A week with the Pixel Watch 4: 2 big wins and 1 bigger disappointment

This year has marked significant developments for Google, particularly within the hardware domain, where I’ve been trying out the Pixel Watch 4. The review embargo has recently lifted, but my testing hasn’t reached a level of thoroughness that allows for a complete review just yet.

Nevertheless, after nearly a week of testing, I’ve gathered some crucial insights about this flagship smartwatch set to take on competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Apple Watch Series 11.

The Pixel Watch 4 has launched today starting at £349/$349, alongside the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. I’ve had the opportunity to evaluate the larger 45mm version in the fresh Moonstone color.

I’m a fan of the aesthetics. I’ve loved the design since the first iteration, and the upgraded Actua 360 display is a welcome enhancement. However, my week-long experience has revealed both positives and some notable issues.

Charging is significantly improved

One of my common frustrations with smartwatches has been their reliance on proprietary charging systems, typically involving an awkward puck that attaches at the back—often resulting in a frustrating experience.

While I would like to see all Wear OS devices adopt Qi wireless charging for simplicity (Qualcomm has indicated it’s on the way), Google has certainly revolutionized the charging experience for the Pixel Watch 4.

The watch now includes a sleek Quick Charge Dock that fits well on your desk or nightstand. Gone are the days of struggling with cumbersome cables and circular connectors.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Simply place the Pixel Watch 4 on the dock, and it aligns magnetically. Two metal contacts handle the charging process, and thankfully, they’re not the eyesore I anticipated. I always appreciated docking stations from earlier smartwatches like the Motorola Moto 360, so it’s nice to see a return to this concept.

This system feels more refined and sophisticated. Plus, once docked, the smartwatch can double as a bedside clock, displaying the time alongside other useful information such as charging status.

It’s also efficient, reaching up to 80% charge in just 30 minutes during my tests. If you want additional docks for different locations like your house or office, they are available for £29/$29 each.

Gemini on Wear OS is genuinely beneficial

If you haven’t noticed, artificial intelligence is rapidly making its way into all areas of technology, including smartwatches, particularly Google devices, with Gemini emerging as a prominent AI platform.

This new AI system is taking over Google Assistant across devices, and the Pixel Watch 4 is among the first wearables to incorporate it within Wear OS 6.

In previous iterations of Wear OS, I often found Google Assistant to be underutilized. I would try it once or twice, then forget about its existence.

Chris Martin / Foundry

However, Gemini has proven to be significantly more helpful, delivering better quality responses. Even though I’m not particularly inclined towards AI on other devices, having it on my wrist has been surprisingly useful.

It’s faster than reaching for my phone, which I sometimes leave in another room, making it perfect for quick inquiries and controlling smart home devices. It even assisted me in deciding when to mow the lawn.

I’m still discovering its capabilities, and while it’s not flawless, it showcases potential. For instance, I asked Gemini to adjust my step count goal (10,000 steps is overly ambitious for me), but it couldn’t comply.

The watch did inform me that Gemini could provide details about my heart rate, but when I inquired, it simply displayed the current reading as a shortcut, without elaboration.

Performance raises concerns

These enhancements are promising, along with others I’ll cover in a more thorough review, but these benefits are undermined if the underlying performance is lacking—a concern I didn’t expect to face with the Pixel Watch 4.

Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 processor designed specifically for wearables, this version of Wear OS is the most basic since it’s a Pixel device.

While not catastrophic, it’s become a concerning issue after a week of use. Generally, the watch operates adequately—navigating through notifications and menus—but frequent stutters, lags, and glitches are more commonplace than I’d like.

After all, this is a premium smartwatch, and when you’re spending at least £349/$349, a smooth experience is expected.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Most of the slowdowns occur when the watch is under load—for instance, when invoking Gemini, opening an app like Spotify, or when I swipe to navigate through the Tiles (the widgets flanking the main watch face). Sometimes, this can take a second or more, which feels exceptionally sluggish in 2025.

Even basic actions, like entering the PIN pattern to unlock the watch, can experience delays. I’ve encountered software glitches while the device is docked in the Quick Charge Dock, where it struggles to orient the screen properly and sometimes fails to display certain graphics.

I genuinely hope these issues are merely growing pains that Google can address through firmware updates. Such things can occur when devices are tested ahead of their release, contributing to my hesitation in finalizing an exhaustive review.

Overall, I’m impressed with the Pixel Watch 4, but these performance caveats could prevent it from receiving our Editor’s Choice award. Stay tuned for a more detailed review soon.