It's all powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chipset, and outside of some initial stutters when I was downloading and updating apps, operating the Pixel Watch 4 feels smooth.
On the battery front, Google's offering is still among the best for a feature-rich smartwatch at this price (save for the OnePlus Watch 3), though I wasn't quite able to hit the 40 hours of battery life of Google's claim for the 45-mm version. I usually eked out a day and a half, though that extended closer to two days after I turned off the always-on display.
What is more impressive is the charging times. I've popped the Pixel Watch 4 on its new charging dock, and after getting ready in the morning for about 15 minutes, I've seen the battery jump to over 50 percent from near empty. The annoying caveat is that this is the third time Google has changed the charger in four generations, meaning you cannot use an older Pixel Watch charger—and that feels wasteful. The dock could stand to be a little heftier or use stronger magnets too. I've accidentally knocked the watch off the charger when trying to reach for it.
In general, Google seriously needs to offer more ways to charge the Pixel Watch 4. I don't want to have to dig out the cable from under my nightstand when I want to travel. Why doesn't the charging dock have a USB-C port instead, à la the OnePlus Watch 3 or the new Tag Heuer Calibre 5? There are hardly any third-party charging solutions, let alone a 3-in-1 or 2-in-1 solution, so you can recharge your phone, earbuds, and watch simultaneously. Apple has the upper hand here.
Peak Health
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Google says the Pixel Watch 4 has its most accurate sleep tracking to date, and my results have generally been quite precise, save one or two nights where it thought I woke up a little earlier than I did. (My results were very similar to the Apple Watch Series 10.) It's great at understanding when I wake up in the middle of the night, like when my dog kept whimpering to be let on the bed.