Smartwatches and earbuds share the same weakness: batteries wear down faster than the rest of the hardware.
After two or three years, a watch might not make it through the day, or earbuds may hold only a fraction of their original charge. Most people accept this cycle — when the battery fades, they buy a new one.
But now with the Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Buds 2a, you can worry less about longevity and serviceability.
Pixel Watch 4: serviceability comes into play
The Pixel Watch 4 is the first from Google designed with easier repair in mind — both the battery and display can be replaced at authorised service centres. While it’s not a DIY job, it’s a welcome change from earlier sealed designs. For potential Pixel buyers, this is more about reassurance that their watch won’t be short‑lived.
Beyond repairability, the Watch 4 brings some quality-of-life updates. The new Actua 4 display pushes up to 3,000 nits, making it much easier to read in bright sunlight. Battery life now stretches to roughly 40 hours, and fast charging gives you 50% in 15 minutes — enough for a day’s use from a quick top‑up. The new dual‑chip system splits tasks between a main processor and a co‑processor, balancing performance with efficiency. On the software side, Google leans heavily on AI for more accurate sleep tracking, automatic activity recognition, and context‑aware smart replies that let you answer messages without typing.
Pixel Buds 2a: essential upgrades
The Pixel Buds 2a are pitched as affordable, but this time, they don’t feel bare‑bones. They are the lightest and smallest Pixel Buds so far, with IP54 resistance to handle sweat and light rain. For the first time in the A‑series, they include Active Noise Cancellation, powered by Google’s Silent Seal 1.5 tech, which adapts to your ear shape to block out sound more effectively. You also get hands‑free Gemini voice support, so you can call up Google’s assistant without tapping, and multipoint connectivity to stay linked to two devices at once.
Battery life is consistent—around seven hours with ANC on, and up to 20 hours with the case. The important shift is that the charging case battery can now be replaced at service centres. The earbuds themselves are still sealed, which means that they are susceptible to wear and tear, but at least you don’t need to ditch the whole set once the case stops holding a charge.
Pricing and availability
Pixel Watch 4 (41mm, in Porcelain, Hazel or Obsidian): from SGD 529; Pixel Watch 4 (45mm, in Porcelain, Obsidian or Silver/Porcelain band ): from SGD 599.
LTE models are only sold via the Google Store and Singtel (online and physical). Colour availability varies by size. Both are available for pre‑order now, with wider availability following the Pixel 10 launch window in late August 2025.
As for the Pixel Buds 2a they will be available in Iris and Hazel on 9 October at SGD 199.
