Due to a recent DOJ decision, Google’s lucrative relationship with Apple’s iPhone is in jeopardy, and that means the Pixel is even more important than ever to the company’s success. In 2024, it seems like the company will be leaning into AI. It’s got the Pixel 9 Pro with plenty of Gemini AI features, plus the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The company’s also launching a new Pixel Watch 3 as well as the Pixel Buds Pro 2.
Starting June 10th, a Google support page says the digital wallet app will start requiring Android 9 or higher and Wear OS 2 or higher to work, as earlier versions no longer get security updates.
As 9to5Google notes, it only required Android 5.2 when it fully rolled out in 2022.
Claude Zellweger, speaking to Inverse about the Pixel’s camera bar:
We wanted to create this kind of Mondrian architectural, graphic element with multiple colors, so being able to run that camera bar across was like a really nice way to achieve a ‘you can read it from across the room’ kind of thing and to accommodate a really good camera.”
Mondrian design? Camera bar module? Google had a beautiful idea that combined both a decade ago. (I like the Pixel look too.)
This time, we get a full-on Pixel 8A promo video leaked courtesy of MySmartPrice showing it’ll get Google’s AI features from the Pixel 8, including Best Take, Circle to Search, Live Translate, and Audio Magic Eraser.
It’s arriving just hours after the last Pixel 8A leak, but Google’s tradition of coughing up hardware info early goes back much, much, much further.
Update April 29th: Original video was taken down.
The Pixel 8a leaks continue. This time, Google’s upcoming entry-level smartphone appears in a short hands-on video by an apparent smartphone dealer in Casablanca — who three days ago posted that they’re getting the goods.
God, that mint is good.
Until the end of April, Woot is selling Google’s latest mid-range smartphone unlocked for $339 ($160 off) in sea and coral.
The Pixel 8A could arrive next month, but the 2023 model is still great if you need an immediate upgrade. Its strengths include flagship-worthy performance, multi-day battery life, and a very good dual-camera system.
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We’ve seen purported renders of the Pixel 9, now 9to5Google points out Rozetked (also a source for Pixel 3 era leaks) photos of a prototype 6.1-inch Pixel 9 Pro.
In a picture of the boot screen, it says the “caiman” device has 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM onboard (up from 12GB on the Pixel 8 Pro), along with 128GB of storage.
Rumors suggest that Google’s midrange Pixel is getting a price bump this year. Samsung, on the other hand, is only bringing its lower priced Galaxy A35 midrange phone to the US this year — not the A55.
The A35 goes on sale in the states today with a hardy IP67 rating, stabilized main camera, and a 120Hz OLED for $399 — sounds like it could be a decent deal.
That’s apparently the name of what we’ve been calling the Pixel Fold 2 for the past year, according to Android Authority. Google is reportedly adding a Pixel 9 Pro XL to its lineup, too.
[Android Authority]
The US Google Store will give you up to $450 when you trade in select iPads, while Samsung tablets can net you up to $325, 9to5Google reports. Starting at $499, the 11-inch Pixel Tablet stands out due to its speaker dock which lets you use it as de facto smart display.
The Pixel Fold now has Circle to Search, the feature that lets people draw a circle, tap, or scribble on their screen to search for anything. It was first available on the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and Samsung’s Galaxy S24.
And in teeny tiny script underneath its promo photo, Google said Circle to Search will be available on the Pixel Tablet soon.
It stuck around as the company’s budgetiest budget phone since the 7A was released last year. But as DroidLife points out, there’s now a Pixel 6A-sized hole in Google’s online store.
If it’s truly gone, it could be making room for the rumored Pixel 8A with more storage and a 120Hz display, which could show up at Google I/O on May 14th — If Google doesn’t spoil its own announcement before then.
[Droid Life]
You may still be able to use find your Pixel 8 or 8 Pro when it’s off using Google’s Find My Device network in Android 15, writes Mishaal Rahman for Android Police.
Rahman says older Pixel phones, including the Pixel Fold, don’t appear to support the in-progress feature, though.
[Android Police]
Okay, it’s not exactly Dex, but Mishaal Rahman reports that the latest Android 14 beta allows Pixel 8 phones to use DisplayPort over USB-C for screen mirroring. Plug your phone into a monitor or TV and you’ll be able to output your phone’s display to the big screen — no adapter required. You can’t run a whole desktop environment ala Dex just yet, but that might be in the works.
Continuing its lack of secrecy around new phones (remember when it tweeted out a picture of the Pixel 4 months ahead of launch?), Google has seemingly confirmed that a Pixel 8A is on the way in a bug tracker, 9to5Google reports. We’ve already seen leaks of its design, specs, and packaging, but now we know it’ll get a new battery stats feature.
Google is hosting its quarterly show for Android developers and the ever-watchful Mishaal Rahman caught the response to a great question: will the regular Pixel 8 be able to run Google’s mobile-optimized language model? Google’s answer: No, because of “hardware limitations.”
The thing is, the Pixel 8 uses the very same chipset as the Pixel 8 Pro, which can run Gemini Nano. What the heck, Google?
Android 15 is official and as Android Police points out, it serves as a milestone for the Pixel line: the start of the all-Tensor era. The developer preview released today is compatible with the Pixel 6, 7, and 8 series — leaving the Snapdragon-powered Pixel 5 series in the history books. Gone but not forgotten.
[Android Police]
