The Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are on the cusp of being officially revealed, with the Pixel Fall Launch event set for October 19. But new renders from reliable leaker Evan Blass leave little to the imagination, reducing the odds of any major surprises. Showing off everything from Face Unlock to the new Pixel Stand and even cases, the renders show that the Pixel 6 may very well be Google’s best phone yet in terms of both software and hardware.
The new leak doesn’t as much show us new things as it does flesh out little details we already knew. Android 12 and Material You, for example, look great on the Pixel 6 based on the renders. The company is making the Pixel interface feel a little more familiar to those coming from iOS and other Android skins by switching to a four-icon layout by default and moving to a rounder interface than it used previously. The color choices Google’s chosen for the hardware also blend well with the pastel-inspired software theming, as we’ve seen from previous showings.
https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/1446002208793845765?s=20
One thing that is new here is what appears to be the confirmation of a facial unlock system. This is a feature that Google had adopted and then dropped from the Pixel line between the Pixel 4 and Pixel 5. While its gesture system, Soli, isn’t making a comeback, Google seems to be bringing a reworked facial recognition to the Pixel. The company’s new chip, Tensor, will likely play a role in ensuring that it stays secure. Aside from that, what appears to be a new Pixel Stand is shown off, as well as a new style of Pixel case that differs from the fabric cases Google used to offer.
The Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro are expected to make their debut on October 19 at an online Pixel Fall Launch livestream that the company announced earlier. There, we’ll finally see Google explain everything else we don’t already know. A retailer leak from Germany has already confirmed the earlier reported pricing and street date of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, as well as the tempting (but expected) pre-order discounts and deals Google will offer with this phone.
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.