Apple sent out press invites for its highly anticipated iPhone 15 event yesterday. Just one day later, Google has now sent out invites for its latest Made by Google event happening this October — where we expect to see the Google Pixel 8.
You can see the invite above, which confirms that Google is holding an in-person event where it’s going to “introduce the latest additions to our Pixel portfolio of devices.” The event is happening on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, in New York City, and it will (presumably) be livestreamed for folks to watch at home.
Although the event doesn’t tease any of the upcoming announcements, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect. This is almost certainly where Google will announce the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro — the successors to last year’s Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro, respectively.
We don’t expect any drastic changes for the Pixel 8 series, though there are some notable upgrades to be on the lookout for. Specifically, we should get a new Tensor G3 processor for both phones, a slightly tweaked design, and a boost to 12GB RAM from the 8GB from last year.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is also likely to have a new temperature sensor on the back near its cameras. One leak shows the sensor acting as a thermometer to take someone’s temperature, which is … interesting. It seems like a pretty niche addition on paper, though we’re curious to see how it integrates with the Google Pixel Watch and maybe even the Fitbit app.
Speaking of the Pixel Watch, this October 4 event is where we will likely see the Google Pixel Watch 2. Rumors about the Pixel Watch 2 have been much harder to come by, but we’re expecting a similar design with under-the-hood upgrades targeting performance and battery life.
Google could also surprise us with updates to the Google Pixel Tablet, its Pixel Buds lineup, or maybe a brand new gadget entirely. But the Pixel 8 lineup and the Pixel Watch 2 will be the stars of the show, and we’ll be there to see everything that’s new.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.