The Google Pixel Watch 4 made me like smartwatches again

After several years of relying on either an analog watch or a basic fitness tracker, I found myself hesitant to embrace smartwatches. The Apple Watch never appealed to me, as I wasn't consistently active, didn't need to check notifications constantly, and dreaded the daily charging routine. However, my experience with the Google Pixel Watch 4 has reignited my interest in smartwatches. Drawing from my fondness for circular designs, the Pixel Watch 4 immediately caught my eye, reminiscent of my first smartwatch, the Moto 360. Its curved Actua 360 display features thinner bezels compared to its predecessor, providing a more modern look. While I tested the 41 mm model, I would personally prefer the 45 mm variant for its bigger display and enhanced battery life. The display itself is impressively bright, boasting a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, making it easier to read in direct sunlight. Battery performance has been commendable; I've managed to get over a day of use during lighter activity days. Although the watch utilizes a proprietary charging cradle, the rapid charging capabilities are a significant advantage. Google claims that the watch can charge from 0% to 50% in just 15 minutes and reach full charge in 45 minutes. While my real-world experience varied slightly, I found the charging times to be quite close, allowing me to quickly power up the watch during short breaks. I primarily used the Pixel Watch 4 to monitor my pickleball games and casual walks. While it tracks calorie burn, the insights into sports performance were somewhat limited. After starting a gym routine, I discovered that, aside from the treadmill and elliptical, there aren't specialized modes for various gym equipment. Instead, users must choose from general categories like core training or weight lifting. Despite its limitations, the watch does cater better to runners, although outdoor workouts are challenging in Delhi's current air quality. The watch attempts to detect cardio exercises after 15 minutes, but my experiences with this feature have been inconsistent. Additionally, the floor count feature has been inaccurate at times; it overestimates floors climbed during certain walks while underreporting during others. Initially, I avoided wearing a watch to bed, but I quickly adapted to the Pixel Watch 4 to gain insights into my sleep and readiness scores. While the watch tracks these metrics, the daily summaries lack actionable insights, although the Fitbit app provides some guidance. As fitness apps increasingly integrate AI, Google may need to enhance its offerings. The new Material UI design is visually appealing and aligns with my Pixel Fold. The weather app is particularly user-friendly, displaying both hourly and daily forecasts effectively. However, I wish the exercise app allowed for more than three quick-start workout options. Features such as voice commands to interact with Gemini are neat, but I've primarily used it for timers and workout prompts. The recent Pixel Watch 4 update introduced a pinch gesture for dismissing notifications, controlling media playback, and managing calls, which has been a welcome addition. Despite some minor criticisms, my daily experience with the watch has been overwhelmingly positive. Its outstanding display, user-friendly software, and improved fitness tracking make it a notable upgrade from previous models. Ultimately, the combination of excellent battery life and fast charging has solidified the Pixel Watch 4 as one of the top Android smartwatches on the market.