Tag: Pixel

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s Pixel 7a might launch with new ‘coral’ colourway

The upcoming Google Pixel 7a might release with a “coral” colour option, according to a new render shared by reliable leaker @evleaks.

The hue looks to be something of a mix of both orange and pink, and it’s quite vibrant.

If accurate, this would mark the first time Google releases a Pixel phone with four separate colour options to choose from.  Previous leaks indicate three other colours are coming — white, grey, and light blue.

The leak backs up a previous tweet by @jon_prosser, who also suggests coral is on the way. The option to choose coral will be a Google Store exclusive, according to Prosser.

The news comes not long after the drop of a previous set of leaks, giving us a rundown of potential device specifications.

The Pixel 7a is expected to be announced at Google I/O on May 10th.

Source: @evleaks Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Google might soon let you search Chrome tabs from Pixel home screen

New flags suggest Chrome tabs and bookmarks might soon be searchable directly from your Pixel home screen. First uncovered by LanceAdams on Telegram, the update would make finding and managing websites less of a headache.

The new search capability is likely to make its way to third party launchers and skins as well, according to Twitter user Mishaal Rahman. “AppSearch” is part of a Project Mainline module, which means it can be implemented independent of major Android OS updates.

Google’s Pixel launcher has had a search bar perched at the bottom of the screen for a number of years now. Over time, the search giant has added functionality to make Android search a more robust and useful experience.

For those of us with far too many tabs open at any given time, let’s hope this feature makes its way into a stable release in the near future.

Source: @MishaalRahman Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s midrange Pixel 7a might come with face unlock

All eyes are on Google and its upcoming Pixel 7a. Courtesy of a new leak by Twitter user SnoopyTech, it appears the company is planning to port its Face Unlock feature to the highly anticipated device.

Face Unlock first debuted on the Pixel 4/4 XL. The feature was absent from future Pixel releases, until it reappeared on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.

Similar to Apple’s Face ID, Face Unlock is a form of biometric authentication that scans users’ faces to unlock their phones. Unfortunately, as implemented on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, the feature is not as secure as its competition.

Google’s solution uses the front selfie camera and some software magic to recognize faces. While it’s fast and convenient, it doesn’t include any extra dedicated hardware. This makes competitors such as Apple’s Face ID a more secure solution overall.

Even with this drawback, hopefully, this leak ends up being accurate. The added flexibility would be an appreciated addition to Google’s midrange offering.

The Pixel 7a is rumoured to launch at Google I/O this June.

Source: SnoopyTech Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Upcoming Pixel Tablet shown off at Milan Design Week 2023

Google Design is taking part in Milan Design Week this year with its own exhibit, “Shaped by Water,” and included on display is the company’s upcoming Pixel Tablet.

The highly anticipated tablet was shown off in three distinct colour variants: pale green, pale white, and pale pink. Official naming for each colour option has yet to be revealed.

This is our first real look at the new pink version, and it seems to match the other options with its muted colour palette. A fourth colour variant is also expected to be revealed.

Interestingly, the rumoured privacy switch is nowhere to be seen on the body of the tablets. It’s possible Google is waiting for the official launch of the product to showcase the unique hardware addition.

The Pixel Tablet is flanked by various other Pixel products and accessories on the display table. Together, they make up a portion of Google Design’s overall exhibit at the event.

The Pixel Tablet is rumoured to launch around the time of Google I/O in May.

Via: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Google Canada discounts Pixels by up to $200

Google Canada currently has a sale on its Pixel phones, offering $100 or $200 off.

The Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7, and Pixel 6a are all discounted right now. It’s worth noting Pixels are also on sale at Amazon.

The discounts make for some pretty solid savings, though with Google I/O and the rumoured Pixel 7a just around the corner, it’s tough to say whether the deals are worth it.

The Pixel 7a is rumoured to be around the price (or slightly more than) the Pixel 6a, so before you grab one of these phones, it’s probably worth considering whether you’d like to save $200 and get the 6a now, get the 7a at launch, or get the Pixel 7 now for roughly the same cost as the 7a at launch.

You can check out the deals here.

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s Pixel 7a might release in May close to Google I/O

Google’s Pixel 6a and 5a were both released in the third quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Pixel 6a released in July of last year, while the Pixel 5a dropped in August of 2021.

However, the upcoming Pixel 7a will likely release in the current (second) quarter, deviating from Google’s original timeline.

According to leaker @_snoopytech_, the Pixel 7a could release around Google I/O, which is scheduled for May 10th, 2023.

SnoopyTech said that the Pixel 7A is “set to arrive at retail-stores” within the next two weeks, which might indicate a reveal/release at or around Google I/O.

A previous leak suggested the Pixel 7a will launch alongside the upcoming Pixel Fold in mid-June. However, SnoopyTech’s tweet indicates that there’s no sign of Pixel Fold units headed to retail stores at this point.

Additionally, SnoopyTech added that there is no fourth ‘Jade’ colour of the Pixel 7a, as was previously hinted at, and colour options will be limited to ‘Black,’ ‘White’ and ‘Blue.’

From what we know so far, the Pixel 7a is expected to look very similar to its predecessor and the Pixel 7, borrowing the metal camera visor design that differentiated the Pixel 7 series from the Pixel 6 series. The phone will feature a 6.1-inch OLED display, reportedly with a 90Hz refresh rate. It will run on Google’s Tensor G2 chip, just like the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, and sport 5W wireless charging.

The Pixel 6a sells for $599 in Canada, and the 7a will likely cost roughly the same price.

Source: @_snoopytech_ Via 9to5Google

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Google drops first Android 14 beta for Pixels

As scheduled, Google dropped the first Android 14 beta on April 12th.

The first beta arrives after two Developer Previews. Google previously detailed a plan to release Developer Previews through February and March, beta releases in April and May, followed by a period of ‘platform stability’ culminating in the final release sometime after July.

The release of Android 14 Beta 1 also marks the first time that Android 14 will be easily accessible to people through Google’s Android Beta Program website, assuming you have an eligible device (currently, Pixel phones ranging from the 4a 5G to the Pixel 7 Pro).

However, being easily accessible doesn’t mean you should download it — as a beta, Android 14 will definitely have rough edges, bugs and other problems. If you want to try it out, don’t install it on your daily driver or make sure you’re prepared to deal with any potential problems.

What’s new in Android 14 Beta 1?

While I’m still waiting on the beta to download to my Pixel 7, there are already several reports out about new features and additions. Some of what’s new will be familiar to anyone who’s played with (or followed coverage of) the developer previews.

For example, Google has forged ahead with restrictions that will limit the visibility of sensitive data to disability-focused accessibility services. This should help improve user privacy.

Google also did some work to improve the user interface (UI) with a new back arrow that should help improve gesture navigation. Android’s share sheet is also getting a little better with custom actions and shortcuts, though Google still has a long way to go to fix sharing on Android.

There are plenty of small changes too, like an option to force a ‘transparent’ navigation bar on all apps, revamped icons in the Markup tool that show drawing colours, and more.

It remains to be seen what all is new and different, but over the new few weeks, we’ll likely learn more as the Android experts start digging in and unearthing new stuff.

Cia: Android Central, 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Pixel April 2023 security patch is now available

April’s Android security patch is finally available after a short delay.

This isn’t a big feature drop; Google did a larger one last month, with another expected for June. This update comes with bug fixes.

  • Fix for issue occasionally causing connected Bluetooth devices or accessories to silently unpair
  • Autofocus improvements while using Macro Focus in certain situations (Pixel 7 Pro only)
  • Fix for issue occasionally causing instability while using certain USB devices or accessories (Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series)

Security fixes range from moderate to critical in severity. 

The update is hitting Pixel 4a devices to Pixel 7 series handsets. You can download them over the air or download the factory images from Android Authority’s website. 

Source: Google

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Google’s monthly Pixel patch is missing again

Google’s regular Pixel update schedule is slipping once again. The search giant usually rolls out a security update for its Pixel line on the first Monday of every month, but it’s missed that date twice in a row now.

As noted by Android Police, the March 2023 security patch arrived a week late (and even later for Pixel 6 users). Similarly, the April update has missed the typical Monday release and it’s not clear when the update will arrive. Moreover, Google has only published some of the related documentation for the update.

These updates usually come with a post from Google on the Pixel Community forums, new factory images and OTA, an Android Security Bulletin outlining the bug fixes for the month, and a Pixle-specific security bulletin. So far, only the April Security Bulletin has emerged, though it’s worth noting it applies to all of Android and not just Pixel phones.

As has become the norm for Google, the Security Bulletin has fixes divided into two security patch levels, part of an effort to make updates easier for manufacturers to implement. The first patch level outlines fixes for 28 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) that were recently discovered and that the patch addresses. The second level contains another 41 fixes for vendor-specific CVEs.

Of the 69 (heh, nice) total CVEs, Google deemed six of them as ‘critical,’ the worst of which is an Android System CVE that could allow a nearby attacker to execute code on a device without physical access to it and without the users’ interaction.

It remains to be seen when Google rolls out the Pixel update. Hopefully, the delay isn’t too significant this time around.

Source: April 2023 Android Security Bulletin Via: Android Police

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Google drops alarm requirement for Pixel Adaptive Charging

Google recently rolled out some improvements to Pixel phones’ Adaptive Charging feature, and now it seems it no longer requires an alarm.

Adaptive Charging, for those unfamiliar with the feature, helps preserve the health of your phone’s battery by delaying when it hits 100 percent charge when you leave it charging overnight. In its initial implementation, Adaptive Charging held phones at about 80 percent and would finish charging to 100 percent based on users’ morning alarm.

This is a pretty significant difference between Adaptive Charging and iPhone’s ‘Optimized Battery Charging,’ which also delays when an iPhone hits 100 percent charge but bases it on learning the owner’s routine.

As detailed by 9to5Google, Adaptive Charging gained a new status notification to indicate when the feature is active. Moreover, the notification includes a button to turn it off once.

New Adaptive Charging notification | Image credit: 9to5Google

However, it seems that update also removed the alarm requirement. 9to5 notes that the Adaptive Charging description changes from “Uses alarm to completely charge by wake-up” to “Activated based on your cycle.” I was able to confirm the description is different on my Pixel 7 as well (see the header image). You can find the setting by heading into Settings > Battery > Adaptive preferences.

Despite the change on devices, at the time of writing, Google’s support documentation still listed alarms as a requirement for Adaptive Charging. In other words, it seems someone might have jumped the gun and pushed the change out before Google got its documentation in order.

Anyway, the updated Adaptive Charging should work better for people now. Some found the old alarm requirement restrictive, especially at launch when Google arbitrarily restricted the feature to alarms set between 5am and 10am.

Source: 9to5Google