The Google Pixel Watch 4 won't arrive for another year, but that hasn't stopped us from brainstorming all the ways it can fix the Pixel Watch 3's shortcomings come 2025.
The Pixel Watch 3 specs and design sound awfully similar to the Pixel Watch 2 in a lot of ways; even though we appreciate the new 45mm size option, a lot of other things carried over from the last generation.
While our Pixel Watch 3 hands-on impressed us, much of our excitement comes from the new software tricks like AI-generated workouts, Nest Cam livestreams, cardio load, Google TV remote controls, and so on. By the Pixel Watch 4 launch, we can hope for new hardware perks.
Here is our early Google Pixel Watch 4 wishlist for areas of improvement, plus the scant rumors and patents we've heard about Google's next smartwatch.
Google Pixel Watch 4: Rumors and patents
Google patents dozens of ideas per month, many of which will never see the light of day in a commercial product. That said, there are a few Pixel Watch and Fitbit patents we've spotted that we'd like to see in the Pixel Watch 4, in theory.
The most bizarre and intriguing Pixel Watch patent is one where Google turns its rounded-edge bezel into a squeezable, touch-sensitive control interface. In the exhibits below, you can see how Google envisions you tapping or sliding specific portions of the Pixel Watch edge to trigger actions like music controls, a flashlight, or a favorite app.
You could squeeze the screen to pause a song or open a notification, potentially instead of using the Pixel Watch 3's trademark crown. The patent includes a long list of potential actions based on the length, direction, speed, or location of your swipe or squeeze, which sounds a bit too complicated to work in practice but still sounds intriguing.
We highly doubt the Pixel Watch 4 would ditch its crown, but using the bezel edge for controls isn't that different from what Samsung does with its digital touch bezel on the Galaxy Watch 7.
Another intriguing patent comes from the Google-owned Fitbit, claiming the idea for a smartwatch "Fit Score" that informs the user how well the watch's bottom sensors can read your health data based on how snugly you're wearing it, as well as "differences in wrist size, skin color, hair density, BMI, fat percentage, and the likes."
The Pixel Watch 4 would need a "Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS)" that would adjust your data if it detected that your watch wasn't fitted properly; for example, it would disregard low SpO2 warnings if your watch comes loose while you're sleeping.
Another Fitbit patent that uses on-wrist games to monitor your mental health could be a nice feature, but we're focusing more on potential Pixel Watch 4 hardware changes. On that note, Fitbit has patented several blood pressure monitoring systems in the past few years, including one this August. We know Google wants to implement these sensors soon; we just doubt it'll be consumer-ready by the Pixel Watch 4.
We also saw a Fitbit patent for detecting arterial stiffness as a warning sign for cardiovascular issues.
Beyond these long-term plans and ideas, we don't know yet what Google has planned for the Pixel Watch 4; Google itself probably doesn't know yet. So let's discuss what they should do.
Google Pixel Watch 4 wishlist
The Google Pixel Watch 3 should keep the Watch 2's place among the best Wear OS watches once we've fully reviewed it, but the competition isn't that fierce, and software isn't Google's main issue.
Here are all the ways that the Google Pixel Watch 4 should improve on its predecessor.
Better battery life
When we look at the best Android watches, many of them can last in a range from 40–100 hours, depending on the size and setting. The Pixel Watch 3's 24 hours with AOD or 36 hours with Battery Saver settings are lower than the rest of the competition. Even before we review it, we know that's a downside for a lot of people, especially those that use watches for sleep tracking.
To be clear, most watches with three-day battery lives like the OnePlus Watch 2 and TicWatch Pro 5 are larger and heavier than the Pixel Watch 3, with about twice the battery capacity. But the fact remains that these watches are much more convenient to use because they don't require daily charges.
By the Pixel Watch 4 launch, we'd love to see Google employ its Wear OS Hybrid Interface and rely more on the Cortex coprocessor (or a more efficient MCU) to stretch out its battery life to 48+ hours without AOD. That'll probably start by adding a better CPU, which brings us to our next point...
Add a new Snapdragon or Tensor CPU
Qualcomm developed the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 in 2022, and it basically saved the Wear OS brand by giving watches the power they needed to revamp their software. Still, its 4nm silicon is already behind Samsung's 3nm Exynos W1000 in the Galaxy Watch 7, and we'd expect a proper performance boost after three years.
Our first hope is that Qualcomm announces a new Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 CPU at its upcoming Snapdragon Summit, or at any point before next summer so the Pixel Watch 4 can incorporate it. Ideally, it would perform background tasks more efficiently to stretch out the Watch 4's lifespan.
As an alternative, we know that Google is hard at work developing a 3nm Tensor G5 CPU using TSMC instead of Samsung, to make the Pixel 10 faster and more efficient than the Pixel 9. It also made a proprietary Tensor A1 CPU for its Pixel Buds Pro 2. If Google can make its own 3nm Watch 4 CPU via TSMC, that would be exciting in its own right.
Dual-band GPS and new sport focuses
The Pixel Watch 3 launch explicitly targeted runners with new software like custom run workouts, Fitbit Premium AI-generated daily run workouts, weekly cardio load tracking versus your target load, running form analysis, and a Morning Brief showcasing your Daily Readiness to work. It also promised "the most accurate heart rate for running" with a new Watch 3 HR algorithm that reduces "light artifacts" during fast-paced activities.
So why on Earth didn't Google give the Pixel Watch 3 dual-band GPS the one hardware upgrade it needed to take full advantage of this?
GPS-only running watches struggle with signal blockage, showing you off your actual running route when you're near tall buildings or underneath foliage. It can significantly change your estimated run distance and pace. That's why we were happy to see Samsung give the Galaxy Watch 7 dual-band GPS, and other brands like Amazfit have brought dual-band tracking to cheaper watches.
By the Pixel Watch 4, we hope to see Google rectify this and provide more accurate tracking. On top of that, we hope that Google and Fitbit continue to improve their fitness software for other sports like cycling or hiking. Running was a good starting point, but they should keep going.
A proper wheelchair mode
It's unconscionable that so few smartwatch brands and operating systems have implemented a wheelchair mode. Folks like Android Central's Jerry Hildenbrand can't get excited about watches that only offer "steps" instead of "pushes" and have move alerts that insist you stand up when you can't.
That's why the Garmin Venu 3, with its dedicated wheelchair mode that judges things like aerobic energy differently to take disability into account, is such a great option. And it's disappointing that we haven't seen a similar tack taken by other watch brands. Ideally, when the Pixel Watch 4 tracks your Fitbit Active Zone Minutes, it'll give wheelchair-bound folks a tailored experience.
New health data
While the Pixel Watch 2 added some exciting health-tracking tricks like continuous body response (cEDA), passive irregular heart rhythm warnings, and skin temperature, the only new health feature the Pixel Watch 3 offers is the Loss of Pulse feature that uses the PPG and wear detection to determine if you're experiencing a cardiac event and call emergency services for you.
We love this feature, but we hope that Google and Fitbit can bring new health data with the Pixel Watch 4 outside of emergencies. We wrote above about Fitbit patents for blood pressure or arterial stiffness, which are possible candidates.
Samsung recently gave its Galaxy Watch 7 blue, yellow, violet, and ultraviolet LEDs to enable new health data like the AGEs Index, which are "products formed when sugar interacts with proteins or fats in the bloodstream." A high Index corresponds with potential "diabetes, heart disease, and renal failure" issues, making it useful as a preventative metric. The Pixel Watch 4 doesn't have to track AGEs specifically, but it's the type of thing we'd like Google to focus on so competitors don't leave it behind.
We have plenty of other potential requests for the Pixel Watch 4. One colleague with the Pixel Watch 2 says he wants Google to improve notifications, making them visible without always having to turn your wrist or tap the screen. Another said jokingly that he wants the Pixel Watch to morph into a smart ring at night; we know there's a potential Fitbit Ring in development, so maybe we'll see that alongside the Watch 4.
Google follows Samsung's lead a lot, and what with the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra making waves, we wonder if we'll see a Pixel Watch Ultra next year, addressing some of our complaints with longer battery life. We're not sure if we'd actually want this, as much as we'd hope the base Pixel Watch 4 improves on its own.
No need to wait
The Google Pixel Watch 4 might make some of the fixes above, but the Pixel Watch 3 is already a great improvement in its own right. You get a new size option, revamped display, faster wi-fi downloads, faster charging speeds, and other upgrades. It's one of our favorite watches of the year so far.
