Google heard you wanted hardware at Google I/O 2022, the company’s annual developer conference. And so, Google is responding. Not only did the Android maker announce the Pixel 6a and Pixel Buds Pro, but it also announced the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro along with a new Pixel Watch and Pixel Tablet. Yes really.
Below is a quick recap of everything we currently know, and what you need to know, about each of the hardware announcements made during the opening keynote.
Pixel 6a
Image: Google
Google’s next mid-range smartphone will be called the Google Pixel 6a. And there are a lot of cool things about the Pixel 6a, on paper at least.
It features the same basic design as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro which launched in late 2021. There’s a camera bar on the back, but with a slightly redesigned camera array in that there’s an area wider so that the cameras appear as a single matrix, instead of each camera having its own cutout. There are two rear cameras, both 12-megapixels. One is a wide-angle camera, while the other is the standard main camera.
The 6.1-inch OLED display has a 60Hz refresh rate, as well as an in-display fingerprint sensor. Inside the Pixel 6a is Google’s Tensor processor, a Titan M2 security chip, 128GB of storage and 6GB of memory. It will connect to Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6e and 5G (sub6 and mmWave) networks. Google touts 24-hour battery life with a 4,400mAh battery.
It is available in three colors: Charcoal, Chalk and Sage.
If you’re hoping to have the Pixel 6a in your hands soon, you’re going to have to wait until July. Google will take pre-orders on July 21, and shipping will begin on July 28. The Pixel 6a will cost €459, compared to €649 for the Pixel 6 and €899 for the Pixel 6 Pro.
Pixel Buds Pro
Image: Google
Google’s wireless headphones are getting a makeover. The Pixel Buds Pro join the $99 Pixel Buds A and standard $180 Pixel Buds, which are no longer sold on Google’s website. The Buds Pro have a new design that should fit users’ ears better.
To live up to their name, the Pixel Buds Pro come with features like Active Noise Cancellation which uses a chip to block out ambient noise. There’s also a transparency mode that lets surrounding sounds through, which is useful when you’re traveling or walking down a busy street.
The Pixel Buds Pro also support multipoint connectivity. This means you can connect the wireless headphones to multiple devices, (and yes, that includes Apple devices) and switch seamlessly between devices without having to use the Bluetooth menu to connect or disconnect the headphones. .
The Buds Pro are water and sweat resistant, so you can wear them during your workouts without worrying about damaging them.
When it comes to battery life, Google claims you get 7 hours of listening time when the ANC feature is active. That figure jumps to 20 hours of total listening time when you factor in the charging case. If you don’t use ANC, you’ll get 11 hours of listening time.
You’ll be able to pre-order the Pixel Buds Pro later this summer, on July 21, for $219.
PixelWatch
Image: Google
The long-talked-about Pixel Watch finally exists. At least, according to Google, it exists, but we don’t know everything about it yet. In fact, Google only showed it off during Google I/O, promising that we’ll learn a whole lot more when it comes out later this year.
What we do know is that the Pixel Watch will run Google’s Wear OS, it’ll be tightly integrated with Fitbit, it’ll have Google Assistant, and it’ll come in a 4G option.
Google Wallet for mobile payments and Google Maps for turn-by-turn directions will also be available on the watch.
When it comes to design, the leaks over the past two years have been pretty accurate. It has a round design, as we saw in the photos of the watch left in a restaurant, with a crown on the right side. The screen appears to cover most of the surface, with minimal bezels.
Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro
Image: Google
The Pixel Watch was not the only device presented in preview during the keynote. Google also showed us some photos of the upcoming Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. The smartphones resemble last year’s Pixels, but with the same camera-side look as the Pixel 6a.
Presumably, the Pixel 7 lineup will launch this fall alongside the Pixel Watch, running Android 13.
Pixel Tablet
Image: Google
Google is back on the tablet market. Or, at least, the company will be next year. Google introduced the Pixel Tablet, which will launch in 2023. Other than a rough launch target, we don’t know much about this tablet.
All about Google I/O 2022
Source: “ZDNet.com”