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After years plagued by leaks, Google has moved early, lifting the lid on its new Pixel phones, headphones, a Pixel Watch and a rival to the iPad.
Here’s all the big announcements from I/O 2022 which returned in person at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in California.
No points for guessing this one.
A cheaper Pixel 6 redesign was always coming and it follows the Google playbook to a tee.
It’s got a smaller 6.1″ screen which refreshes at 60Hz (rather than 90Hz) and a 12MP main camera (rather than 50MP), but it’s all powered by Google’s same great Tensor chip.
At $749, the Pixel 6a is $250 cheaper than the original Pixel 6.
Google is promising five years of security updates and a battery that can last up to 72 hours with Pixel 6a’s “extreme battery saver” mode turned on.
Almost everything we know about the Pixel 7 is in this one photo.
Google is promising a next-generation Tensor chip and an environmentally friendly handset, made with recycled aluminium.
It has a fresh camera system and what looks to be the rumoured return of Pixel’s ‘soft-touch’ glass backing.
Expect details on how much it will cost and the new smart features of Android 13 closer to launch sometime in Spring.
A Google smart-watch has been on the cards since the company bought FitBit back in 2019.
That acquisition was completed in January last year and despite objections from Australia’s Consumer and Competitiveness Commission, we are finally getting a Pixel Watch.
It’ll arrive alongside Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro later this year with a round face, a “tactile” crown and interchangeable bands.
The Pixel Watch appears to have pretty chunky bezels compared to Apple’s top-of-the-line Watch 7 and we’re keen to see how this looks on our wrists when they’re finally shown off.
We don’t have a price just yet but it’ll run Wear OS 3 and leave all of the fitness tracking to an integrated FitBit app.
Google is taking on Apple’s AirPods Pro with a ‘Pro’ of its own.
The $299 Pixel Buds Pro will dabble in noise cancellation with a new ‘Silent Seal’.
How well that works in practice remains to be seen (some noise cancelling buds definitely work better than others) and we’re curious to listen and compare them to Apple’s solution.
Google really impressed with smart features like Live Translate on its budget, $159 Pixel Buds A-Series headphones.
According to Google, the Pixel Buds Pro will add spatial audio when paired with a compatible Pixel phone when they arrive on July 28, 2022.
They’re sweat and rain resistant and Google says they’ll be able to be connected to multiple devices and switch between them on the fly – without juggling BlueTooth menus – based on what they think you want to be listening to.
A Pixel Tablet is coming… in 2023.
Google confirmed the hardware when talking about the impending arrival of Android 13, which will include tablet-specific updates.
New multitasking options like split-view and an updated taskbar will feature on the Pixel Tablet which, like newer Pixel phones, will run on a Google designed Tensor chip.
Those who thought Google Glass would change the world may be a little sceptical.
We got a glimpse of Google’s latest go at augmented reality glasses designed to “break down communication barriers” and add subtitles to real life.
A demo showed the glasses listening to, translating and transcribing a conversation – then displaying those words on the lenses.
We didn’t get a name, price or release date.
