TL;DR
- Google’s expected to launch the Pixel Watch 4 at its August 20 event.
- A new leak claims to expect base pricing to match last year’s, but LTE models may be cheaper.
- We also hear about charging speeds, which could be 25% faster than the Watch 3.
With August now on our doorstep, Google’s next hardware launches are almost upon us, and we’re quite literally counting down the days until the Made by Google event scheduled for August 20. That’s bringing us the Pixel 10 family, sure, and while the new smartphones are almost assuredly going to be the stars of the show, we’re also looking forward to some new Pixel Buds and the next-generation Pixel Watch 4.
Even if it doesn’t look like Google’s planning to reinvent the wheel when it comes to its smartwatch, sticking with the same processor as the Pixel Watch 3 and delivering a design that’s superficially similar, recent leaks have helped give us a fair amount to look forward to. That includes upgrades like larger batteries, satellite connectivity, and even repair-friendly construction. Not everything we’ve seen necessarily looks positive, and the jury’s still out on the weird side-charging business, but all in all it’s been starting to feel more like we’re actually getting a proper successor.
With the smartwatch hardware itself taking shape, that’s left the question of how it will arrive, and earlier this month we looked at some international pricing leaks. While it can sometimes be tricky to make direct comparisons across markets, it at least seemed like Google wasn’t planning any major shake-ups, and pricing could align largely with the Watch 3.
Today, the latest Pixel Watch 4 leak from Android Headlines attempts to fill in the rest of the blanks there. According to the site, expect the 41mm Pixel Watch 4 to sell for $349, and the 45mm model for $399. Those are for the base Wi-Fi editions, and LTE cellular connectivity would demand a $50 premium on top of that.
That’s interesting, as last year we saw the gulf between Wi-Fi and LTE pricing widen from $50 to $100. It would be very cool to not only get satellite connectivity with this new generation, but a discount at the same time.
Google may not be big on bundling in hardware freebies with its mobile tech — don’t count on your Watch 4 arriving with an assortment of extra straps, or anything — but it still usually manages to step up with some sort of service offering. According to this source, shoppers picking up a Pixel Watch 4 can expect to get a free month of YouTube Premium plus six months of Fitbit Premium.
Along with this pricing info, Android Headlines also whets our appetite by dropping some tantalizing specs for the Watch 4’s funky new charger: roughly 25% faster than last year, able to hit 50% charge in only 15 minutes, or 80% in 30. If you’re constantly forgetting to keep your wearables charged, being able to get going so quickly sounds extremely handy.
Keep checking in with Android Authority in the weeks leading up to August 20 for all the rest of the details on Google’s new hardware that have yet to emerge.
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