**Google and Samsung have both unveiled their finest smartwatches for 2025, yet only one can claim the top spot.**
The anticipation has come to an end — both the Google Pixel Watch 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 are now official. Samsung rolled out its latest smartwatch range in July, while Google followed suit with a Made by Google event on August 20. Consequently, we now have the two leading Wear OS smartwatches for 2025 ready for purchase. Typically, your choice hinges on your Android smartphone, but the decision is more nuanced than that.
Additional elements play a role, such as the design preference of the watch or the required battery life. The Google Pixel Watch 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 boast unique features, such as Satellite SOS for the former and AI-driven health tools for the latter. If you’re weighing the options between these two impressive smartwatches, here’s everything you ought to know.
**Google Pixel Watch 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 8: Design and display**
In their 2025 offerings, Google and Samsung have reinforced their distinct smartwatch design languages. The Google Pixel Watch has maintained its signature “waterdrop” design from the beginning, and this is preserved in the Pixel Watch 4. Conversely, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 embraces a refreshed look this year with its squircle aluminum casing and an overlay of a circular display. Both smartwatches are eye-catching on the wrist and easily recognizable.
Though the shape of the Galaxy Watch 8 gives it a larger appearance than the Pixel Watch 4, that’s not the reality. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is flatter, making its dimensions somewhat misleading. The smartwatch is available in sizes of 40mm and 44mm, while the Pixel Watch 4 is offered in the larger 41mm and 45mm variants. Both devices can be customized with optional LTE connectivity for an extra charge.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is appreciably slimmer than the Pixel Watch 4, attributed partly to Samsung’s new squircle “cushion” design that distributes components across a wider area on the wrist. The former’s thickness is 8.6mm, compared to 12.3mm for the Pixel Watch 4. During my testing of the Galaxy Watch 8, I found the slimmer design to be more comfortable for workout and sleep tracking.
Otherwise, the Pixel Watch 4 retains the familiar look of a Pixel Watch. The charging pins remain on the device instead of switching to WPC-based wireless in the Galaxy Watch 8. However, they have now been relocated to the side of the Pixel Watch 4 rather than being positioned on the back. This marks the third different charging system in four iterations, which isn’t optimal. Nevertheless, this setup introduces some nifty features, such as a dock-style connector with nightstand capabilities.
The Google Pixel Watch has always featured a curved glass front, but the Pixel Watch 4 advances this further. The OLED display is now domed, enhancing the immersive experience. Coupled with slimmer bezels, the screen on the Pixel Watch 4 feels larger and provides a greater active area compared to its predecessor.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 8 comes with either a 1.34-inch, 438×438 display or a 1.47-inch, 480×480 display. Both are Super AMOLED screens with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, perfect for visibility outdoors. Samsung employs a “digital bezel” for navigation, allowing you to slide a finger along the edge of the circular display rather than swiping.
**Google Pixel Watch 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 8: Hardware and specs**
Internally, both Samsung and Google utilize a similar set of health and fitness sensors for 2025 as they did last year. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 incorporates the new BioActive sensor suite that debuted with the Galaxy Watch 7. The Google Pixel Watch 4 includes some enhancements, like dual-band GPS support, but the fundamental Fitbit-based health sensors remain the same.
While Samsung has continued with its Exynos W1000 wearable platform for another year, Google has made the transition to the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2. This change may not be as significant as one might think, but the more interesting upgrade is the introduction of a co-processor. The Cortex M55 is intended to manage specific functions while focusing on efficiency.
This adjustment is one of the methods Google could have enhanced battery life on the Pixel Watch 4 without a substantial increase in hardware capacity.
Battery life improvements are observed across both devices, with the 41mm Pixel Watch 4 now achieving 30 hours of use with AOD active, while the 45mm model extends that to 40 hours. This is impressive and aligns the Pixel Watch 4 more closely with the Galaxy Watch 8. However, the more substantial upgrade
