Tag: Pixel

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Android 13 now available for Pixel phones, AOSP

Android 13 is finally here, at least, if you’ve got a Pixel. Google started rolling out the official Android 13 update to eligible Pixel phones on August 15th.

Alongside Pixel phones, Google also pushed the Android 13 update to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). That means Android 13’s code is now available for everyone. While that doesn’t mean your phone will get Android 13 right away, access to AOSP can help speed things along.

Those who have followed the Android 13 developer previews and beta releases over the last several months likely won’t find many surprises in the stable version of Android 13. It’s a fairly modest upgrade over Android 12, with a focus on refinding some features — like Material You — and adding various quality of life improvements.

How to download Android 13

Image credit: Google

Before we get into what’s new, let’s talk about how to get the update. For Pixel users, it’s pretty simple: open Settings > System > System update. The update should appear there once it’s available for your device, although it could take some time to show up (Google likes to roll out these updates slowly to ease pressure on servers and catch any serious bugs that sneak through). My Pixel 6a is running the Android 13 beta and hasn’t gotten the stable update yet, so expect it could take a while.

It’s also worth noting that people with the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, or 6a won’t be able to downgrade back to Android 12. As spotted by 9to5Google, a Google warning on the developers website where it hosts factory images for its devices says Android 13 includes a “bootloader update that increments the anti-roll back version.” If you’ve got one of these devices, you may want to hold off until you’re sure you won’t need to go back to Android 12 for some reason.

Finally, although updating through the system update option on your phone is the easiest way, the impatient among us can download the factory images or over-the-air (OTA) images from Google’s developers website and install them manually. Unless you know what you’re doing, though, you’re probably better of waiting for the update to show up on your phone automatically.

Some of Android 13’s best new features

GIF credit: Google

Instead of an exhaustive list of new features (because there are a lot!), we’ve compiled a quick list of some of the best new features in Android 13:

GIF credit: Google

  • Set languages for individual apps instead of changing it system-wide (great for people who speak multiple languages).
  • Private photo picker lets you share specific images with certain apps, instead of the whole media library.
  • Immersive listening experience with headphones that support head tracking via Spatial Audio.
  • Improved connectivity with ChromeOS.
  • Better tablet UI with new taskbar and split-screen functionality.
  • Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) audio support.
  • Expanded Material You colour options.
  • Cinematic wallpapers.
  • Improved launcher search on Pixel phones.
  • Opt-in notifications.
  • Quick-access QR code scanner.
  • And more…

Source: Google Via: Android Central

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google reportedly making a Pixel foldable and a ceramic ‘Pixel flagship’

Google’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are right around the corner, and while most are focused on those devices, some leakers are dredging up details about other upcoming Pixels. The latest: Google will use China-based Foxconn to manufacture two Pixel phones, possibly a foldable and another device made of ceramic.

The information comes from leaker ‘Digital Chat Station’ on Weibo, who details some of the specs of the ceramic phone (but not the foldable). Foxconn is the same company that manufactures the iPhone and has manufactured Google’s Pixel flagships since the Pixel 3 — the Pixel 1 and 2 were HTC and LG (for the 2 XL only). Google’s lower-cost A-series are manufactured in Vietnam.

Digital Chat Station describes the ceramic phone as a “Pixel flagship” with a 2K “flexible screen” sporting a centred selfie camera and a 50-megapixel primary camera and periscope camera on the back, plus a Sony IMX787 “sub-camera.” Moreover, the phone would sport Google’s second-gen Tensor chip and a ceramic body.

Digital Chat Station Weibo post about Pixels

Digital Chat Station’s Weibo post | Image credit: 9to5Google

From what we already know about Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 series, the device described by Digital Chat Station doesn’t sound like any of these. 9to5Google says the camera details line up with previous leaks about a Google device with codename ‘Lynx,’ rumoured to be either a high-end third Pixel device (perhaps the Pixel Ultra people have dreamed about for years). Others suggested Lynx could be a prototype for testing new hardware before bringing it into the Pixel line, but bringing manufacturing to Foxconn suggests it could see a public release.

Further, 9to5 reports that the IMX787 appears to be a telephoto camera with a 64-megapixel sensor, higher than the 48-megapixel sensor used in the Pixel 6 Pro’s 4x telephoto camera. The IMX787 is also about the same physical size as Samsung’s 50-megapixel GN1 sensor used for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro primary camera (and the upcoming Pixel 7 series).

As for the Pixel foldable, Digital Chat Station described it as having a “conventional large-screen internal folding” screen, which isn’t particularly new information. Previous rumours suggested the foldable, possibly called ‘Pixel Notepad,’ would work similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Fold but use Google’s old 12-megapixel cameras like what was used in the Pixel 5 and 4. However, as 9to5 notes, the Pixel Notepad has been rumoured for so long that it’s hard to tell what’s accurate at this point.

Source: Digital Chat Station (Weibo) Via: 9to5Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google’s August security patch for Pixels appears to be delayed

It looks like Google’s August security patch is delayed. The search giant typically drops its monthly security updates for Pixel phones on the first Monday of every month. However, the first Monday of August has come and gone without the corresponding update.

Per Android Police, Google did publish its monthly ‘Pixel Update Bulletin‘ on time, listing an August 2022 update coming for Android 12. The publication notes that it’s not clear why the update didn’t roll out, but the delay is likely due to some sort of bug or issue serious enough to warrant postponing the rollout.

The patch, when it eventually arrives, will address 40 security issues ranging from moderate to high severity across the kernel, modem, and camera.

Google also hasn’t yet released the latest Pixel builds for manual installation

Moreover, Android Police detailed that Verizon Pixel devices got an update, but it appears to be based on the July security patch, not the August patch. This won’t mean much for Canadian Pixel owners, but it’s interesting to see the carrier-specific Pixel phones getting a patch based on a month-old update.

Anyway, we’ll hopefully see the August patch hit Pixel devices soon, especially since Samsung beat it to the punch by rolling out the August security patch to its devices in July!

Source: Android Police

Categories
Mobile Syrup

How to turn motion photos on (or off) on your iPhone or Android

Several phone manufacturers added some form of motion photo feature to their phones a few years back. Although the name changes from smartphone to smartphone — some call it Motion Photo, Live Photo, Moving Picture, Top Shot, or whatever (I made up one of those, guess which one) — the main benefit is the same: images move.

Here’s the thing: I used to turn motion photos off all the time because I thought it was pretty useless. Who wants pictures that move? That’s what videos are for. At least, that’s how I felt until I became a dad — now, motion photos are indispensable. The feature has saved so many pictures I’ve snapped of my very, very wiggly daughter because even if I don’t get the shot, it’s probably in the motion photo.

Because of that, I’ve been making sure motion photos are turned on whichever device I’m using (currently, that’s the excellent Pixel 6a). Below, you’ll find a brief overview of how the feature works and steps to enable it on some popular smartphones.

How motion photos work

Motion photos rely on a pretty complex mix of machine learning (ML) and software trickery, but the basic premise involves capturing a short video when people press the shutter button. The thing is, a video is just a stream of pictures stitched together, and most modern smartphones already capture a bunch of photos when you press the shutter button for things like HDR.

That’s a very simple explanation, of course — there’s a lot more to it. Google has a whole blog post about its motion photo tech, which does a great job showcasing some of the complex ML work going on in the background — it’s likely other manufacturers use similar systems.

It’s worth noting that some parts of motion photos are fairly consistent across devices. Regardless if you use an Apple or Android phone, you should be able to play a motion photo by pressing and holding the photo when you view it in your gallery. Moreover, I’ve noticed the actual photo often looks better than the motion photo, in part because the photo generally gets the full benefit of image processing and HDR, while the motion photo doesn’t.

How to enable motion photos

iPhone

Apple’s ‘Live Photo’ feature is very easy to turn on and off right in the camera. Look for the bullseye-like icon in the top-right corner of the camera — if it’s yellow, Live Photos are on. If it’s white with a line through it, Live Photos are off.

In the Apple Photos app, look for the ‘Live’ icon in the top-left corner when viewing a picture to tell whether an image is also a Live Photo.

Google Pixel

Google wrapped its motion photo feature into something called ‘Top Shot’ when the Pixel 3 launched. Top Shot adds some extra functionality to motion photos, such as automatically suggesting the best picture based on everything captured with the motion photo. This is part of what made motion photos such a lifesaver for me since I could snap a picture of my daughter and then use Top Shot to pick out the motion photo frame where she’s actually still smiling.

To turn on Top Shot in the Google Pixel camera app, tap the settings icon in the top-left corner, then select one of three options: off, auto, or on. I usually run with auto, since it’s pretty good at grabbing motion photos and running Top Shot when I need it (like when I take a picture of my daughter) and when I don’t (like when I take a picture of a flower).

In the Google Photos app, look for a circle icon with a play button in it at the top of the screen when viewing a photo (usually next to the Cast button). This icon marks which photos have motion — you can press and hold the picture, or tap the icon, to play the motion.

Samsung Galaxy

Similarly, you can enable motion photos on Samsung phones within the camera app. Look for a square icon with a triangle intersecting the right edge — that’s the motion photo icon. Tap it to turn motion photos on or off.

To view a motion photo, look for the ‘View motion photo’ button in the Samsung Gallery app.

Image credit: Samsung

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Pixel Buds Pro Review: Google’s best buds yet

Companies have been cashing in on wireless earbuds for years, but as low-cost buds get better, it’s getting difficult to justify buds that push the price higher than people want to pay.

That’s not to say that Google’s Pixel Buds Pro aren’t extremely solid wireless earbuds, but just that they cost slightly more than I expected – even for high-end earbuds. They’re cheaper than Apple’s AirPods Pro and offer a lot of the same features, but on the Android side, wireless earbuds are often more reasonably priced with fiercer competition. With this in mind, Google’s latest wireless earbuds don’t stand out as much as they should.

Top-notch sound

Putting the Pixel Buds Pro through my earbud test tracks was a blast. The sound was full-bodied and offered a soundscape with substantial width, a rarity with most Bluetooth buds.

This is enabled partly through the Pixel Buds Pro’s 11mm speaker driver, which must be tuned well since it sounds quite balanced compared to other Bluetooth earbuds with larger drivers. You can sometimes hear the limitations when the bass is absolutely pounding in a song, but I found the Buds Pro offers great sound quality in most cases.

One new addition Google hyped is the Pixel Buds Pro’s new ‘Volume EQ’ feature. The concept is that as you adjust the volume, the Pixel Buds Pro will change its tuning to ensure that the highs, mids and lows maintain a balance. However, this feature is tough to notice in practice. Switching between songs randomly and toggling the feature on and off offered no noticeable difference. Perhaps that’s part of the magic, or maybe Volume EQ is just overhyped marketing.

Either way, this doesn’t detract from my overall positive experience with the Pixel Buds Pro’s sound quality.

The Bluetooth earbuds’ active noise-cancelling (ANC) is great. It’s not the strongest implementation I’ve encountered, but it’s tuned well enough to keep ambient sound in the background. Google also added new technology called ‘Silent Seal’ that detects pressure in your ears and relieves it when using ANC. I’ve never experienced issues with ANC pressure, but I can feel it with some buds and see how it might wreak havoc on sensitive ears.

The Pixel Buds Pro doesn’t come with a cable for charging but features a USB-C port.

It’s difficult to judge if the Pixel Buds Pro will solve all the issues some people have with ANC buds, but there’s no denying they’re comfortable. The stemless design fits nicely in my ear, and since it sits flush against my head, they feel secure when I’m biking or running.

Google also added a seal detection method to the Pixel Buds app so you can try out the three different ear tip sizes included with the buds to know for sure what buds best fit your ears.

Hidden features

As the gap between great and decent wireless earbuds continues to shrink, the added features (or gimmicks to some) can help set good wireless buds apart from the pack. Google offers a few features that aren’t related to sound quality, and I’m so far impressed with the extra functionality.

My favourite is multipoint Bluetooth connection with seamless switching. This feature is key to Apple making its AirPods so easy to use, and I’m happy that others are finally catching up. That said, the implementation of the Pixel Buds has been hit and miss. They connect to my Mac/Pixel 6 and jump from one to the other, but the audio quality degrades significantly, which is annoying, and the buds struggle to return to normal. Other times I’ll be listening to music on my phone, and the Pixel Buds will disconnect and play a notification sound from my laptop. This only happened a few times, but Google will need to iron out these kinks to truly compete with AirPods.

I even tried this on a Chromebook where it was the same situation; plus you need to sideload the Pixel Buds app since you can’t download it directly from the ChromeOS Play Store.

Other features include hands-free Google Assistant and wireless charging. Both work as expected and are useful to have in your primary pair of earbuds. Each earbud is also rated for 11 hours of playback, but if you’re running ANC and Volume EQ, I found that I’d get a little less than that. Still, it was always enough for most situations. With the two extra charges you can get out of the case, you get a total of 31 hours.

Volume controls are rare to see on wireless earbuds, and it’s even more elusive to see them work well, but somehow Google has introduced an excellent touch panel on the Pixel Buds Pro. A soft swipe forward on the buds raises the volume a reasonable amount, and a swipe back brings it down. I still found myself accidentally tapping the touch panels when adjusting them, but compared to other earbuds I’ve tested – like the Galaxy Buds 2, for example, the Buds Pro works great.

The Pixel Buds app (left/green) and the Pixel Buds device settings on a Google Pixel 6 (right/pink). Both offer the same features and adapt to your device’s wallpaper if your Android device supports it.

Later in the fall, Google says spatial audio will make its way to the Pixel Buds Pro, offering a more immersive listening experience. I’m a big fan of the feature with Apple’s AirPods, so hopefully, Google and YouTube Music combine forces to make spatial audio on Android an even more compelling feature.

I also tested out the conversational Google translate feature, which works as advertised but you still need to have your phone nearby and manually switch when different people are talking (even if it’s just two people). It works, but if I were travelling and needed to use translate in a pinch, I would just use a smartphone since the earbuds make the experience slower and more cumbersome.

Finally, the buds are IPX4 water resistant, so they should be able to withstand a bit of rain, but I wouldn’t take them white water rafting or get them soaked.

Mic test

Overall, the Pixel Buds Pro microphone is on par with the rest of the crowd. From what I’ve been able to gather in my tests, Google has added EQ boosting tech that allows sound to be louder, but not necessarily better than the competition. It’s not a perfect mic, but for the occasional phone call or online meeting, the Pixel Buds Pro will get the job done.

I still find that holding a phone up to your face in loud environments sounds better, but in a quiet room, the Pixel Buds Pros’ mics are more than enough for what I expect most people to be using them for.

You can watch a video and listen to the Pixel Buds Pro, AirPods, OnePlus Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds 2 above.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

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

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google is rolling out Android 13 Beta 4.1 to Pixel users

Google is rolling out Android 13 Beta 4.1 to Pixel smartphones with some bug fixes.

This minor update addresses four concerns with the previous update:

  • Fixed an issue that prevented an app from enabling or disabling Bluetooth if it didn’t have the BLUETOOTH_CONNECT permission, even though the app was targeting an API level where the permission is not required. (Issue #232107689)
  • Fixed issues that sometimes caused a device to crash and reboot when connecting to certain WiFi networks. (Issue #237308339, Issue #237886229, Issue #237878437)
  • Fixed an issue where Meet connectivity could drop while driving.
  • Fixed an issue where the system could incorrectly interpret GPS data.

Beta 4 didn’t really bring anything special for consumers as it was one of the last updates before the final release of Android 13.

Via: 9to5Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Pixel phones getting July security patch, chill frog wallpapers

The July 2022 security patch dropped for Google’s Pixel line starting July 6th. The patch will be available on the Pixel 4, 4XL, 4a, 4a 5G, 5, 5a (not in Canada), 6, and 6 Pro.

9to5Google noted that it should be one of the last security updates before the next major version of Android arrives. Per Google’s Android 13 Beta overview, the fourth and final beta version will arrive in July ahead of the final Android 13 release. Although the company doesn’t provide an arrival date for Android 13, it’ll likely become available shortly after the final beta arrives.

Anyway, the July security patch for Android 12 includes fixes for 12 security issues. And frogs, for some reason.

The security issues range from high to critical, and you can check them out here. There’s also a Pixel-specific bulletin you can view here. 9to5 says that aside from the security fixes, the update enables additional Voice over LTE (VoLTE) features on some networks for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro (this change doesn’t affect Canada).

As for the frogs, Google added three new wallpapers to its ‘Pixel Curated Culture’ wallpaper collection featuring — you guessed it — frogs. The three frog wallpaper come from artist Aubii of Autumnalwood (you can check more of her work on Instagram).

The three wallpapers actually appear to connect together into one larger image depicting three frog friends walking in the woods. One frog is ‘Grinnin,’ another is ‘Vibin,’ and the last is ‘Smilin.’ Each image includes the following description:

“Adventurin’ is great, but it’s just so, so fun when accompanied by your best (froggy) buddies.” – Aubii of Autumnalwood

These wallpapers mark the 17th edition of Pixel Curated Culture wallpapers and join 48 other backgrounds for Pixel phones from the Pixel 3 series to the Pixel 6 line. Interestingly, most of Google’s Curated Culture wallpapers celebrate something specific — for example, last month had Pride Month wallpapers, and past versions have celebrated Indigenous peoples, mental health, and more. These frog wallpapers appear to just be that — frog wallpapers.

Source: 9to5Google, (2)

Categories
Mobile Syrup

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

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google shares pic of ‘Sage’ Pixel 6a side-by-side with other Pixels

So far, most of the Pixel 6a content we’ve seen, from leaks to unboxing videos, has used the ‘Charcoal’ colour. However, the ‘Sage’ colour is clearly the best option of the three 6a colours, and Google has now shared a promo photo comparing the green Pixel 6, 6 Pro, and 6a.

In a tweet, the ‘Made By Google’ account said the Pixel 6a will “join the family… in less than 3 weeks!” The tweet included the aforementioned photo with the ‘Sorta Seafoam’ Pixel 6 and the ‘Sage’ Pixel 6a. The Pixel 6 Pro doesn’t come in a shade of green, unfortunately, but Google did include the ‘Cloudy White’ version in the picture too.

It’s worth noting Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 Pro will come in a green shade — ‘Hazel.’ As far as phone colours go, I’d say it’s pretty unique and the Hazel 7 Pro is easily the best Pixel colour this year.

Now, maybe it’s just my eyes, but the Pixel 6a shown in the side-by-side looks much more green than other images of the ‘Sage’ colour, such as what you can see of the phone on Google’s online Store page. I like the green either way, but the side-by-side makes the 6a look much more vibrant than I think it actually is.

Either way, it won’t be much longer until reviewers have the phone in hand. The Pixel 6a is set to be available for pre-order on July 21st in Canada before its July 28th release. It’ll cost $599 and sports a 6.1-inch OLED display with a centred hole-punch 8-megapixel selfie camera and 60Hz refresh rate. Other features include two rear 12-megapixel cameras (wide- and ultra-wide angle), 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 4,410mAh battery.

You can learn more about the Pixel 6a here, or more about Google’s other upcoming products here.

Header image credit: Google (Twitter)