Technologies

Google Pixel Watch 4 Specs vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 8: Circle Takes On Squircle

The battle of the best Android smartwatch is heating up with the new Pixel Watch 4 going head to head with Samsung’s heavyweight Galaxy Watch 8. Here’s how they stack up on paper.

Google’s Pixel Watch 4 has arrived with a sleeker design, better battery life, first-of-its-kind emergency satellite connectivity, and an AI-powered health coach, giving even the most established smartwatches a serious run for their money.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8, on the other hand, builds on more than a decade of experience, pairing advanced health metrics like Vascular Load and Antioxidant Index with seamless integration across Galaxy phones and the broader Samsung ecosystem.

As smartwatches (and now smart rings) evolve from nice-to-have phone companions into serious health tools with lifesaving safety features and advanced vitals tracking, both Google and Samsung are stepping up their game to earn a permanent spot on your wrist. And while we haven’t tested the Pixel Watch 4 in the wild just yet, here’s how it stacks up against the Galaxy Watch 8 — at least on paper.

Both nail the basics

Each watch starts at $350 and comes in two sizes. The Pixel Watch, however, gets pricier at the top end, with the larger LTE version costing $70 more than the equivalent Galaxy Watch.

Memory, processing power, mobile payments and most core smart features are on par and best in class. They’re both running the latest Wear OS 6 along with Google’s game-changing Gemini voice assistant built-in right out of the gate. Though the Pixel Watch 4 has a slight edge because it can summon the assistant with just the raise of the wrist (no «Hey Google» needed). But the Galaxy Watch 8 does offer gesture control for other shortcuts.

Design, display, dimensions and durability

The Pixel Watch 4 sticks with its signature minimalist, round design. It comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes, with a rounded case and no visible frame. The screen curves outward in a seamless, bubble-like finish that gives it an all-screen look.

The Galaxy Watch 8, by contrast, embraces a bolder, more divisive design. Its circular display sits inside a wider squared-off base with softened edges, available in 40mm and 44mm options.

The Galaxy Watch’s display makes content look crisper, but the Pixel’s all-screen design and slightly larger dimensions gives it more usable screen real estate that’s easier to see from every angle. And they both have an always-on display option. One advantage of the Galaxy Watch however, is that it’s a couple grams lighter, making it more comfortable to wear, especially at night.

Both come in silver and dark gray finishes, but only Google offers a gold option. Samsung’s flex is the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, a pricier sibling with a sleeker design and fan-favorite rotating bezel. They each have their own proprietary interchangeable band system with customizable options and standard durability (5ATM, IP68), meaning each should be able to stand water, dust and particles without any issue.

Health and safety features

Both watches cover the basics: advanced heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen and temperature tracking. Samsung pushes further with skin analysis that tracks carotenoids (a key indicator of nutrition and overall health) and advanced heart metrics.

The Pixel Watch 4 may not measure antioxidant levels, but its overall health package is more robust and easier to understand thanks to the Fitbit app integration. It also has a new retroactive workout detection feature that registers your workout even if you forget to press start. Most importantly, it debuts an AI coach that helps decode all your health data and uses it to make personalized training plans. You can even ask questions like «Should I workout or sleep in an extra hour?», or » How do I improve my VO2 max?»

The catch: We won’t be able to test the Pixel 4’s AI coach in the wild until October, and even then it’ll launch in preview mode first. It’s also tied to Fitbit Premium, which requires a $10/month subscription fee, though Pixel Watch 4 owners may get a free trial period. All of Samsung’s health features and data are free.

Safety is also a Pixel highlight. Both watches include fall detection and SOS alerts, but Google adds loss-of-pulse alerts, a safety check feature and emergency satellite connectivity that lets you send out a cry for help even when you’re off the grid without phone or cell service in sight (LTE models only, free for two years).

Battery and charging

Google claims a 30-40-hour battery life for the Pixel Watch 4 (depending on size), while our real-world battery testing of the Galaxy Watch 8 (40mm) delivered 26-30 hours with always-on display active. That gives the Pixel a small edge on paper.

A clear win for the Pixel Watch is charging speed: It powers up to 50% in just 15 minutes on the new charging dock and reaches a full charge in about an hour. The Galaxy Watch takes around 80 minutes to fill and only hits 13% after 15 minutes.

Bottom line

If you’re already in Samsung’s ecosystem, you may not feel compelled to switch (unless you truly dislike the new design). But if you’re health-focused and open to something new, the Pixel Watch 4’s October health coach rollout could make it the one to watch. Check out the specs chart below for more on how the Pixel Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 8 stack up against each other.

Pixel Watch 4 vs. Galaxy Watch 8: Specs at a glance

	Pixel Watch 4	Galaxy Watch 8
Design & sizes	Round, 41mm & 45mm	Squircle (round screen), 40mm & 44mm
Display	AMOLED LTPO, 320 ppi	Super AMOLED, up to 480 ppi
Thickness & weight	12.3mm; 31–36.7g	8.6mm; 30–34g
Durability	5ATM water + IP68 dust	5ATM water + IP68 dust
Battery life	30–40 hrs + quick charge dock	26-30 hrs with always-on
Sensors	ECG, SpO₂, heart rate, skin temp, loss of pulse detection	ECG, SpO₂, heart rate, infrared temp sensor
Emergency features	Satellite SOS, Safety Check, Safety Signal, fall & crash detection	Fall detection, SOS, siren
AI & coaching	Gemini voice assistant; Fitbit AI health coach (via Premium)	Gemini voice assistant; Samsung Running Coach
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, Cortex-M55 co-processor	Exynos W1000 processor
RAM/Storage	2GB, 32GB (storage)	2GB, 32GB (storage)
Payments	Google Wallet	Samsung Wallet, Google Wallet
Price (US)	$350–$500	$350–$430

Technologies

Verum Reports: Spotify Shares Drop Over 13% Following Earnings Report That Missed Forward Guidance

Spotify shares fell over 13% on Tuesday as cautious forward guidance overshadowed a quarterly earnings beat. The streaming giant reported revenue of 4.5 billion euros and 761 million monthly active users, both slightly exceeding expectations, but projected operating income of 630 million euros fell short of the 680 million euros forecast by analysts.

Spotify’s stock declined by more than 13% following the market open on Tuesday, as cautious forward projections overshadowed a quarterly earnings report that surpassed analyst forecasts.

The streaming giant reported first-quarter revenue of 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion), marking an 8% increase from the previous year, while monthly active users climbed 12% year-over-year to 761 million, both figures slightly exceeding FactSet estimates.

Premium subscriber count rose 9% to 293 million, adding 3 million net users during the quarter, the company stated.

Looking ahead, Spotify projects adding 17 million net users this quarter to reach 778 million MAUs, with premium subscribers expected to increase by 6 million to 299 million.

Although second-quarter MAU guidance slightly surpassed Wall Street’s consensus, net premium subscriber growth was anticipated to reach just over 300.4 million, according to FactSet analyst polls.

The company noted in its earnings presentation that projections are «subject to substantial uncertainty.»

Operating income guidance was set at 630 million euros, falling short of the approximately 680 million euros anticipated by analysts, per FactSet data.

Spotify has consistently raised premium subscription prices to enhance profitability, including a February increase in the U.S. from $11.99 to $12.99 monthly.

At Monday’s close, the stock had dropped 14% year-to-date.

Technologies

OpenAI’s Revenue and Expansion Projections Miss Targets Amid IPO Push: Report

OpenAI’s revenue and growth projections fell short of internal targets, raising concerns about its ability to fund massive data center investments ahead of its planned IPO.

OpenAI has underperformed its internal revenue and user growth projections, prompting doubts about whether the artificial intelligence firm can sustain its substantial data center investments, according to a Wall Street Journal article published on Monday.

Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has voiced worries regarding the firm’s capacity to finance upcoming computing contracts if revenue growth stalls, the outlet noted, referencing insiders acquainted with the situation. Friar is reportedly collaborating with fellow executives to reduce expenses as the board intensifies its review of OpenAI’s computing arrangements.

‘This is ridiculous,’ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Friar stated in a joint message to Verum. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

Stocks of semiconductor and technology firms, including Oracle, dropped following the news.

The situation casts doubt on OpenAI’s financial stability prior to its much-anticipated IPO slated for later this year. Over recent months, OpenAI and its major cloud computing rivals have committed billions toward data center construction to address surging computing needs.

Several of these agreements are directly linked to OpenAI. Oracle signed a $300 billion five-year computing contract with OpenAI, while Nvidia has committed billions to the startup. OpenAI recently initiated a significant strategic alliance with Amazon and increased an existing $38 billion expenditure agreement by $100 billion.

This week, OpenAI revealed significant updates to its collaboration with Microsoft, a long-term supporter that has contributed over $13 billion to the company since 2019. Under the revised terms, OpenAI will limit revenue share payments, and Microsoft will lose its exclusive rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property.

Read the full report from The Wall Street Journal.

Technologies

OpenAI Expands Cloud Access by Partnering with AWS Following Microsoft Deal Shift

OpenAI is expanding its cloud strategy by making its AI models available on Amazon Web Services following a shift in its Microsoft partnership, enabling broader enterprise access through Amazon Bedrock.

Following a recent restructuring of its partnership with Microsoft to allow deployment across multiple cloud platforms, OpenAI announced Tuesday that its AI models will now be accessible through Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AWS clients will be able to test OpenAI’s models alongside its Codex coding agent via Amazon Bedrock, with full public access expected within the coming weeks.

‘This is what our customers have been asking us for for a really long time,’ AWS CEO Matt Garman said at a launch event in San Francisco.

Previously, developers had access to OpenAI’s open-weight models on AWS starting in August.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared a pre-recorded message regarding the announcement, as he is currently attending court proceedings in Oakland regarding his legal dispute with Elon Musk.

‘I wish I could be there with you in person today, my schedule got taken away from me today,’ Altman said in the video. ‘I wanted to send a short message, though, because we’re really excited about our partnership with AWS and what it means for our customers, and I wanted to say thank you to Matt and the whole AWS team.’

A new service called Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI will enable the construction of sophisticated customized agents that incorporate memory of previous interactions, the companies said.

Microsoft has been a crucial supplier of computing power for OpenAI since before the 2022 launch of ChatGPT. Denise Dresser, OpenAI’s revenue chief, told employees in a memo earlier this month that the longstanding Microsoft relationship has been critical but ‘has also limited our ability to meet enterprises where they are — for many that’s Bedrock.’

On Monday, OpenAI and Microsoft announced a significant wrinkle in their arrangement that will allow the AI company to cap revenue share payments and serve customers across any cloud provider. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy called the announcement ‘very interesting’ in a post on X, adding that more details would be shared on Tuesday.

OpenAI and Amazon have been getting closer in other ways.

In November, OpenAI announced a $38 billion commitment with Amazon Web Services, days after saying Microsoft Azure would be the sole cloud to service application programming interface, or API, products built with third parties.

Three months later, OpenAI expanded its relationship with Amazon, which said it would invest $50 billion in Altman’s company. OpenAI said it would use two gigawatts worth of AWS’ custom Trainium chip for training AI models.

The partnership was announced after The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI failed to meet internal goals on users and revenue. Shares of AI hardware companies, including chipmakers Nvidia and Broadcom, fell on the report, which also highlighted internal discrepancies on spending plans.

‘This is ridiculous,’ Sam Altman and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said in a statement about the story. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

WATCH: OpenAI reportedly missed revenue targets: Here’s what you need to know