We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
When smartwatches first came out, they were mostly a neat way to get notifications on your wrist. Fun, but not essential.
Oh, how times have changed.
Today, a great smartwatch is a powerful health and fitness companion. And with the new Pixel Watch 4, Google is making it clear they're serious about helping you track your wellness and crush your fitness goals.
From smarter training tools to some of the most accurate heart rate tracking around, this watch is a huge leap forward.
I've been digging into all the details of the new Pixel Watch 4, and there's a lot to be excited about, especially if you're an Android user who loves to stay active.
So, is it the right fitness tracker for you? Let's get into it.
Pros
- Incredibly accurate heart rate tracking
- Smart training tools to prevent burnout
- Greatly improved battery life
- Super-accurate GPS for outdoor workouts
Cons
- Some of the best features require a Fitbit Premium subscription
- Not all of the fancy bands are sweat-proof
- Health insights are for wellness, not medical diagnosis
- Very fitness tracker-ish, less smartwatchy
A Fitness Watch That Gets You
The biggest upgrade with the Pixel Watch 4 is how it helps you understand your body. Before you used to track your running distance, speed, and heart rate zones. Now it's about telling you whether or not you should even be running in the first place.
It does this with a few key personalized metrics:
- Readiness: Each morning, the watch tells you how ready you are for a workout based on your sleep and recent activity. No more guessing if you should push it or take a rest day.
- Cardio Load: This tracks how much your heart has been working throughout the day.
- Target Load: The watch gives you a personalized goal to hit, so you can train effectively without overdoing it.
Together, these features help you train smarter. You'll know when to go hard and when to let your body recover, which is the key to actually making progress and avoiding injury.
Pixel's Most Accurate Heart Rate Monitor
A fitness watch is only as good as its sensors, and Google has really dialed things in here. The Pixel Watch 4 features Google's most accurate heart rate tracking, which has been fine-tuned for activity to give you more precise readings.
This matters a lot. Especially in the context of those previously-mentioned readiness and cardio load metrics. Better heart rate accuracy means your workout plans are more informed and your progress is tracked more effectively.
The watch uses something called a multi-path optical heart rate sensor to make this happen. It's something Google's been testing for awhile to provide more insightful monitoring.
A Deeper Look at Your Overall Wellness
Beyond just workouts, the Pixel Watch 4 is packed with tools to give you a holistic view of your health.
The health metrics dashboard tracks things like your breathing rate, resting heart rate, skin temperature, and blood oxygen levels (SpO2). More beneificial than simply tracking these, the Pixel Watch 4 can even notify you if any of these metrics fall outside of your personal range.
There's also a body-response sensor that helps identify potential signs of stress and offers tools like guided breathing to help you manage it in the moment. And, of course, it has an ECG app to check for signs of irregular heart rhythm.
It's important to remember that these features are meant to help you manage your well-being, not to diagnose medical conditions.
Built for Your Next Workout
Whether you're a runner, a yogi, or a kickboxer, the Pixel Watch 4 is going to help you along your workouts. It has over 40 exercise modes to choose from.
For all you runners, hikers, and cyclists, the new and improved dual-frequency GPS (L5 GNSS) is going to feel like a big improvement. By monitoring two different satellite signals through the GPS reciever, and comparing them againsst each other, the watch provides much more accurate route and distance tracking, especially in tricky areas, like dense forests or cities with tall buildings.
The watch itself is also built tough. It's water and dust resistant (5 ATM and IP68 rated), so you can take it into shallow water without worry.
Better Battery Life for Longer Days
One of my biggest complaints with early smartwatches was the battery life. Thankfully, the Pixel Watch 4 delivers big improvements here.
The larger 45 mm model gets up to 40 hours of battery life, while the 41 mm model gets up to 30 hours. If you use Battery Saver mode, you can stretch that to 72 hours and 48 hours, respectively.
Charging is also 25% faster than previous models. You can get to a 50% charge in about 15 minutes, which is perfect for a quick top-up before you head out the door.
BUT there's yet another charger. This means in 4 generations we've had 3 different chargers for Pixel Watches. It's always nice when you can re-use your old charger when you upgrade to a new device, just to have a spare for travel or for a different room in the house. Unfortunatley, the new Pixel Watch 4 ONLY works on this new charger. But it does a nicer job of displaying your watch's face while it's charging, so that's good.
Is the Pixel Watch 4 Worth it for Fitness Fans?
The Pixel Watch 4 is excellent for fitness enthusiasts. But as an everyday smartwatch for monitoring your smart home, controling smart devices, etc. it's fine...but just doesn't feel as refined as some of the competition.
If you're an Android user and you're serious about your health and fitness, the Pixel Watch 4 is a fantastic choice. The combination of smarter training insights, best-in-class heart rate tracking, and a battery that can finally keep up makes it a top-tier fitness companion.
Geeking Out Shop
Pixel Watch 4
Next-Level Health & Fitness Performance
The Google Pixel Watch 4 is a powerhouse. It's got Gemini (your built-in AI assistant), incredible battery life, and comprehensive tools for next-level health and fitness performance. Its Actua 360 domed display is 10% larger and 50% brighter than the Pixel Watch 3, and its scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass means it's durable, too.
There are more band options than ever before, with lots of sweat and water-resistant choices, like the Active, Active Sport, Woven, and Performance Loop bands, which are perfect for a workout.
In terms of style and smartwatch functions, this watch covers the basics, but is definitely a fitness-first smartwatch. You can get notificaitons from your smart doorbell or when friends message. But these features feel more secondary to the primary optimizations around making this a great exercise compaion first and foremost.
However, there is also a simplicty to this watch. So for people who don't want to a simple smartwatch experience that also supports their fitness goals (or one of the best experiences to pair with their new Pixel device) this watch delivers.
The only real catch is that to unlock some of the most advanced insights, you'll need a Fitbit Premium subscription. But even without it, the core experience is good and easily makes the Pixel Watch 4 one of the best fitness smartwatches you can get.
If you are a Pixel user, a Fitbit fan, or primarily use your smartwatch for working out, you'll be very happy with the new Pixel Watch 4.
Read more
Google powers up Canadian smart homes with latest device lineup
Google's latest smart home hardware and software updates will make monitoring your smart home easier than ever.
Your At-Home Peloton Workouts Just Got Smarter!
For the first time, the Peloton Tread+ will be available in Canada (with a new, smarter model) and it launches alongside a new, AI-enhanced version of the Bike+.
Google Gemini Can Now Keep Your Secrets with 'Temporary Chat'
Google has just updated the Gemini experience which can help you keep sensitive information more private.
Top 3 Reasons To Choose The Apple Watch Ultra 2 in 2025
The Series 10 and Ultra 2 are both fine smartwatches from Apple. But after recently switching to the Ultra 2, I have a new perspective on why it might be worth it to shell out the extra cash for the ultimate model.