Google has abandoned Samsung and is switching to TSMC for future Tensor chipsets – the first, the Tensor G5, will power the Pixel 10 series and is already doing the rounds on Geekbench. The upcoming Pixel Watch 4, however, is not changing chipsets.
The latest report is that Google will reuse the same chipset as on the Watch 3 and the Watch 2, the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1. This 2022 chip is fabbed on a 4nm node and has four Cortex-A53 cores.
We recently heard that Qualcomm is working on a Snapdragon W6, with one big Cortex- A78 core and four A55 cores, but it seems that Google has no interest in that. Instead, the company may just be biding its time until its custom Tensor chip is ready in time for the Pixel Watch 5. That’s what we heard back in late 2024 and the leak indicated that the Tensor chip will have the same 1x A78 + 4x A55 setup as the W6 – that’s also the same configuration as the Exynos W1000 that Samsung reused for the Galaxy Watch8 series.
Back to the Google Pixel Watch 4. We’ve seen renders, which pointed to a thicker body – 14.3mm, up from 12.3mm. The latest info indicates that both sizes – the 45mm model code named “kenari”/FK23 and the 41mm model code named “meridian”/FME23 – will have larger batteries, which may explain the chunkier build.
The Pixel Watch 4 41mm will have a 327mAh battery (+20mAh from the Watch 3 41mm), while the 45mm model will have a 459mAh battery (+39mAh). Those represent +7% and +9% increases, respectively. That’s not much considering the W5 Gen 1 chip is not the most efficient around. Charging speeds will be increased too, but no concrete numbers have leaked yet.
Besides offering a choice between 41mm and 45mm size, the Pixel Watch 4 will come in Bluetooth and 4G flavors. And it will be available in several colors with different bands ranging from two-tone leather through Active Sport band and to metal mesh bands. We expect that the new Pixel Watch 4 will be unveiled alongside the Pixel 10 series.