Pixel Watch 4 Leak Suggests Google Will Hit Copy-Paste On The Design

In mid-March, the first set of renders of the entire Pixel 10 lineup leaked, revealing more of the same. Likewise, recently leaked Pixel 10 Pro Fold renders show Google making minimal design changes to its third foldable this year. If you were already disappointed by Google’s plans not to make any major design changes for its Pixel phones this year, the first Pixel Watch 4 renders won’t do much to lift your spirits — they’re equally uninspiring.

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Like the previous Pixel leaks, the Pixel Watch 4 renders come courtesy of OnLeaks in association with 91Mobiles. You might be hard-pressed to find any design changes, given that the watch looks almost like the Pixel Watch 3. But apparently, the bezels surrounding the display will be slightly slimmer. Otherwise, the design looks the same, with a rotating crown and side button above it on the right, and a speaker cutout on the left.

There’s one change on the back — the POGO pins are missing. Both the Pixel Watch 2 and 3 use these pins for charging. Their absence raises speculation that Google might return to wireless charging on its fourth-gen smartwatch. Until more sources confirm this, I’d chalk the missing POGO pins to a CAD design error.

Google moved away from wireless charging on the Pixel Watch 2 in favor of POGO pins to deliver faster charging speeds with less overheating. So, it would be puzzling to see the company return to it after just two generations.

Will the Pixel Watch 4 get bulkier?

Based on the renders, the report claims the Pixel Watch 4 could be 14.3mm thick — a noticeable bump from the Pixel Watch 3’s 12.3mm waistline. Again, there’s no information behind this increase in thickness.

Rumors do not indicate that Google will bump the Pixel Watch 4’s battery capacity significantly, which would help justify the extra thickness. So, unless there are more concrete leaks, I’d take the rumor about the extra thickness with a pinch of salt. Plus, it would be surprising to see Google making the Pixel Watch thicker, especially when Apple slimmed down the Apple Watch noticeably last year.

Like last year, Google should offer the Pixel Watch 4 in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. It may not pack any major upgrades, with Google possibly focusing on improving the software experience. According to an October 2024 leak, Google is saving the bigger changes for 2026, when it plans to bring its in-house Tensor chip to the Pixel Watch 5.