The smartphone market continues to heat up as Google prepares to launch the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The company is likely to launch them in October, possibly as soon as October 19 judging from a new teaser that shows us the first live images of the upcoming Pixel phones.
In the video, Google shows off how the customizability of Android 12 gels with the colorful and distinct hardware of its new phones. The company also hints at the camera capabilities and highlights Google’s ever-learning Tensor chip.
Google also shared more marketing for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro on Instagram, further emphasizing Android 12′s Material You interface. In that second piece, however, what stuck out was the repeated highlighting of the October 19 date on the calendar widget. Google often launches its Pixel phones in October, with last year’s Pixel 5 cutting it close on September 30.
If this date sounds familiar, it should. A report from leaker Jon Prosser earlier this month claimed that Google planned on opening the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro for pre-orders on October 19, with an event falling just before then, and this just adds fuel to that fire. Prosser also correctly predicted the launch date of the Pixel 5a 5G, albeit with a few minor foibles when it came to nailing down the hardware.
As for whether the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are worth looking forward to, that’s its own story. Google has set them up as its most powerful Android phones to date. From the screens to the chipset to even the camera hardware, Google looks eager to tussle with some of the best Android phones out there without relying on the pure power of its software prowess. For a company that shipped relatively underpowered hardware in the Pixel 5, this is certainly a welcome change.
When it launches, the Pixel 6 will have a 6.4-inch FHD 90Hz display with a dual-camera setup, while the Pixel 6 Pro will come with a 6.7-inch 120Hz display and a triple-camera setup. Google has yet to announce the pricing, but the company has assured us that they will come at a premium price point.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.