Tag: Pixel 7

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Google Pixel 7 reveal scheduled for October 6th

Out of the blue today, Google announced that it’s hosting a ‘Made by Google’ event on October 6th, where it will reveal the Pixel 7 lineup, the Pixel Watch, alongside additions to the Nest smart home portfolio.

The event is set to take place at 10am on October 6th, and the new releases from the keynote will be available to purchase the same day at the Google webstore. The keynote will be a hybrid event, with an online stream available for anyone to watch, alongside a small, invite-only in-person presence at the event.

Google first shared a sneak peek of the Pixel 7 lineup and the Pixel Watch at its I/O event back in May. From what we know so far, the Pixel 7 line will feature an aluminum finish on its rear visor, with Android 13 pre-installed. The Pixel 7 Pro will launch in ‘Obsidian,’ ‘Snow’ and ‘Hazel’ colours, whereas the Pixel 7 will come in ‘Obsidian,’ ‘Snow’ and ‘Lemongrass,’ with both devices running on Google’s next-gen Tensor chip.

The Pixel Watch, on the other hand, will mark Google’s entry into the smartwatch/fitness tracker market. It reportedly features a bold circular dome design, with a recycled stainless steel body and customizable bands that attach and detach seamlessly.

The Watch will run WearOS, and will feature all of the staple smartwatch features we’re used to, including heart rate, sleep, and fitness tracking.

We will likely know more about the upcoming devices as we approach the event and leaks from all corners of the world start pouring in.

Learn more about the upcoming ‘Made by Google’ event here.

Image credit: Google

Source: Google

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What announcements are you most excited for this tech event season?

It’s that time of the year when massive tech companies like Apple and Google launch new smartphones and other devices.

This September, we’re expecting four new iPhone 14 handsets and at least a few Apple Watches. In October, we’ll likely see Google’s Pixel 7 series devices and probably even refreshed iPad Pro tablets. We’re also expecting Microsoft to launch new Surface tablets, laptops and maybe even a Surface Phone.

Alongside new smartphones, tablets and laptops, we’ll also get the first-ever Disney and Marvel Games Showcase in September and, potentially, similar events from PlayStation and Nintendo.

I’m pretty excited for the upcoming iPhone 14 and its rumoured new design, but I’m also looking forward to the Pixel 7 and what Disney’s Lorcana card game has in store.

Let us know what you’re looking forward to this tech season in the comments below.

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‘Higher quality’ Bluetooth LE Audio may land on Google’s Pixel 7-series

It sounds like Google has plans to improve the Bluetooth audio experience for its upcoming smartphones, including the Pixel 7, 7 Pro and even the 7a.

9to5Google uncovered a discussion on a recent Android code change that introduces a way for phones to have higher quality, or higher bandwidth, audio options beyond what Android 13 includes by default. As an aside, Android 13 did add support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio, but this goes beyond (and we’ll dig into how it all connects below).

Comments from Google employees on the code change mention “p22/p23a,” which likely refers to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro (the Pixel devices launching in 2022, hence p22) and the 7a (the A-series Pixel device launching in 2023, hence p23a). The comments were attached to an XML file that lays out the supported Bluetooth LE Audio codec settings.

Comments on Bluetooth LE Audio changes | Screenshot credit: 9to5Google

9to5 notes that while the code for the Pixel 7-series devices isn’t available to the public, so we don’t know exactly what this does, but given the code change relates to higher bandwidth audio options, it seems likely that the upcoming line of Pixel phones will support better Bluetooth LE Audio. Plus, the Pixel 7a getting looped in on this hints the change could be related to hardware on the new Tensor chip, although that’s pure speculation.

Benefits of Bluetooth LE Audio

As for why this all matters? Well, Bluetooth LE Audio. You may have heard a lot about LE Audio recently and may find yourself wondering what it is. In short, it’s the recently-finalized LE Audio standard that contains a handful of innovations and improvements that will eventually beef up audio transmitted over Bluetooth.

LE Audio does a few things, including making next-gen wireless earbuds more efficient, and it enables phones (or other audio sources) to transmit to multiple receivers. This achieves two things — one, a phone can send audio to each wireless earbud simultaneously, instead of transmitting to one earbud and ‘bridging’ the audio to the second earbud. The other benefit is ‘Auracast,’ which allows multiple receivers (such as speakers, headphones, hearing aids, etc.) to receive the same audio from a sender. Plus, all of this should be more efficient than audio over Bluetooth Classic.

Another improvement connected to LE Audio is the new LC3 audio codec, which 9to5 explains is more efficient at compressing audio than Bluetooth Classic options.

Ultimately, all this should mean Bluetooth LE Audio will improve the wireless audio experience on smartphones — certainly the Pixel 7-series, and likely other Android phones too. Of course, it might be a while still before average users start to benefit. LE Audio features will likely debut at the high-end and require new earbuds to take advantage of, before trickling down more affordable options. That said, some newer earbuds may be able to adopt LE Audio features with an update — 9to5 suggests the new Pixel Buds Pro could get an LE Audio update later this year.

Header image credit: Google

Source: AOSP Via: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro prototypes leaked in early hands-on video

Google’s smartphones get leaked more than any other devices, in my opinion. It’s to the point that Google will unveil the handsets months before they actually launch. Now, Unbox Therapy has a video of prototype versions of the handsets.

It’s worth noting that these are not the retail version of the phones as they don’t even have the Google G logo on the rear. However, these are probably pretty close to an official release.

Unbox Therapy doesn’t dive into the software of the devices but instead is taking a look at their hardware and comparing them to last year’s Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 6.

We find out that the Pixel 7 Pro is about the same size as the Pixel 6 Pro. It’s possible the older device has a slightly thinner bezel, but what’s more likely is the Pixel 6 Pro features a more aggressive curved display. The 7 Pro has a smaller chin than the older model as well.  The Pixel 6 is quite a bit taller than the new Pixel 7. Further, the Pixel 7 has a smaller chin bezel.

The Pixel 7 Pro is slightly thinner and wider than the Pixel 6 Pro. Unbox says that the Pixel 7 is actually more comfortable in the hand than the Pixel 6.

The Pro model has a polished finish on the edge of the handsets, whereas the Pixel 7 features a matte finish.

Additionally, Unbox Therapy says that the Pixel 7 Pro features 12GB of RAM and his model sports 256GB of storage. The Pixel 7, on the other hand, features 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will likely launch in early October like in previous years. A rumour indicates the handset will come out on October 13th.

Source: Unbox Therapy 

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Google Pixel 7, 7 Pro to launch October 13: report

Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 and 7 Pro might be available for pre-order starting October 6th, according to new details shared by YouTube leaker Jon Prosser via his FrontPageTech blog.

Prosser notes that “very reputable sources” claim Google’s upcoming flagships will go live for pre-orders on October 6th, which likely means Google will hold an event to announce the devices that day (or near that day at least). Moreover, the devices will officially launch on the 13th.

That’s all that Prosser shares in the blog post, aside from linking to several older Pixel leaks as evidence of accuracy. However, Prosser has had a mixed record on leaks before, and any rumour — no matter how reputable the source — should be considered with a healthy dose of skepticism.

As seems to be the norm for Google now, the company tried to get out ahead of leakers by revealing the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro at its I/O developer conference in May. However, Google didn’t share many details beyond pictures of the design, confirmation that the phones would sport a ‘next-gen Google Tensor chip’ (Tensor 2?), and Android 13. Oh, and Google shared the colour options: ‘Obsidian,’ ‘Snow’ and ‘Hazel’ for the Pixel 7 Pro, and the Pixel 7 will come in ‘Obsidian,’ ‘Snow’ and ‘Lemongrass.’

Since then, some other details about the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro have leaked. Thanks to these details, we’re pretty sure the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will sport similar displays to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, and there may be some minor camera improvements as well. Plus, a prototype Pixel 7 Pro made it out into the wild, where it went up for sale on eBay and was scraped for data about Tensor 2.

Ultimately, October is a pretty safe bet for the launch month of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Google typically unveils its new Pixel flagships in October, and they become available shortly after. It remains to be seen whether the predicted dates are accurate — hopefully so, I’d love an early October release window.

Header image credit: Google

Source: FrontPageTech

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New Pixel 7, 7 Pro camera details leak along with hint of third Pixel phone

More details about the upcoming Pixel 7 and 7 Pro cameras emerged, as well as potential hints of a third Pixel device — don’t get your hopes up for a ‘Pixel Ultra’ though.

Developer and leaker Kuba Wojciechowski obtained and shared several details about the camera hardware in the upcoming Pixel line on Twitter (via Android Police). Starting with the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, Wojciechowski said both phones could sport the same Samsung GN1 primary sensor and IMX381 ultra-wide sensor as what was on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.

However, as Android Police notes, that isn’t much of a surprise. Google tends to hold onto camera hardware for multiple years and tune its camera software around that hardware to produce some pretty fantastic results. The Pixel 6 line introduced the first major camera hardware change in years, so it’s likely Google is only getting started with the GN1 sensor.

The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will also sport the same front-facing camera — an 11-megapixel Samsung 3J1, according to Wojciechowski. Previous information gleaned from Google’s camera app also indicated the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro would sport the same front-facing camera. Android Police says the 3J1 sensor is supposed to offer more secure face unlock capabilities, adding more fuel to the fire of face unlock rumours. That said, a camera sensor on its own likely won’t hold up against dedicated face unlock hardware like what you’d find in the iPhone or Pixel 4.

Wojciechowski also tweeted that the Pixel 7 Pro’s telephoto zoom camera would sport a Samsung GM1 sensor instead of the Sony IMX586 found in the 6 Pro. Wojciechowski suggests Google made the switch since the GM1 offers similar performance but, being a Samsung sensor, might have more consistent image processing with the GN1 primary lens.

Another ‘Lynx’ reference

Next up, Wojciechowski talks about a device bearing codename ‘Lynx’ or L10. Lynx is rumoured to be another high-end Pixel device set to arrive this year (perhaps we’ll finally get that Pixel Ultra that’s been rumoured for years). Alternatively, Lynx could just be an internal testing device for Google.

Wojciechowski says Lynx sports the same primary camera sensor — the GN1 — but has a secondary Sony IMX787 sensor plus an unknown 13-megapixel IMX712 for the selfie camera.

While this isn’t the first time Lynx has shown up (Android Police says the codename was spotted back in May 2022), there isn’t much known about Lynx so far. With only a few limited details about the camera available, it’s hard to say what it is. We know it isn’t the rumoured Pixel foldable or upcoming Pixel Tablet, though, since Wojciechowski addresses them next.

Pixel Tablet and foldable cameras

Starting with the Pixel Tablet, Wojciechowski says it will come with two cameras, both of which use the IMX355 sensor that was in the Pixel 6 selfie camera.

As for the rumoured foldable, Wojciechowski shared details on a ‘P7,’ which is likely the Pixel Fold (or Notepad, or whatever name Google eventually gives it). While it’s not clear what lenses the P7 will have, Wojciechowski says we can expect it will use the GN1 sensor for the main camera, an IMX363, an ultrawide IMX386, and an IMX355 selfie camera.

That’s it for this leak. There’s a ton of information, but as with any leak, it’s important to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism. Wojciechowski says this too, noting that the information was “obtained through data digging and might not be 100% accurate.”

Still, if accurate, it sounds like the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will focus on software to improve camera performance and won’t significantly alter the camera hardware on offer.

Source: Kuba Wojciechowski (Twitter) Via: Android Police

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Google still working on face unlock feature, could launch on Pixel 7: report

Before Google launched the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, rumours indicated the phones would support some level of face unlock. The phones — for better or worse — launched without face unlock, but the rumours persisted. Now, it looks like the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro might offer face unlock.

9to5Google put together an excellent look at the history of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro face unlock rumours, building into the latest information: the June Pixel Feature Drop included a small, underlying code change for the Pixel 6 series called ‘FACE_UNLOCK_BOOST.’ The change allows the Tensor chip in the Pixel 6 series to boost performance for one second while face unlock is active, presumably to increase how quickly the device can process the face unlock function.

Now, you might be wondering, why add a feature to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro that enables performance boosts when using face unlock if neither device has face unlock? And, well, that’s kinda the point — this all traces back to those initial leaks about the Pixel 6 series offering face unlock.

Clues in the code

Before the Pixel 6 series launched, we knew that the phones didn’t have specific hardware for face unlock, unlike the previous Pixel 4 and 4 XL. The 4 series sported special hardware, including an IR camera, dot projector, flood illuminator and Google’s ‘Soli’ radar tech to facilitate fast face unlock capabilities. Despite not having any of that hardware, marketing copy for the Pixel 6 line showed off a phone with a settings menu for ‘Face and Fingerprint Unlock.’ Then the phones launched without that menu and with no hint of face unlock support.

Since then, people have dug through Android code and found various references to a face unlock feature, including information about performance tweaks for Tensor. This sparked rumours that Google would bring face unlock to the Pixel 6 line as part of a Feature Drop. A lot of the rumours suggested it would come specifically to the Pixel 6 Pro, and not the cheaper Pixel 6, predicated on differences in selfie camera hardware and on the idea that Google had planned to launch the 6 Pro with face unlock but ultimately dropped the feature because it wasn’t ready.

More recently, someone uncovered a face unlock UI in the Android 13 beta on their Pixel 6 Pro.

Destined for Pixel 7?

All this brings us back to today, with 9to5 suggesting that Google has made headway on face unlock that doesn’t require specific hardware like on the Pixel 4. If Google had a fancy new machine learning (ML) face unlock feature, it’d likely want to launch it with the Pixel 7 series as a major new feature. But, that raises a few other questions. For one, if Google worked on face unlock for the Pixel 6 Pro, could it also have plans to bring the feature to the 6 Pro in the future? Going by Google’s track record, if face unlock is software-based, it might trickle down to older phones. However, Google could list face unlock as a feature that requires Tensor 2 for processing, ruling out a potential Pixel 6 Pro upgrade.

Moreover, given that leaks indicate the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro sport the same selfie camera hardware this year, that could mean we’ll see face unlock on both devices instead of on just the Pro model as was rumoured with the Pixel 6 series.

Of course, we’ve still got a ways to go before the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro arrive. We may learn more about a possible face unlock feature before then, or learn that the phones won’t support face unlock at all. Right now, all we’ve got is evidence Google worked on some kind of face unlock feature. Unfortunately, that doesn’t guarantee Google will ship the feature in a new product.

Source: 9to5Google

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Google Camera app 8.5 teardown reveals Pixel 7 4K video on selfie cam

Google’s Pixel phones often sport powerful cameras, but much of the power comes from software smarts rather than top-tier hardware (although hardware does play a factor!). As such, updates to the Google Camera app can often reveal tidbits about the company’s next flagship before it arrives.

Thanks to a 9to5Google teardown of the latest Google Camera app update, we now know some details about the camera systems in the upcoming Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel tablet. Now, as with any teardown, the information detailed by 9to5 might not completely reliable. Teardowns involve looking at app code, so details and new features hinted at by the code may be unfinished or subject to change. In other words, take everything revealed by a teardown with a grain of salt.

Pixel 7, 7 Pro to support 4K selfie cam video

With that said, the first thing 9to5 found in the teardown of Google Camera 8.5 was code suggesting both the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro would sport selfie cameras capable of recording 4K video. While the Pixel 6 Pro also supports 4K selfie camera video, the Pixel 6 does not — it maxes out at ‘Full HD’ (FHD). Moreover, the Pixel 6 selfie camera clocks in at an 8-megapixel resolution compared to the 11.1-megapixel 6 Pro. Presumably, if both the 7 and 7 Pro offer 4K selfie video, then both selfie cameras could be the same as what’s in the 6 Pro.

9to5 suggests as much but notes the Camera app code isn’t clear. Both the 7 and 7 Pro refer to “p21_front_setup” for the front camera, which is the same reference the 6 Pro uses.

Beyond that, the Camera app code indicates there aren’t any significant hardware changes for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro cameras. That could change as we get closer to the Pixel 7 release, but for now, it seems like the 7 and 7 Pro are more of a refresh.

Pixel tablet camera may lack several key features

Next up, 9to5 found some preliminary work to prepare Google Camera for the Pixel tablet the company plans to release sometime in 2023. We already know the tablet will likely sport one rear camera, which makes sense given that tablets generally aren’t considered go-to camera devices.

However, 9to5 notes that code in Camera app 8.5 indicates the Pixel tablet camera won’t support 4K video recording at 60 frames per second (fps). Worse, the camera might not support 4K video at all.

Camera app code also suggests that the tablet won’t support several common Pixel camera features, such as Audio Zoom, slow motion video, or Action Pan photos.

Once again, these details could change as we near the Pixel tablet release. That said, if you were hoping the Pixel tablet would sport the excellent camera chops of Google’s Pixel phones, you may want to adjust your expectations.

Header image credit: Google

Source: 9to5Google

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Pixel 7 Pro prototype reveals some details about second-gen Tensor

More details have emerged about the hardware used in Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 and 7 Pro thanks to leaked prototype devices.

As reported by 9to5Google, some enterprising users have managed to scrape limited information about the devices’ processor and other hardware, including display and haptics. This comes after Google reportedly remote-wiped several leaked prototype units that had made their way out into the wild. Although the remote wipe left the units bricked, prototype owners were able to pull data about the Pixel 7 Pro from logs and the bootloader.

First up, we already knew that the 7 Pro would sport a second-gen version of Google’s Tensor system-on-a-chip (SoC), dubbed ‘GS201.’ Data from the prototype indicates the new chip will once again use a “4+2+2” design. In other words, it will again offer four low-end cores for simple tasks, two mid-level cores, and two high-power cores to handle most work.

Unfortunately, information about the mid- and high-level cores wasn’t found. As for the low-level cores, it appears the Tensor 2 chip will use the same Cortex A55 cores as Tensor 1, as the logs include a suggestion of a workaround that is solely used for Cortex A55 cores.

Additionally, it looks like the Pixel 7 Pro will sport a Cirrus Logic ‘CS40L26’ chip for haptics. That’s one generation newer than the haptics chip in the 6 Pro. There’s also an STMicroelectronics ‘ST21NFC’ chip instead of the ‘ST54K’ chip in the 6 Pro. 9to5 notes that the main difference here is the ST21 doesn’t include ultra-wide band (UWB) like the ST54K. The publication says another component will likely handle UWB instead.

Finally, the data shows the Pixel 7 Pro sports Samsung’s ‘S6E3HC4’ display panel. Again, this is one generation newer than what was offered in the Pixel 6 Pro. The display should offer a higher maximum brightness of 1,000 nits compared to 800 nits in the 6 Pro.

Ultimately, the leaked spec details give a little more insight into the upcoming Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, but not a ton. Tensor 2 will have some improvements, clearly, but it remains to be seen how much better it is in real-world use. Tensor 1 wasn’t exactly a powerhouse, but in my experience with the Pixel 6, it’s been more than adequate so far.

Header image credit: Google

Source: 9to5Google

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Samsung will reportedly start mass-producing Google’s 2nd-gen Tensor chip in June

Source: https://blog.google/products/pixel/google-tensor-debuts-new-pixel-6-fall/

Like with last year’s model, Samsung will once again be behind the next-gen Tensor chipset for Google’s Pixel flagships.

Samsung Electronics will mass-produce 2nd-gen Tensor chipsets starting in June, according to South Korean publication DDaily.co.kr.

Tensor second-generation will feature 4nm chip architecture compared to last year’s 5nm process. Additionally, we also now know that the Tensor second-gen will utilize panel-level package technology.

The Pixel 7 series will release this fall, but an exact date is still unknown. Based on previous years, the Google will unveil the handset in October and go on sale a couple of weeks later.

According to Google’s website, the next-gen Tensor processor “will bring even more helpful, personalized features to photos, videos, security, and speech recognition.”

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is also built on a 4nm node. That said, Apple’s A15 Bionic is on a 5nm process, so it’s very possible that the Pixel 7 still won’t benchmark as well as the Cupertino, California-based company’s chip.

Image Credit: Google

Source: DDaily.co.kr Via: 9to5Google