Google hosted its Pixel Fall Launch event today, officially announcing the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. After months of leaks and speculation, it was the first time Google was able to share the Pixel 6 with the public directly.
The event was scheduled for 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 19. In case you missed it, you can still watch the livestream below and on YouTube. Read on to learn how to watch the saved livestream and see what was announced.
As is the norm for 2021, this is not a public event, but a livestreamed one directly from Google’s headquarters. Google is no stranger to livestreamed events, and the fact that it owns YouTube means that it’s well-equipped to run it.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are the stars of Google’s event. These are Google’s most ambitious smartphones yet, with powerful new processors, durable build quality, and vibrant color options.
The Pixel 6 will be the standard Pixel for everyone, with a scratch-resistant 6.4-inch display. The Pixel 6 comes in three colors: Sorta Seafoam, Kinda Coral, and Stormy Black, and it starts at $599, confirming earlier leaks.
The Pixel 6 Pro is Google’s first flagship phone. It has a larger 6.7-inch QHD display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The triple-camera setup features a telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom, plus there’s an ultrawide front camera. The Pixel 6 Pro is available for order starting at $899.
Both Pixels will sport Google’s new Tensor chip. It will be the first Pixel phone to not launch with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip (and Google’s first non-Qualcomm phone since the 2011 Galaxy Nexus). Google Tensor is a powerful processor that enables more accurate speech recognition and translation, better photos, and more.
Google’s real strength is in software. The new Pixel Camera uses Google Tensor to take better photos with features like Magic Eraser and Face Unblur. Magic Eraser can remove unwanted people and object from photos, and Face Unblur uses A.I. to combine data from the phone’s multiple lenses and eliminate blurry faces.
Google worked with cinematographers, colorists, and photographers to develop Real Tone. It features better face detection that automatically tunes white balance and exposure, so portraits on Pixel will accurately represent all people and skin tones.
Pixel Pass is a new payment service that allows you to pay for new Pixel phone (and a slew of other Google services) over the course of two years. The plan starts at $45 per month for the Pixel 6 or $55 per month for the Pixel 6 Pro. Phones purchased with Pixel Pass are unlocked, so you can use whatever major carrier you prefer.
That’s everything Google announced at the Pixel Fall Launch, and here’s everything it didn’t announce.
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.