Google is to release another smartwatch this year, the Pixel Watch 4, and leaked images showed what it is probably going to look like.
Rendered pictures of the watch will make some think they are looking at the current Pixel Watch 3 as the next generation will not bring about a major stylistic change, but these images do also suggest some of the big feature shifts ahead.
First up, the Pixel Watch 4 appears to be a little bit thicker than the current model.
This could be an indication Google plans to increase the battery capacity of the watch, which is 307mAh (41mm) and 420mAh (45mm) in the current generation.
However, the extra depth could simply be in service of a wireless charging coil. At the rear of the Pixel Watch 3 there are some tiny metal contacts used to connect the watch to the charging cable. Those elements are not seen in the renders, suggesting wireless charging may be planned.
The watch will reportedly be 14.3mm thick – more than 2mm thicker than the current generation – which is similar to the dimensions of an Apple Watch Ultra. Such an increase may leave room for both wireless charging and a battery capacity jump.
Pixel Watch 4 features
The leaked renders also suggest Google has managed to decrease the screen border, pushing further into the final curved section of the display glass. Some manufacturers play a little fast and loose with the renders of their wearables and phones, overemphasising how slim these borders are in reality, but such a move is (hopefully) beneath Google.
One last change is the introduction of what the original publisher of these images, 91Mobiles, calls a pair of buttons beside the speaker on the side of the Pixel Watch 4. It is not at all clear this is what they are, although the tiny little hamburger-like marking are not seen in the Pixel Watch 3. They’re a mystery waiting to be solved.
Google is expected to release the Pixel Watch 4 this year, with August the earliest month cited by the rumour mill. The Pixel Watch 3 was announced in August 2024 and released the following month, while the Pixel Watch 2 arrived in October 2023.
