Google’s Pixel 7 is one week from launch, but it looks like Amazon U.S. jumped the gun as the phone was spotted on the e-commerce site. Discovered by Brandon Lee, was Google’s upcoming flagship with an October 13th shipping date.
Google pixel 7 on Amazon US. $599.99.
It is still showing up in search cache but the listing gives an error if you click on it. We have the B0 number to keep track of though!#teampixelpic.twitter.com/w5Z09D28YE
— M. Brandon Lee | THIS IS TECH TODAY (@thisistechtoday) September 27, 2022
The handset retails for $599 USD (roughly $821 CAD), features 128GB of storage, sports Google’s second-generation Tensor processor and offers “the best photo and video quality yet on Pixel.”
The most significant piece of information in this listing is “this item will be released on October 13 2022,” giving us an actual release date for the smartphone. Of course, this might be incorrect, but it corroborates with a leak from Jon Prosser from back in August.
It seems like the press release has been removed from the company’s website.
First unveiled during September 13th State of Play presentation, the controller sports a blue-and-white pattern that’s inspired by the cool colours of God of War: Ragnarök. It also features a wolf and bear insignia to represent the game’s two lead characters, Kratos and Atreus.
It’s important to note that while Ragnarök will be available on both PS4 and PS5, Sony has only produced a special edition controller for the latter console. On the flip side, this means it features all of the DualSense’s signature features, like adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.
Both the controller and God of War: Ragnarök will launch on November 9th. The highly anticipated action-adventure game is a sequel to 2018’s God of War and follows Kratos and teenage son Atreus as they seek to find answers about the latter’s identity while attempting to prevent the apocalypse and survive new godly threats.
The marginal change has kicked off a storm of arguments about whether Google edited its product video to make the Pixel Watch screen bezels look smaller than they actually are. The idea seems to be that Google edited the clip to make the watch look more attractive.
But after watching both videos, as well as this helpful GIF made by Droid Life that does a direct comparison of the edited parts, the only difference I can see is that the Taiwan video shows larger clock faces than the original video. Maybe I’m missing something, but the bezels aren’t actually visible.
Pixel Watch clock face compare GIF | Credit: Droid Life
One could assume that the clock faces extend all the way to the edge of the screen, and thus making the clock face bigger makes the screen larger and shrinks the bezel. In my experience, most smartwatches feature watch faces that don’t extend all the way to the edge of the screen. Instead, they’re often designed to blend in with the bezels to make the whole thing look more seamless. (For example, look at the photos in my Fitbit Sense review — you can’t see the bezel in most of the pictures, and in the few where it is visible, it’s quite large.)
Ultimately, I think people are reading a little too much into a teaser that’s less than a minute long and almost certainly uses renders, not the actual watch. Is there are argument to be made that the edit could be misleading? Sure, but we also don’t have the actual product to compare to. Plus, there are two versions of the same video — it’s not clear which one is more accurate to the real product.
And we likely won’t have those answers until October 6th at the earliest. Google’s expected to unveil the Pixel Watch alongside the Pixel 7 series at an event on October 6th. We may get a better idea of the Pixel Watch bezel situation at the event, or after when units get into the hands of reviewers. Either way, it’s a bit early to get up in arms over small changes in the clock size in a teaser video for an unreleased product.
Google will officially unveil the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro next week, but that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from churning. The specs for the two phones have been leaked in detail, revealing information about display size, cameras and more.
The leak comes from the accurate Yogesh Brar, and with it being so close to launch, these details might be what we see next week.
Starting with the Pixel 7 Pro, here’s Yogesh’s tweet.
Most of this is actually the same as last year’s Pixel 6 Pro. The only differences are that the Pixel 6 Pro had the original Tensor SoC and offered Android 12 at launch. Otherwise, the phone is practically the same.
Following this leak, Brar also shared details about the Pixel 7:
Google Pixel 7 (rumoured)
– 6.3″ FHD+ OLED, 90Hz – Google Tensor G2 SoC – Titan chip – Rear Cam: 50MP + 12MP (UW) – Front Cam: 11MP – 8GB RAM – 128/256GB storage – Android 13 – 4,700mAh battery (~) – 30W fast charging – Wireless charging – Stereo speakers, Bluetooth LE
This handset seems to have a slightly bigger battery and a slightly smaller screen going from 6.4 inches to 6.3 inches. Otherwise, we’re looking at the same handset, other than the Tensor G2 SoC and Android 13.
Roku is finally bringing its $129 Roku Ultra streaming set-top box back to the Canadian market.
The Ultra is one of the most capable devices Roku sells and offers several cool perks, but the most interesting is the new Roku remote that includes a headphone jack, far-field microphones and a rechargeable battery.
Beyond that, the Ultra features an Ethernet jack, a USB port and can play high-end 4K content with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision high dynamic-range. This makes it comparable to the $70 Streaming Stick, but with extra ports and a wider Wi-Fi range than Roku’s other products. The streaming box also features Bluetooth, allowing you to connect wireless headphones to listen privately.
Roku says that the new rechargeable remote should last two months per charge and can be topped up with the included micro-USB cable. However, you’ll need to use your own charging block or plug it into the back of the streaming box.
The remote also features two programmable buttons that you can set up to work with just about anything. They can trigger a custom search, open an app or even work to turn on settings like closed captions within apps. This is pretty useful, and I think these buttons will make navigating the already user-friendly Roku interface even faster.
Other new features include a new switch on the side that mutes the far-field microphone if you don’t want to use hands-free voice search. That said, the hands-free mic is helpful when you misplace the remote and want it to play a sound so you can find it. Without the microphone, you need to tap a button on the side of the set-top box.
To round out the new announcements, Roku is also rolling out an update to its operating system that improves search better and adds a new section to the home screen to make finding free content easier
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iRobot has revealed the Roomba Combo J7+, a new 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop capable of vacuuming and mopping your home at the same time.
Unlike similar combo robots, iRobot’s device features a fully retractable mop that lifts when the robot encounters a carpet or rug, which the company says makes it the “first two-in-one on the market.”
iRobot says the Combo J7+ is capable of performing a single cleaning job that includes both mopping and vacuuming, while competing devices from other companies need to vacuum first before moving on to mopping and can’t move their mop pad out of the way.
The robot itself looks very similar to the Roomba J7+ that was released earlier this year, only with a retractable metal arm mop attached to it for mopping. It also features more advanced floor sensors that can detect different floor types (i.e. carpet) when mapping your home more quickly.
While iRobot has sold a dedicated robot mop for years called the Braava Jet M6, this is the vacuum maker’s first 2-in-1 mop vacuum. The prospect of a 2-in-1 vacuum/mop is very appealing, especially when it costs considerably less than purchasing a J7+ and a Bravva Jet M6 individually and because it still features the latter vacuum’s excellent object detection technology. That said, it’s likely that even with its more advanced floor detection sensors, the Combo J7+ will require a pretty precise map of your home to operate efficiently.
In Canada, the iRobot Combo J7+ releases on October 4th for $1,399.
Alongside the new J7+, iRobot also revealed the next generation of its iRobot OS 5.0 platform, which allows its J Series robot vacuums to identify and avoid more objects like pet bowls, pet toys, litter boxes, backpacks and more.
You can also now skip cleaning an entire room on the fly. For example, if you tell the Roomba s9+ to clean your entire home but are working in your office, there’s now a one-touch, in-app option to skip that space. iRobot has also added new clean zones to its Braava Jet M6 robot mop, including cleaning around objects like dishwashers, ovens/stoves, toilets, etc.
Finally, more Siri shortcuts and commands are coming to iRobot’s devices with its OS 5.0 platform. The update will start rolling out on October 4th.
The Season 34 premiere of The Simpsons on September 25th kicked off with a fun nod to Google Chrome’s Dinosaur Game.
In the intro, all five Simpsons family members appear as pixelated silhouettes and run in a 2D plane while jumping over cacti, just like in Google’s offline dino game. All the while, a chiptune version of Danny Elfman’s iconic The Simpsons theme can be heard. By the end of the gag, Bart, Lisa, Marge and Maggie successfully make it to the couch, while Homer runs into a cactus and yells “D’oh!”
You can view the gag in full on Twitter courtesy of PowerPage founder Jason O’Grady.
Titled “Habeas Tortoise,” The Simpsons‘ 34th season premiere follows Homer as he finds himself publicly humiliated once again and seeks refuge in an online group looking for a missing tortoise, only to discover something much darker.
The first 33 seasons of the animated sitcom are currently streaming on Disney+ Canada.
Google’s fall Pixel launch event kicks off at 10am ET/7am PT on Thursday, October 6th.
The tech giant hasn’t kept entirely quiet about what will be shown off at the event, and we’re expecting to see three already-unveiled devices: the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel Watch. It’s possible we might even learn more about Google’s rumoured Pixel Tablet, but at the moment, this is only speculation.
Let’s take a look at everything Google will likely show off at its upcoming keynote.
Pixel 7 Pro
What we know for sure
At Google I/O, Google revealed the Pixel 7 Pro’s rear and confirmed several details about the handset. During the keynote, we learned that the Pixel 7 Pro features a cool striking visor with an aluminum finish. The phone will launch in ‘Obsidian,’ ‘Snow’ and ‘Hazel’ colours. Additionally, it will come with Android 13 and the next generation of Google’s Tensor chip.
We also recently saw the front of the device. Images posted to the Pixel Superfans Facebook page show the front and back of the device, along with a more subtle display curve.
Further, we know that the Pixel 7 Pro will sport three camera sensors, but it’s unclear what their exact specs are.
Unbox Therapy got an early hands-on with Google’s upcoming flagship, revealing several new details about the smartphone. For example, the Pixel 7 Pro features 12GB of RAM and sports 256GB. The smartphone is also slightly thinner and wider than the Pixel 6 Pro, but it’s practically the same size as the 6 Pro. Further, the Pro model features a polished finish on the edge of the handsets.
The device’s U.S. pricing will also remain roughly the same, according to Android Police founder, Artem Russakovskii. The Pixel 7 Pro will reportedly cost $899.99 USD, the same as the Pixel 6 Pro cost at launch. That should mean the 7 Pro will cost around $1,179 CAD in Canada, just like the Pixel 6 Pro.
The Pixel 7 Pro will reportedly sport the same front-facing camera, powered by an 11-megapixel Samsung 3J1 sensor, according to Kuba Wojciechowski. Wojciechowski also tweeted that the Pixel 7 Pro’s telephoto zoom camera will include a Samsung GM1 sensor instead of the Sony IMX586 found in the 6 Pro. Further, they say that the Pro could sport the same Samsung GN1 primary sensor and IMX381 ultra-wide sensor that was in the 6 Pro.
Rumours indicate the Pixel 7 Pro won’t go on sale until October 18th.
Pixel 7
What we know for sure
At Google I/O, Google also showed off the Pixel 7’s rear and revealed more detail about the handset. At the event, we learned that the Pixel 7 features a striking visor with an aluminum finish housing two shooters. The phone will launch in ‘Obsidian,’ ‘Snow’ and ‘Lemongrass’ colours. It also comes with Android 13 and Google’s second-gen Tensor chip.
Google recently announced that pre-orders for the Pixel 7 will open on October 6th, the same day as the hardware keynote.
Here’s what’s rumoured
The Pixel 7 will sport 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and come with a matte finish. The Pixel 7 is reportedly more comfortable to hold than last year’s Pixel 6, according to Unbox Therapy.
On the other hand, the Pixel 6 is taller than the new Pixel 7 and features a smaller chin bezel.
The Pixel 7 is rumoured to sport the same Samsung GN1 primary sensor and IMX381 ultra-wide sensor as what’s in Pixel 6. Further, the Pixel 7 will feature a new front-facing camera, the 11-megapixel Samsung 3J1 available in the 7 Pro.
The handset is rumoured to cost $599 USD, the same as the Pixel 6 cost at launch. Again, that should mean the Pixel 7 will cost around $799 CAD in Canada, just like the Pixel 6. The device is expected to release on October 18th.
Pixel Watch
What we know
The Pixel Watch features a bold circular dome design, with a recycled stainless steel body and customizable bands that attach and detach easily. It’s also built on Wear OS, and features Fitbit health functionality. This includes heart rate, sleep tracking and fitness tracking tech.
The smartwatch was revealed in a 51-second video (above) Google posted to the ‘Made by Google’ YouTube channel. It showed off the wearable from various angles alongside several watch faces.
The clip showcases the wearable’s rotating crown, its thickness, the curved glass top, the middle case and the bottom sensor layer. We get a look at where the band attaches to the watch, followed by another view revealing the smartwatch’s band.
Additionally, the Pixel Watch is rumoured to start at $349.99 USD (roughly $465 CAD). Further, the Wi-Fi Pixel Watch will be available in ‘Black/Obsidian,’ ‘Silver/Chalk,’ and ‘Gold/Hazel.’
The cellular model features the same design, except instead of Chalk, it’s available in ‘Silver/Charcoal.’ The second word — Obsidian/Chalk/Hazel/Charcoal — refers to the colour of the band, while the first is tied to the watch case.
We recently got a leaked look at the retail box of the watch. Further, the Pixel Watch is expected to be available for pre-order on October 6th, but may not be on sale until November 4th.
Pixel Tablet
Big screen, big changes. We’re optimizing the Android experience for larger tablet screens. 20+ Google apps will get makeovers so they’re easier to use and easier on the eyes. Many of your other fave apps are getting updates too. #GoogleIOpic.twitter.com/qbfs0DLkZM
Google said its Pixel Tablet is coming in 2023, but it’s possible the company might show off more of the tablet beyond the animation we saw at Google I/O.
This new tablet will run on Google’s Tensor chip, just like the Pixel 6 series. The handset is poised to sport a big screen with 20-plus apps getting makeovers.
The tablet is rumoured to come in 128GB and 256GB models and feature Wi-Fi 6. Additionally, the device will feature a 10.95-inch display, which will be marketed as 11 inches. The display will also sport the USI stylus standard.
The tablet will reportedly double as a detachable display for the Nest Hub and be Wi-Fi only, and also feature two cameras (both of them IMX355), alongside the same 8-megapixel sensor as the selfie camera in the Pixel 6 and 4GB of RAM.
Pixel Ultra?
At this point, I don’t actually believe there will be an Ultra Pixel or Pixel Ultra, but there’s a recent rumour that supports the theory.
In KubaWojciechowski’ss Pixel 7 and 7 Pro camera leak, there’s mention of an alleged third high-end 2022 Pixel. It will reportedly feature the same main shooter as the other two devices. Further, it will reportedly offer a secondary Sony IMX787 lens and an unannounced IMX712, alongside a 13-megapixel sensor for its selfie shooter.
Pixel Foldable
I think the likelihood of a Pixel foldable appearing on October 6th is next to zero, but anything is possible. The rumoured device — reportedly codenamed Passport — has leaked multiple times over the years. Information about some of the device’s sensors also leaked back in July.
A recent report indicates Google’s foldable is still on track to release in 2023. It’s rumoured to support a ceramic body with a 2K flexible screen sporting a selfie camera and a 50-megapixel shooter with a periscope sensor. The handset will also reportedly come with the 2nd-generation of Google’s Tensor chip.
If we do see this mysterious foldable, it will likely only be a tease of some sort.
