And remember that the original Apple Watch launched in 2015, so Apple has literally had a full decade to perfect its smartwatch.
Dual-chip architecture
However, despite that head start we have now seen multiple companies adopt a new type of hardware architecture for their watches that allows for some big gains in battery life.
We are talking about the dual-chip architecture, where the main processor works in tandem with a co-processor.
OnePlus was the first major company to adopt this approach, and the results were obvious from the get-go. The OnePlus Watch 3 has five days of battery life, more than double that of the expensive Apple Watch Ultra (which typically only lasts two days).
Google also adopts that dual-chip mindset, using the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 in tandem with a new ML-powered co-processor, which results in an watch that is 25% faster at half the power.
Big Battery life
All of this results in a profound change in battery life on the Pixel Watch 4, specifically the more popular 45 mm size.
Google estimates 40 hours of battery life with the always-on screen and 3 days of battery life with Power Saver Mode.
Even in low power mode, Apple Watch has worse battery life than a Pixel Watch 4 running with no limitations
And don’t forget about the much faster charging speed on the Pixel Watch 4. A 15-minute top-up gives you 50% battery life back, enough for a full day of use. Other watches make you wait for 30 or 40 minutes to get enough juice for the day, and charging often becomes a chore, especially if you sleep with your watch.
AI that makes sense
While battery life alone is a profound change, I think that Google’s new personal AI coach is the real game-changer.
Our watch collects plenty of data about our sleep, the intensity of our workouts, even our laziness and idle hours. It knows us from the inside and out.
Yet, your Apple Watch does not proactively use that data to help you in real life. Want to train for a marathon? You have to pay hundreds of dollars for a subscription service that will do it for you. And then, that subscription won’t help you if you decide to switch your focus to strength workouts, then you’d need a different app with a different subscription.
Google’s new personal AI coach transforms that experience for the most part.
Think of it like a personal trainer on your wrist. The experience starts with a quick chat about your goals and the kinds of workouts you like. Once you enter that information, the AI coach builds a personalized plan with detailed workouts and weekly progress targets.
But unlike other services, this is not just a fixed sheet, a one-and-done solution. The coach adjusts everything in real time based on your data and input. Had a night of bad sleep? The watch recognizes that and won’t push you too hard. Instead of an intense interval run session, it might recommend a light stretch or even a plain rest day for recovery.
Plus, life happens. You might be traveling or you pulled a muscle. You can check in with the coach, tell it about that, and it will adjust your workouts accordingly. Contrast this with many other plans or watches that would just keep on yelling at you “one more rep!”.
Unleashing your potential
All of that makes a watch more than just a time-piece. It’s AI that makes sense, rather than being just another hardware feature.
We are yet to try it all in real life once it arrives in October.
And with the slow progress in Apple land, I keep on wondering: if it wasn’t for Apple’s ecosystem lock, would people even be buying an Apple Watch?
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