Since we knew for months that Google would unveil the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Watch “this Fall”, and now, thanks to leaks, what hardware and specs can be expected at the Pixel Event on October 6th at 10 AM ET (thanks to Google team for getting West Coasters up at 5 am, Google team).
Up to now, Pixel 7The 7 Pro and 7 Pro are remarkably similar in design and camera to their predecessors. Therefore, we expect the new Tensor 2.0 chip (aka Cloudripper) will be at the center of our software innovations.
Concerning the Pixel WatchThere have been many rumors about Pixel Watch’s aging processor, memory and Material You-style user interface. And, of course, athletes will be eager to see how the Watch’s Fitbit integration works. There are many questions about the watch, including how it will compare to the original. Galaxy Watch 5Apple Watch Series 8 is more affordable and offers more features.
Despite all we know, or think we know, there are still many questions and hopes regarding what Google will announce at this event. These are the highlights from my survey with Android Central staff.
A truly exciting Pixel Tablet revealed
The most important announcement from Google I/O is the Pixel TabletThe, expected to arrive in 2023. You may have actively blocked it from your mind, as it appeared aggressively boring in its reveal with generic Android interface and budget-sized bezels.
Leaks have revealed that it would be 11 inchesUse the identical Google Tensor Chip as the Pixel 6 series — not the newer Cloudripper chip.
Alex Dobie, our former Executive Editor SpeculatedGoogle had possibly designed it to be a portable Nest tablet that could be used for smart home control, rather than traditional tablet usage. Andrew Myrick, our Senior Editor for all things tablet, was excited to see it. Complete the Pixel ecosystemGoogle’s hardware is more in line with Samsung’s and Apple’s.
Google needs to explain, regardless of its plan, why it is so different from a Galaxy Tab S8. Also, why should people buy one when Samsung offers DeX mode. Stage ManageriPads will now have a desktop-lite version of its UI. Android 13It has useful multitasking tools that can be used on larger screens but it’s not enough for people to buy a tablet. An Amazon Fire HD is much cheaper.
Features and sensors for the Fitbit Flashy
My Apple-hating colleagues will probably argue with me about this. However, Apple’s advertisements about the Watch saving people’s lives or signaling for help via satellites are strong-handed and highly effective. Samsung’s sensor-packed Galaxy Watches are the only real competitor in terms of quantity and quality of health data: The Google-owned Fitbit Sense 2. Google must respond in kind to its competitors and highlight how it will track health and fitness above the norm.
I’ve already written about I’d like Fitbit features on the Pixel WatchStarting with “all health sensors it can accommodate.” Samsung adopted this approach but the temperature sensor, blood pressure tracking geolocked and certain sensors such as ECG are only available to Samsung phones. Google will be able to provide a similar suite which is phone-agnostic but all functional from launch thanks to Fitbit’s expertise.
I’m concerned, however, because one the few Pixel Watch specs that actually works is this: hasn’tThe sensors that were leaked could have meant it won’t track exceptional data like blood oxygen and heart rate. Google should at the very minimum mention whether it can track heart rate variance (for stress tracking) or irregular heartbeats to reach out to that health-care crowd.
Google will likely require a Fitbit Premium subscription in order to access detailed health reports. Apple and Samsung charge no fees, but they do not compile or process data the same way. This weakness can be turned into a strength by Google during the presentation. It will pay dividends in consumer interests.
Wear OS as a whole
Google won’t be a surprise to tout the Pixel Watch’s UI, phone connectivity and other features to help them sell Android users. Google will, however, in a dream-world, also take the time and address the enormous and growing needs of its users. Wear OS 3The elephant is in the room
Google announced in May 2021 that several Wear OS watches from Fossil, Mobvoi and other manufacturers would receive the updated OS by mid-2022. The new OS has not been released to Samsung’s Galaxy Watches or the $1,300 Montblanc Summit 3 in the 16 months following the promise.
One theory suggests that Google may have held back Wear OS 3, so that the Pixel Watch could be the first mainstream device with the stock experience (minus Samsung’s One UI Watch spin). Or, it could have been a difficult UI for older devices to adapt. OS watchesSnapdragon Wear hardware, whatever the reason.
However, owners of watches like the Fossil Gen 6 or TicWatch Pro 3 should be given a clear timeline as to when they will receive the update. Google could be in serious trouble with customers who purchased these watches after Wear OS was discontinued or who remained loyal to Wear OS during its downtime, or assumed they would receive proper support “soon.”
This is more than the Pixel Watch. It’s about convincing people Google will pay equal attention to Wear OS and Android OS. Apple can release a new watchOS each year for its devices. But Google will struggle to release consistent Wear OS builds across Snapdragon or Exynos chips. It should promise open-source updates every year that other manufacturers can adapt quickly and make our minds more at ease.
Get the best cameras for your business
The Pixel 6 ProGoogle Tensor smarts and solid camera sensors make for amazing shots. We were impressed by features such as Magic Eraser and Real Tone last year. They also won us over in our camera tests.
All leaks indicate that Google will use the same camera hardware this year as the previous generation. But, it’s not an issue if Google can promise meaningful software upgrades.
The Pixel 6 Pro reviewer said that the phone has issues with video quality in low-light and that zooming in and removing is not as smooth as it can on an iPhone or Samsung phone. You won’t find the same zooming in on the iPhone or Samsung phones. Galaxy S22 Ultra. Low-light photography was a priority for Apple’s iPhone 14 Series; perhaps Google can do the same with the Pixel 7.
It’ll all work out as long as Google invests in AI tricks for both camera quality and other tools.
Cloudripper charms us
A number of prototypes for Pixel 7 phones have been released into the wild, including one that was owned by an early owner. DiscoveredThe 2+2+4 core design of Google Tensor would be used in the new chip. This includes two performance cores, two middle-cores, four Cortex-A55 low power cores, and two performance cores.
Tensor was able to outperform its specs partially thanks to AI but still fell short of the Snapdragon 888 phones in terms of raw benchmarks last summer. Google must now compete with the outstanding Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1This power the blisteringly fast Z Fold/Flip 4 phone, as well as the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2Launched in November with a supposedly “ultra high frequency” for GPU performance.
We want Google’s AI tools to be its best, but we also need to know that the Pixel 7 is performing at par with other Android phones in terms of basic performance. With its Cloudripper unveil, we hope Google delivers.
Demonstrate the fix for a fingerprint sensor
Fair or not? Pixel 6Bad reputation for fingerprint sensor issues which took months to resolve. Then came the great Pixel 6a arrived, bolstered by Google’s promise that it had made the 6a sensor much faster — only for buyers to discover The 6a could be unlocked by almost anyoneGoogle couldn’t determine their fingerprint until it was able to do so, Mid-September Update. This is one way to speed up your login!
While I doubt this will happen, it would be a great thing if Rick Osterloh (or another engineer) acknowledged the controversy in the livestream. They should provide a technical explanation of how Google made its fingerprint sensor more secure than ever. It won’t require a patch to function properly. We can’t take company press releases about persistent security issues at face value.
Get the Pixel 7 official case in a better design
Although phone cases aren’t a hot topic for a livestream, Google should give a break to Pixel 6 owners who were disappointed by their cases.
A wave of complaints surfaced in May that official Pixel 6 cases were not being received from Google. turning yellowAfter a few months of usage, the buttons may start to warp around the buttons (see above). Sometimes, the cases got damaged and wouldn’t fit the Pixel 6 from the box.
First-party cases cost more because people expect them to last longer. Google could just show some cases promising the best materials, which would make up for the loss of last year.
Cool Pixel Watch bands
Smartwatches are a status symbol as well as a productivity tool. Apple has done a great job of giving the smartwatches a status symbol as well as a productivity tool. Apple Watch seriesThere are many watch band options available, including steel and nylon, leather and silicon, as well as different attachments such Milanese loops and more sporty ones. You choose what best reflects you.
Pixel Watches, just like Fitbit devices will accept only proprietary bands. You can’t use old bands from other brands. It will hopefully show more than just a few tropical colors of silicone bands.
Google will likely continue to do its Google thing and speak a lot about watch-phone connectivity and AI tricks in an effort to persuade Android enthusiasts. It shouldn’t forget how important the Pixel Watch is. Looks far prettier than the Galaxy Watch 5, and it should lean into that by showing all the different band-case combos on offer — not just the sporty one.
A rare “One more thing …””
It’d be amazing if Google surprises us with a long-rumored and often-delayed Pixel device, as the October 6 lineup is so predictable. Let’s face facts, it is not the Pixel Watch. Pixel NotepadIt is very unlikely that the foldable will launch before spring 2023. Google also won’t want its Pixel 7 series to be overshadowed by a foldable so far.
Similar, we would love for any new prototypes of Google Glass to appear, although it’s more unlikely. Google is Public testing of AR glassesAlthough it can live translate and show you Google Maps directions, they aren’t consumer-ready. It is also Project Iris AR/VR sunglassesThey (A) are supposedly planning a 2024 release; (B) are dependent on the cloud which makes their future highly unlikely. Google will close StadiaBefore then.
Google even Pixelbook 2 plans cancelledAccording to some, a Chrome OS appearance is not in the cards.
We are grateful. probablyWhile we won’t get any surprises, we can only hope that Google will have some other ideas.
We are optimistic that Google will surprise us with the Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch in 2018, but there is also some fear. In theory, the Pixel 7 Pro should challenge the Google Pixel 7. best Android phonesThe Pixel Watch has taken on the Galaxy Watch 5 to win the crown of The best Android smartwatch. Google has to show it can earn these titles.
While the Pixel 6 series was bolder than flagships in years past, it also had persistent bugs. It must convince us this year that the Pixel 7 will surpass last year’s problems and that the first-gen Pixel Watch will be a worthy successor.
We will be closely following the event to see the highlights of Google’s presentation. If you’d like to follow the action, we will live-blog the event on Android Central at 7 am PT / 10:00 ET / 3:00 BT.
