people divided the most, from what I've read.
Design is completely subjective and I don't personally take issue with anyone calling the Pixel Watch 4 boring.
One person's plain is another's simplistic chic after all.
For me, it hits the sweet spot between simplicity and elegance, and blends in so well with formal clothes.
I like wearing my smartwatch everywhere, so this is a minor but important point.
The all-screen design curves smoothly and beautifully from the aluminium frame, with smaller bezels than the Pixel Watch 3 and up to 3,000 nits of brightness.
That makes the screen easy to see, even in bright sunlight. The crown on the side doesn't dig into your skin, and it's comfortable enough to wear 24/7 - I only ever took it off for a shower.
The Pixel Watch 4 isn't just a pretty face
As mentioned, the display is highly readable, crisp and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. Scrolling the watch face is buttery smooth.
I didn't intentionally test its ruggedness, but even while using weights at the gym, the glass has stayed completely scratch-free.
You get a whole suite of health and safety features and they're a lot to go through. Some also didn't make it into my list of daily interactions.
However, some of the highlights include auto-detection for whatever exercise you've done.
It also tracks active zone minutes/blocks, shows how many calories or kilojoules you've burned, monitors your cardio load to gauge fitness effort according to your goals, records distance travelled and blood oxygen saturation.
I also enjoyed waking up to my sleep and readiness scores. They didn't always look great, but I love seeing that kind of data, so it was pretty cool.
What I didn't vibe with were the body response notifications on my watch. It alerts you when it thinks you're excited or stressed.
While the science behind it is cool and it often matched my mood, it quickly started feeling like too much.
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The Pixel Watch 4 battery life is pretty decent
Google claims the Pixel Watch 4 can last up to 30 hours, and up to 40 hours on the 45mm model.
I only tested the smaller version and was able to stretch it to about a day and a half. So it's reasonable to assume the 45mm could get close to two full days on a charge.
However, on more active days, the battery lasted me just into the next morning. I personally didn't find it to be an inconvenience, but I can assume it may not work for everyone.
I also find the new charger is an improvement over the old one.
It used to take a bit of fiddling to line the previous charger up with the back of the watch, but now you can simply rest the watch on its side on the small dock to charge.
Final thoughts
After a full month with it, here's my take. If you want an Android watch and like the look of the Pixel Watch 4, it's a solid choice.
If battery life is important to you, I'd probably go for the 45mm version.
Prices start from $549.
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