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.
And it looks a lot like the Pixel Watch 3 leaks we saw the other day. Just bigger. How much bigger? Apparently the case will be 45mm, which as far as chonky smartwatches go isn’t that big. Even so, we love to see a bigger size option for folks with larger wrists — especially if that means a larger battery too.
Old:
Unauthorized Parts: You will not send in a Device containing non-Google-authorized parts – if You do, Your Device will not be returned to you.
Unauthorized Parts: If You send a Device containing non-Google-authorized parts for repair, in certain situations (e.g., safety), Service Provider may not be able to repair Your Device. Service Provider will return Your Device except when health or safety requirements prevent us from doing so. If Service Provider can’t return Your Device, Google will work with You on next steps.
Google claims it never actually kept people’s phones.
We have no problem recommending the Pixel 7 Pro now Woot is selling the unlocked 128GB model for $399 ($500 off) through May 31st.
It’s an amazing value, but not guaranteed to get newer Android versions beyond October 2025. The Pixel 8a promises updates through May 2031.
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[Electronics.Woot]
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At $499 with all the essential features, Google’s Pixel phone starts making sense.
This feature was available before Sonos sued Google but didn’t return when Google restored most software features following its victory last October.
But with Android 15 Beta 2, Pixel users will once again be able to control the volume of grouped speakers with the phone’s buttons from outside the app that’s casting.
Android 15’s second public beta introduced customizable vibrations for notifications for different apps.
9to5Google notes Pixel phones go a step further, using the phone’s microphones and sensors to adjust vibration intensity based on your surroundings. Pixel phones are particularly noisy when they vibrate on a hard surface like a table, and this feature seems to address that problem. Now that’s what I call a good vibe.
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.
