Google has finally revealed its new Google Pixel Watch 4 alongside its latest crop of phones and earbuds, and it certainly looks like the best Pixel Watch yet – perhaps the best Android watch of 2025 so far.
With two sizes, both hardware and software redesigns, and a glut of new features, it might finally convince me to make the switch. I can usually be found sporting one of the best Garmin watches on my wrist, but I find myself genuinely excited about some of the features coming to the Pixel Watch line this go-round.
In particular, number 4 on my list is something that’s long been on my wish list for most smartwatches, and it’s a feature not even Apple, Samsung, or Garmin has managed to pull off. I’m certainly hoping they are taking notes – it’s got all the makings of an industry game-changer.
So, without further ado, here are four new features coming to the Pixel Watch 4 that I’m most looking forward to getting to grips with once the watch finally drops in October. Let’s get into it.
1. The domed display
The Pixel Watch 4 has a new domed display. That classic black teardrop shape has always given the Pixel Watch range a unique look, but the circular display now expands in three dimensions to create a full domed shape, spelling doom (or should that be dome?) for the old flat format.
Not just the glass, either: the entire screen underneath the glass is domed too, which means it should be way easier to just quickly glance at your wrist as you’ll be able to catch it from the side.
It also provides tons of surface area, with a 16% smaller bezel and 10% more screen overall. The user experience software, redesigned to match the Pixel phone’s new Material 3 Expressive visual language, has been tweaked to make the most of the increased circular surface area.
While my colleague Jake Krol has had hands-on time with the watch and notes the dome does mean the watch sticks out considerably from the wrist, it’s a unique design I can’t wait to see more of.
2. Boosted battery
Finally, the Pixel Watch’s biggest problem is being solved: battery life. Android watches and even the best Apple Watches face demands on their battery due to their bright screens and the processing power needed to run a miniature phone-style operating system on the wrist.
Previously, the Google Pixel Watch 3 was stuck on 24 hours with the Always-on Display feature turned on, but the Pixel Watch 4 reportedly offers six extra hours, for a total of 30 hours with that Always-on Display enabled.
Without it, expect to get a full couple of days out of it, assuming the Raise to Wake feature is sensitive and responsive enough for it not to be a nuisance.
3. The charging dock
This is a really fun redesign that just makes sense: turning your Pixel Watch into a smart alarm clock with this ground-up retooling of its magnetic charging dock. For reasons I’ll go into below, the Google Pixel Watch 4 has been redesigned to charge from the side, instead of the back.
You simply pop the Pixel Watch 4 on its side in the charging dock, and the display reorients. With the crown at the top, it looks for all the world like a little old-school alarm clock, and seems perfectly poised to function as a bedside table companion.
You won’t have to charge it all night, though: it reportedly goes from a fully-drained battery to 50% battery capacity in as little as 15 minutes, affording you a quick bit of juice for your next run or gym session if you’re running low.
4. Replaceable parts
Excellent news for people hoping for a more sustainable smartwatch industry, and a move that should inspire a similar design ethos from Apple and Garmin – both of whom claim eco-friendly credentials such as carbon-neutral production and ethical usage of materials.
The Pixel Watch 4 is designed to be taken apart and to have its battery or screen replaced, rather than being a sealed unit that users have to throw away if it breaks. That’s incredible news, and one that should extend your watch’s life cycle, reducing e-waste.
Google will support the Pixel Watch 4 with replacement parts for two years after its life cycle finishes – so even when Google stops producing the watch in a few years’ time, you’ll still be able to source replacement parts. Any attempt to reduce the environmental impact of consumer tech and improve the life cycle of a product deserves credit in our books.
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matt.evans@futurenet.com (Matt Evans)
