Google Pixel Watch 4 ZDNET's key takeaways Google's Pixel Watch 4 starts at $349 and is now available to order
It has a longer battery life, fluid AI, and an upgraded interface.
Its AI features require some choreography, but ultimately work. View now at Amazon
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Google has graced us with yet another smartwatch. The Pixel Watch 4 is finally available to purchase, after Google unveiled the device earlier this summer.
I tested the smartwatch for a few weeks to familiarize myself with several of the latest upgrades. After a thorough review, I was pleasantly surprised by even the smaller, less show-stopping features.
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Google upgraded the watch in big and small ways, with the more notable features like a larger battery and more convenient charging taking center stage. Still, some of the less flashy upgrades, like a UI design, bring thoughtful touches and further usability to the AI-powered smartwatch.
When Google announced its latest Material 3 Expressive UI, I thought it would be one of those feature upgrades that made a marginal difference in my user experience. But after a few weeks of testing, this design upgrade actually makes the watch fun to look at and cool to use. It was surprisingly one of my favorite upgrades.
Tiles and buttons take up more of the watch's face, or, as Google likes to call it, "hug the edges." It makes clicking through apps and buttons faster and the apps themselves more viewable. On the topic of design changes, another update that gives the watch screen display a larger and more viewable look is its Actua 360 domed display, which increases the watch screen's area by 10% and the peak brightness from 2,000 to 3,000 nits.
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