I love the Google Pixel Watches. The Pixel Watch is the only flagship smartwatch that still features a traditional round watch design, while both Apple and now even Samsung have shifted to square or squircle designs.
Yet, it keeps the best parts of the smartwatch experience with a clean Wear OS interface and deep Fitbit integration for fitness tracking.
As much as I enjoyed using the Pixel Watch 3, there has always been one issue with Pixel smartwatches that keeps me from using them long-term. I eventually ended up switching to something else.
Until Google addresses that with the upcoming Pixel Watch 4, I’m not ready to fully commit to the next generation just yet.
Battery life is still the Pixel Watch’s weakest link
A smartwatch shouldn’t give me battery anxiety daily
Similar to its Pixel smartphones, Google has kept a simple formula with its Pixel smartwatches.
The Pixel Watch offers a stock Wear OS experience, works with all Android smartphones (not just Pixels), and comes with a minimal design that doesn’t look loud or overly industrial.
While I appreciate Google’s thoughtful additions on top of the core experience — like loss of pulse detection on the Pixel Watch 3 — battery life remains the key area where all the Pixel Watch models have fallen behind the competitors.
- Case Material
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Aluminum
- Case size
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41mm; 45mm
The Pixel Watch 3 is bigger, brighter, smarter, and more full-featured.
Over the past year, I’ve used the 45mm version of the Pixel Watch 3, albeit sporadically — using it for a week, then putting it aside. But not once have I made it through a full day with enough battery left to extend usage into the next.
I always need to charge it overnight just to ensure it’s fully powered for the next day and avoid battery anxiety.
While I really enjoy the Pixel Watch’s software experience, battery life is a big reason I keep switching to other wearables. Most recently, I moved to the Whoop MG, which offers far longer battery life on a single charge.
Also, with the Pixel Watch lasting only about a day, sleep tracking becomes almost useless, since I’m never sure I’ll have time to charge it before heading out the next morning.
This is well behind what other Pixel Watch competitors offer. Devices like the OnePlus Watch 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 can easily provide two days of battery on a single charge.
Yes, Google has improved fast charging on recent Pixel Watch models, but it doesn’t fully make up for the poor battery experience users are still facing.
And it’s not just me. There are plenty of people on social media and forums like Reddit who have shown concerns about the Pixel Watch’s battery life.
It’s high time Google made serious changes, whether that’s by integrating a Wear OS + RTOS hybrid model like the OnePlus or implementing deeper optimizations and hardware upgrades in future models.
The Pixel Watch 4 seems to be on the right track
But I’m not committing until I see real-world results
Thankfully, it seems Google has taken user feedback from the past three generations seriously. Both the 41mm and 45mm models of the Pixel Watch 4 are rumored to ship with larger batteries than their predecessors.
While not dramatically bigger, the 41mm model is expected to feature a 327mAh battery (up from 307mAh), and the 45mm model may come with a 459mAh battery (up from 420mAh).
If these rumors are accurate, the Pixel Watch 4 should see improved battery life compared to the Pixel Watch 3.
In addition to the larger batteries, the Pixel Watch 4 is also rumored to support 25% faster charging than the previous generation, which could help offset some of the battery limitations.
There are also claims that Google may introduce a new side-mounted charging mechanism that would allow the Pixel Watch 4 to double as a mini bedside clock while charging.
Source: Android Headlines
However, these are still unofficial details. The Pixel Watch 4 is a few weeks away from launch, and it’s also expected to ship with the same Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chipset as the Pixel Watch 3.
This means performance may remain largely the same, though the larger battery should help deliver a slightly better experience. I’ll be waiting to see whether Google actually pulls it off.
Aside from battery upgrades, one of the biggest reasons I’m looking forward to the Pixel Watch 4 is the debut of Wear OS 6, which will bring Google’s new Material 3 Expressive design language to the smartwatch interface.
The Pixel Watch 4 is also rumored to introduce an all-new strength training experience, something I found lacking in the Pixel Watch 3.
Google can’t keep ignoring Pixel Watch’s battery life this long
Aside from battery life, there are other concerns with the Pixel Watch that Google should address, such as a more durable cover display and better Fitbit integration within the smartwatch.
Still, if Google can deliver on battery life, I might just end up buying the Pixel Watch 4.