Big things are coming
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 won’t be here until the summer, but that hasn’t stopped rampant speculation about the potential for an improved processor and battery life, new health features, and possibly a subscription app tier.
Pros
- Possible battery, processing, and efficiency improvements
- Potentially new health tracking features like non-invasive blood glucose monitoring
- Might add ultra-wideband
- Suspected better AI integration with an improved coprocessor
Cons
- A subscription option could put certain data behind a paywall
- Might not be a massive step up in specs
- Design may be identical to the Galaxy Watch 8
- Likely no Classic variant
Among the best
The Google Pixel Watch 4 is already here and it’s among one of the best Android smartwatches you can buy. And with the switch to the Google Health app that replaces Fitbit and enhanced AI with features like Health Coach, it adds so much more value today.
Pros
- Now works with the new Google Health app and Health Coach
- Heavy AI integration into the experience
- Recharges very quickly
- Ultra-fast processor
- Useful extra features if you have a Pixel phone
Cons
- Some features only work or work best with Pixel phones
- Battery life isn’t amazing
- Side button can be annoying to press
- Screen can be prone to scratches
- Requires a subscription to get the most out of it
If you’re in the market for a smartwatch to complement your Android smartphone, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Google Pixel Watch are probably two brands that are at the top of your list. Both work best with the same brand phone with special features that you can unlock. But they can also pair with any Android phone since they are Wear OS devices.
When considering the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Google Pixel Watch 4, it’s important to note that the former isn’t officially available yet. Rumored to launch at Galaxy Unpacked in July, there’s already a lot of chatter about it, and features we expect and want to see. Given this, should you wait for that device, especially if you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, or pick up the Google Pixel Watch 4 now? While I can’t say either way definitively just yet, this will help you make a decision.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Google Pixel Watch 4: Design and durability
As noted, we don’t yet have official details for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, which is likely to launch at Galaxy Unpacked this summer. But there are a few things we can speculate about what’s to come with it.
One of the things we expect to see with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is a continuation of the squircle design the company employs for its Galaxy Watch 8. The Galaxy Watch 9 will probably be the only design launched without a Classic variant since Samsung usually only releases those every other year. But there might be a Galaxy Watch Ultra variant for 2026 and potentially a Galaxy Watch FE 2 step-down affordable option as well. Here, however, I’ll focus just on the base Galaxy Watch 9.
It will most likely come in two sizes with a durable aluminum case that meets MIL-STD-810H and 5 ATM for water resistance. It will likely have a higher version of Bluetooth, hopefully at least 6.0. It may also add ultra-wideband.
In terms of the battery, it will probably have the same 325mAh and 435mAh batteries for the two sizes, offering up to 40-hour battery life per charge. With a more efficient Wear OS and a better processor, it’s possible the watch will last a bit longer than its predecessor. But it won’t be anything groundbreaking: you’ll still need to charge it daily or every two days.
Something better could be coming in future iterations, according to reports, through all-solid-state batteries. But this likely won’t be until the Galaxy Watch 10 in 2027. For now, we’ll have to stick with what we have.
Over to the Google Pixel Watch 4, since it launched in late 2025 and has been on the market since, we already know all the details. It comes in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm. The 41mm size comes in a Polished Silver aluminum case with an Active Iris or Porcelain Active band, a Champagne Gold aluminum case with a Lemongrass Active band, or a Matte Black aluminum case with an Obsidian Active band.
The larger 45mm edition comes with a Satin Moonstone aluminum case with a Moonstone Active band, a Polished Silver aluminum case with a Porcelain Active band, or a Matte Black aluminum case with an Obsidian Active band. So, you have tons of choice in terms of both finish and band, and of course, can swap bands if desired for third-party options, too.
The Google Pixel Watch 4 has a side button and a haptic crown along with a built-in mic and speaker. In his review of the Google Pixel Watch 4, Michael L Hicks says he likes the crown but finds the side button annoying to press. The display shows a new Tile format with more information and shortcuts than in previous-generation Pixel Watches. Hicks says he actually prefers Samsung’s multi-info Tiles design.
You get a 320ppi AMOLED LTPO 1-60Hz always-on Actua 360 display with a unique domed design. With up to 3,000 nits of brightness, it’s comfortably viewable in all lighting situations, including bright, sunny days outdoors. The screen is durable, made of Corning Gorilla Glass, and the watch meets both IP68 and 5ATM ratings for dust and water resistance. So yes, you can swim in freshwater with it. However, the absence of sapphire glass means it’s more prone to scratches and cracks than other smartwatches that use it, notes Hicks.
The Google Pixel Watch 4 41mm has a 325mAh battery, and the 45mm has a 455mAh battery, which provides up to 30 and 40 hours of use with the always-on display, respectively. But you can extend this to up to 48 hours with Battery Saver mode on the 41mm and up to 72 hours on the 45mm. That’s not amazing compared to other smartwatches that last much longer, but it does work with a quick charger dock that Hicks says is “absurdly fast” at recharging it. The Pixel Watch 4 takes about 45 minutes to fully charge the 41mm watch and an hour for the 45mm. But with both, just 15 minutes will get you back to a 50% charge.
With a 4G LTE option, you can get a separate add-on cellular connection for the Google Pixel Watch 4 that lets you use it without your phone. It also includes Bluetooth 6, NFC, and ultra-wideband connectivity with satellite SOS communications in case of emergency. One important thing to note is that it’s also repairable, so you should be able to easily swap components yourself if necessary.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Google Pixel Watch 4: Specs
Let’s look at how these two smartwatches compare when it comes to basic specs.
|
Category |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (speculative) |
Google Pixel Watch 4 |
|---|---|---|
|
Compatibility |
Android 11.0 or higher (likely) |
Android 11.0 or higher |
|
OS |
Wear OS 7 + Samsung One UI Watch 9 |
Wear OS 6 |
|
Colors |
Unknown |
Polished Silver, Champagne Gold, Satin Moonstone, Matte Black |
|
Swappable Band |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Battery |
325, 435mAh |
325mAh |
|
Battery Life |
Up tp 40 hours (probably) |
Up to 40 hours (72 hours with Battery Saver Mode) |
|
App |
Samsung Health |
Google Health |
|
Heart Rate Tracking |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Stress Tracking |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Blood Oxygen |
Yes |
Yes |
|
GPS |
Yes |
Yes (built-in) |
|
Sleep Monitoring |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Water Resistance |
5ATM, IP68 |
5ATM, IP68 |
|
Mobile Pay |
Samsung Wallet |
Google Wallet |
|
Storage |
32-64GB (unsure) |
32GB |
|
Screen Size |
1.3-1.43 inches |
1.2-1.4 inches |
|
Screen Type |
AMOLED |
Super Actua AMOLED LTPO |
|
Screen Resolution |
480 x 480 |
456 x 456 |
|
Peak Brightness |
3,000 nits |
3,000 nits |
|
Dimensions |
Unknown |
41 x 12.3 mm, 45 x 12.3 mm |
|
Weight |
Unknown |
31, 36.7 grams (without band) |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Google Pixel Watch 4: Health, wellness, and smarts
Both the Samsung Galaxy Watch and Google Pixel Watch function as great health, fitness, and wellness companions. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 may possibly include a step-up processor from the 3nm Exynos W1000 chip and 2GB RAM in the last two versions to a potentially faster 3nm chip.
If not that, we might see a new coprocessor design, as many other brands have been employing, to handle background versus more intensive tasks separately and thus more efficiently. A recent leak suggests that a Snapdragon Wear Elite 3nm chipset could be incorporated into this watch to afford both better performance and battery efficiency. It will likely also gain greater efficiency through Wear OS 7.
The Galaxy Watch 9 will almost definitely continue to work with the Samsung Health app, though there are some rumors about Samsung toying with the option of adding a subscription to the now free service. You already get tons of fantastic features through the BioActive sensor that will likely continue in this model, like Antioxidant Index, Running Coach, Vascular Load, and AGEs Index. Plus, there are Galaxy AI health tools.
If Samsung adds a subscription tier, the company might have to offer more than simply hiding all these measurements behind a paywall. We’ll have to wait and see if there are any new health-related features, better AI integration, and possibly some type of Health Coach AI. One such addition could be non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, which is something Samsung has reportedly already been working on.
In terms of AI integration, the hope is that with a faster, more efficient processor, AI tools will benefit, too. This means faster and smarter AI responses or contextual analysis of your data within the app. Gemini Live would be nice to have, but we’ll have to wait and see.
The Google Pixel Watch 4 is already a pretty solid smartwatch for health and fitness tracking with a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 4nm processor that’s wonderfully efficient. The coprocessor is efficient for running AI and background tasks, fueled as well by Wear OS 6. Hicks notices the improvement in battery life thanks to the efficient processing.
With the new Google Health app that is officially replacing the Fitbit app, you’re going to get much more out of the Pixel Watch 4 than before. To take advantage of everything, however, you will need a Google Health Premium subscription, which is similar to the requirement for a Fitbit Premium subscription in the past anyway.
You, of course, get deep Gemini AI integration with tracking for all the typical metrics, as is expected with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9. It offers additional metrics like cardio load and recovery, and features like the ability to build your own custom runs and get real-time guidance. There’s also the Morning Brief that provides key insights on data like sleep, weather, and readiness.
There are tons of upgrades with Google Health, notably Health Coach, an AI-powered trainer that can assist you through your fitness and health journey. You provide data like your goals, what equipment you have, and even provide photos, and it will help you build a proper plan.
You’ll be able to pin favorite metrics to the dashboard in the app and integrate data from other third-party apps like Apple Health, Peloton, and MyFitnessPal. The base-level app will provide basics, but you need Premium for things like Ask Coach, adaptive fitness plans, more detailed sleep insights, medical record summaries, a library of workouts and mindfulness sessions, and more. However, if you already have a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription, you’ll get Google Health Premium included.
Beyond the revamped Google Health app, the Pixel Watch 4 offers some useful additional features, like loss of pulse detection, car crash detection, smart replies, the ability to see who’s calling with a compatible device, a Pixel Camera app, the option to record voice notes, and even control a Google TV Streamer from the watch face. Some features only work with a Pixel phone, like the camera shutter remote and recorder app.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Google Pixel Watch 4: Should you wait?
If you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and you’re wondering about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Google Pixel Watch 4, I’d suggest you wait. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 might not be a huge step-up from the Galaxy Watch 8. But if it can run more efficiently and offer enough software upgrades and battery life improvements, it could be worth it. If Samsung does add a subscription, it would work with other Galaxy Watch models, too. But it’s possible the Galaxy Watch 9 could have features specific to it that make paying worth the upgrade.
If you have a Google Pixel phone, the Google Pixel Watch 4 is already one of the best Android smartwatches you can buy, and it’s only getting better with Google Health Premium. Yes, you need the subscription to unlock everything. But you may have already been subscribed to Fitbit Premium anyway.
If you have a phone from another brand altogether, or maybe you aren’t tied to the ecosystem play, it’s tough to determine at this point which of these two smartwatches is the better choice. Based on expectations, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 will probably fall very close in line with the Google Pixel Watch 4 in terms of basic specs, including durability, battery life, processing, AI integration, and app experience. I don’t suspect there’s going to be anything especially groundbreaking about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 that makes it worth waiting several months for it if you really need or want a new smartwatch now.
If you have a Galaxy Watch that is several generations old, I’d suggest waiting for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 before upgrading to the Galaxy Watch 8. Even if it offers slight improvements in processing and battery life, every bit counts. If you have a Google Pixel phone, the Pixel Watch 4 offers an incredible experience, and Google Health is poised to be one of the most comprehensive, AI-centric fitness apps around. So, I’d go ahead and upgrade now if you’re wearing an older-model Pixel or a different-brand smartwatch and want something more sophisticated.
Only if you have an older Galaxy Watch
If you have an older Galaxy Watch, you’re better off waiting to upgrade to the Galaxy Watch 9. It might offer improvements in the chip and processing, which facilitates better AI features as well as greater battery efficiency. But it may not best the Pixel Watch 4 in any significant way.
It won’t disappoint
The Google Pixel Watch 4 won’t disappoint as a companion to any Android phone, especially with the Google Health app upgrades. That is, if you’re willing to pay for the premium subscription. If you want something now, don’t wait. This smartwatch is among and probably will be for some time to come.