With the Pixel Watch 4 just around the corner, excitement is building-though that enthusiasm might be short-lived for those expecting major performance leaps. According to a new leak, Google is sticking with the aging Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip for the third consecutive year. 
For fans who’ve been holding out hope for significant upgrades, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
The Pixel Watch 4 will reportedly come in two sizes again-41mm and 45mm-with codenames ‘Meridian’ and ‘Kenari’, respectively. The Star Wars-inspired names offer a fun twist, and both models will come in LTE and Wi-Fi-only variants. That’s all familiar territory, but the big news here is what’s not changing: the chipset.
Despite being one of the most hyped wearables of the year, the Pixel Watch 4 looks set to reuse the same silicon from its predecessors. The reason? Qualcomm’s new SW6100 platform isn’t ready, and the only real alternative-Samsung’s Exynos chips-are likely off-limits or simply not worth the short-term switch, especially with Google’s own wearable chip expected in 2026.
In other words, Google is playing the long game. Rather than investing in a stopgap chip with modest gains, it’s holding off until its custom silicon is ready. While this may frustrate users today, it could mean major gains down the line.
Thankfully, not all is static. Both models are getting battery boosts: the 41mm model jumps from 307mAh to 327mAh, and the 45mm version increases from 420mAh to 459mAh. That should help improve real-world usage, especially with software optimizations and rumored faster charging (though no specifics have been shared yet).
So is the Pixel Watch 4 worth it? If you’re after raw speed-maybe not. But if you’re looking for improved battery life, a polished experience, and staying inside Google’s ecosystem, it may still be a solid upgrade. Just don’t expect fireworks until 2026.