Picture this: you’re halfway through a hectic day, juggling meetings, workouts, and maybe a sneaky mid-afternoon coffee run. Your smartwatch pings with a notification, but when you glance down, it’s not your calendar reminding you of a call—it’s a low battery warning. For early Pixel Watch users, this was all too familiar. Back in 2022, Google’s first stab at a smartwatch, the Pixel Watch, was a stylish but frustrating companion, barely limping through a single day on one charge. Fast forward to today, and fresh leaks about the Pixel Watch 4 suggest Google’s obsession with fixing this Achilles’ heel is far from over. Could this be the year they finally crack the battery code?

A thicker watch, a bigger battery?

The rumor mill is buzzing, thanks to a set of sleek renders dropped by 91mobiles, courtesy of the ever-reliable leaker OnLeaks. These images give us our first glimpse at what might be the Pixel Watch 4, and there’s a lot to unpack. For starters, the watch looks chunkier—clocking in at 14.3mm thick compared to the Pixel Watch 3’s svelte 12.3mm. Now, a thicker smartwatch might raise eyebrows in an era where slim is in (just look at the razor-thin 9.7mm Samsung Galaxy Watch7 or Apple Watch Series 10). But in the world of wearables, extra girth often signals one thing: a bigger battery.

Why the beefier build? Google’s been down this road before, and battery life has been the main culprit. The original Pixel Watch was a looker—polished, curvy, and undeniably premium—but its 294mAh battery was a letdown, struggling to hit 24 hours if you dared use features like always-on display or GPS tracking. The Pixel Watch 2 and 3 made strides, with better chipsets and software tweaks that stretched endurance closer to a full day, sometimes even a day and a half if you were frugal. But compared to heavyweights like the OnePlus Watch 3 or Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, which can go three or four days without a charger, Google’s still playing catch-up.

The leaks don’t spill the beans on exact battery specs, but a thicker chassis usually means room for a larger cell or beefier components. Could Google be aiming for multi-day battery life to rival the best in the game? Or are they just doubling down on making sure you don’t see that dreaded low battery icon before bedtime? We’ll have to wait for more details, but the signs are promising.

Goodbye, charging pins—hello, wireless?

Another juicy tidbit from the leaks: the Pixel Watch 4 seems to have ditched the charging pins introduced with the Pixel Watch 2. Those four little pogo pins were a polarizing addition, designed to make charging faster and more secure, but requiring a proprietary charger that irked some fans. They also had a tendency to wear down over time, a headache for anyone who’s ever dealt with a finicky connection.

The absence of pins in the renders has sparked speculation that Google might be swinging back to wireless charging, a feature it flirted with on the original Pixel Watch before abandoning it for the pin-based system. PhoneArena’s take? No pins likely means wireless charging is making a comeback, which could streamline the experience and make the watch more durable in the long run. Imagine plopping your Pixel Watch 4 onto a standard Qi charger alongside your phone—no proprietary cables needed. It’s a small change that could make a big difference, especially for travelers or anyone tired of juggling multiple chargers.

But there’s a catch: wireless charging can be slower unless Google’s figured out a way to juice things up efficiently. The Pixel Watch 3 already improved charging speeds (from 0 to 50% in about 30 minutes, per Google’s specs), so here’s hoping the Watch 4 keeps that momentum while cutting the cord.

Mysterious buttons and design tweaks

The renders also reveal a couple of new buttons flanking the speaker on the Pixel Watch 4’s side. What do they do? Your guess is as good as mine. They could be shortcuts for fitness tracking, Google Assistant, or even something totally new, like controlling smart home devices or triggering AI-powered features (more on that later). For now, they’re a tantalizing mystery, adding a bit of intrigue to an otherwise familiar design.

Speaking of design, the Pixel Watch 4 sticks to Google’s signature minimalist vibe—clean lines, a domed glass face, and a rotating crown that’s become a fan favorite. The leaks confirm it’ll come in two sizes (41mm and 45mm, just like the Watch 3), catering to different wrist sizes and preferences. One subtle upgrade? Thinner bezels, which could make the screen feel a tad more expansive without bulking up the watch itself. It’s not a drastic overhaul, but Google’s clearly refining rather than reinventing here.

The battery life arms race

To understand why Google’s so laser-focused on battery life, let’s zoom out. Smartwatches live or die by how long they last. A gorgeous display, snappy performance, or cutting-edge health tracking means nothing if your watch is perpetually tethered to a charger. The original Pixel Watch’s battery woes were a sore point, griping about constant recharging.

Google listened. The Pixel Watch 2 swapped out the aging Exynos chip for a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5, which 9to5Google reported gave testers over a day of use with always-on display enabled. Wear OS 4 and 5 brought more power-saving tricks, like better app management and background process optimization. The Pixel Watch 3 kept the trend going, with reviewers like Engadget’s Cherlynn Low noting it could hit “at least a day and a half,” sometimes more for the larger 45mm model.

But the bar keeps rising. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 boast multi-day battery life, while fitness-focused brands like Garmin and COROS can stretch into weeks. Even the OnePlus Watch 3, a relative newcomer, is turning heads with its three-to-four-day stamina. For Google, matching that level of endurance isn’t just about bragging rights—it’s about keeping Pixel Watches competitive in a crowded market.

What’s inside? chips, AI, and Wear OS 6

While the leaks focus on externals, what’s under the hood matters just as much. The Pixel Watch 3 runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, a solid chip that balances performance and efficiency. For the Watch 4, rumors point to a potential upgrade to the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, which Qualcomm’s VP of wearables, Dino Bekis, told Android Central is “feature-focused” and “AI-driven.” Translation? Expect snappier responses, better power management, and maybe some fancy new tricks.

There’s also chatter about Google going all-in with a custom Tensor chip, like the ones in its Pixel phones. An internal leak reported by Android Central suggested a Tensor-based wearable chip might debut in the Pixel Watch 5, but who knows—Google could surprise us early. A Tensor chip could supercharge AI features, like real-time health insights or smarter Google Assistant responses, but it’d need to sip power carefully to avoid undoing battery gains.

Then there’s Wear OS 6, which we’ll likely hear more about at Google I/O 2025 next month. If past updates are any guide, expect more battery optimizations, smoother animations, and deeper integration with Google’s ecosystem—think Fitbit health tracking, Google Maps navigation, or even Gemini AI baked into the watch. Wear OS has come a long way since its clunky early days, and Google’s got a vested interest in keeping it ahead of Apple’s watchOS and Samsung’s Wear OS tweaks.

Why it matters

So, why should you care about a smartwatch that’s still months away? For one, Google’s Pixel Watch line is a bellwether for Android wearables. Unlike Samsung, which ties its watches tightly to Galaxy phones, or Apple, which locks you into iOS, Google’s watches play nice with any Android device. A killer Pixel Watch 4 could push the whole Wear OS ecosystem forward, giving you more choices and better tech.

Battery life, in particular, is a make-or-break feature. Whether you’re a fitness buff tracking runs, a busy professional juggling notifications, or just someone who hates plugging in every night, a longer-lasting watch is a game-changer. If Google can deliver two or three days of juice—or even get close—it’d be a huge win for anyone who’s been burned by dead batteries mid-day.

Plus, there’s the bigger picture. Google is doubling down on sustainability, and future Pixel Watches will be more repairable. A watch that lasts longer between charges and can be fixed rather than replaced? That’s a step toward a less wasteful tech world, and it’s hard not to root for that.

What’s next?

Don’t get too excited yet—these are just leaks, and a lot can change before the Pixel Watch 4 lands, likely in August or October 2025 alongside the Pixel 10 series. Google I/O 2025, expected in May, could drop more hints about Wear OS 6 or new hardware, but don’t hold your breath for a full reveal. Google loves to keep us guessing.

For now, the Pixel Watch 4 shapes up as an evolution, not a revolution. A thicker design, no charging pins, mysterious buttons, and a relentless focus on battery life point to a watch that’s building on the Pixel Watch 3’s strengths—clean software, reliable health tracking, and a premium feel—while ironing out its flaws. Will it finally match the stamina of an Apple Watch Ultra or Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra? Probably not, but it might get close enough to make you reconsider charging habits.

If you’re in the market for a smartwatch now, the Pixel Watch 3 is no slouch—Engadget called it “mature and ready to take on the competition,” with a brighter display and solid fitness features. But if you can wait, the Pixel Watch 4’s battery boost and wireless charging tease could be worth holding out for. Either way, Google’s clearly not done chasing the perfect smartwatch. And for those of us who’ve cursed a dying battery at the worst possible moment, that’s music to our ears.