Leak: the Google Pixel Watch 4 will have a brighter display, may have a new chipset after all

Details on the Google Pixel Watch 4 have been trickling out in the build-up to the August 20 unveiling. The latest scuttlebutt reveals that the new model will have a brighter display and new silicon for improved efficiency.

The Pixel Watch 4 will be available in 41mm and 45mm sizes, which should correspond to 1.2” and 1.4” displays (as it did on the Watch 3). Said displays will go up to 3,000 nits – 50% more than the 2024 watch. This brightness matches the newly arrived Samsung Galaxy Watch8 series as well as the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (the Apple Watch Series 10 displays only go up to 2,000 nits).

Google Pixel Watch 4 (speculative renders)

Something may have been lost in translation for the next part. We recently heard that the Pixel Watch 4 will use the same chipset as the Watch 3 and Watch 2, the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1. However, this leak names the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 instead and talks of an M55 co-processor.

Here’s the thing. The W5 and W5+ both have quad-core Cortex-A53 CPUs, but the Plus model also has an AON (always-on) co-processor that is built on a low-power 22nm node and is used to run things while the rest of the chipset is asleep. This includes speech processing, audio playback, etc. in addition to the usual health tracking features.

The AON co-processor uses a Cortex-M55, part of ARM’s series of low-power CPU cores. Additionally, it has an Ethos-U55 NPU for machine learning applications. So, the Pixel Watch 4 may use a different chipset from the Watch 2 and Watch 3 after all, even if it is just as old (the W5 and W5+ Gen 1 were announced simultaneously).

Moving on, the Google Pixel Watch 4 models will have bigger batteries – 327mAh (+20mAh) for the 41mm size and 459mAh (+39mAh) for the 45mm size, compared to the Watch 3. This will allow them to last longer on a single charge. The 41mm size is expected to go up to 30 hours with always on display enabled and up to 48 hours in battery saver mode. For the 45mm size, expectations are for up to 40 hours with AOD on and up to 72 hours in battery saver mode.

Google Pixel Watch 4 (speculative render)

Google will reportedly add “side-charging”, i.e. rotating the display so it’s right side up while the watch charges sideways on a dock – if you put the dock on your nightstand the watch will become something of an alarm clock.

Note that the extra battery comes at a price – the Watch 4 generation is said to be thicker, measuring 14.3mm (up from 12.3mm).

Speaking of price, leaks suggest that the Google Pixel Watch 4 41mm will be €400 for a Wi-Fi model and €500 for an LTE one, while the larger 45mm watch will be €450 and €550, respectively. Google will offer a variety of colors (Obsidian, Lemon, Moonstone, Iris and Porcelain), plus a wide selection of watch bands.

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