The Google Pixel Watch 4 Gets a Different, But Faster, Charger

The Google Pixel Watch 4 is quickly approaching. The smartwatch is less than a month away, slated to be made official on August 20th, when the Pixel 10 smartphones will take center stage. Historically, Google hasn't switched things up drastically with its smartwatches since they launched a few years ago, but this year could be different.

The Google Pixel Watch 4 is expected to look almost the same as the Pixel Watch 3 (which, in turn, looked like the two smartwatches that came before it). However, one big change it is going to deliver is in the charging department. Not only will the charger itself change, but it is going to come with a major, and much-needed, upgrade.

Throw Your Old Chargers Away, the Google Pixel Watch 4 Uses a New System

The Google Pixel Watch 4 is one of the more popular smartwatch options from an Android OEM. It is especially popular among Pixel users, but that shouldn't be much of a surprise. I'm not much of a Pixel Watch fan, though, as I think that the company doesn't pay enough attention to the hardware, and the unrepairable stance it has taken with its current portfolio isn't very encouraging to those who'd hope to use the watch for years.

This year is going to be different, though, based on a leak coming from the people at Android Headlines. The Google Pixel Watch 3 charges on a little puck, which is pretty much the standard system of charging for most smartwatches. However, this year, the company is going to switch things up. The charging contacts won't be on the underside of the watch, but on its left side.

What that means is that your Pixel Watch will charge lying on its side. The major daily advantage to this is that you'll be able to use your smartwatch as a sort of mini-bedside clock. However, the big downside is that your old charging accessories won't work anymore, so that will annoy a few folks.

The New Charging Mechanism Will Actually Make the Pixel Watch 4 Repairable

If you're wondering why Google chose to make this big change, it doesn't seem to be arbitrary. Apparently, moving the charging system to the side of the phone makes it easier to remove the rear panel of the watch and actually make repairs.

This is a big move for Google, as it chose to design its previous smartwatches in a manner that they could merely be replaced, and not repaired. This is a big win for device longevity.

The New Charger Will Increase the Maximum Charging Speed by 25%

One big hardware improvement that we're going to see with the Pixel Watch 4 is faster charging. While we don't get an actual figure for power, it seems that the watch is going to charge 25% faster, which isn't a negligible speed increase. It will certainly make the watch a more compelling choice for a lot of people.