At Google’s Fall Pixel Launch event, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were the highlights of the show. We also saw other announcements like Pixel Pass, which gives you regular upgrades, a subscription to Google Play Pass, and an extended warranty on your Pixel phone, as well as a new and more powerful Pixel charging stand.
What we didn’t see are a few products in need of an update or brand-new devices in certain spaces like wearables. This doesn’t mean we won’t see these products sometime in the future, but they just won’t be coming now. Here’s what Google didn’t announce at the fall Pixel launch event.
The Pixel Buds A-Series were released relatively recently, and the $99 Buds offer adaptive sound and an IPX4 sweat- and dust-resistance rating. While they don’t have active noise cancellation or a wireless charging case, they are an affordable option for anyone who wants true wireless earbuds that fit well in the ears.
At the Pixel Launch, some wondered if Google would announce a new version of the Pixel Buds. We didn’t get any new Buds yet, but we hope to see a new iteration of Pixel Buds in the near future. For now, if you’re looking for the best Pixel Buds available, we prefer the Pixel Buds 2 over the A-series.
Google’s Pixelbook Go was incredibly well-received when it came out in 2019 after the original Pixelbook (2017). The Pixelbook Go had a comfortable keyboard and a stellar battery life, making it a user-friendly device for light work and daily use.
We thought now would be a good time to announce a new Pixelbook, given the increase in working and schooling at home over the last year and a half, but for whatever reason, Google did not announce a new Pixelbook at its Fall event. This could be related to the chip shortage, so we’ll hold out hope for next year.
Google came out with a Pixel Slate Tablet in 2018, which was a 2-in-1 Chrome OS tablet that’s now discontinued, but is still available at some retailers. While there were a few whispers of a potential new tablet due to rumors of a patent, we didn’t see any announcements of a new Pixel tablet at the Fall Launch Event.
With the Pixel 6 Pro’s display clocking in at 6.7 inches, the line between phone and tablet continues to blur as phone screen sizes get larger. Also, with the Pixel Fold rumored to have an even larger display, this line will blur even more.
Although a lot of news and rumors have been circulating about a Pixel Watch, we’ve been hearing these rumors since 2019. Once again, Google didn’t release a Pixel Watch at its 2021 Fall Launch event, but we’re still hoping to see one soon. It would certainly be interesting to see a more traditional Google version of Wear OS 4 compared to the heavily Samsung-influenced one we got with the Galaxy Watch 4 and Classic.
Although we expect to see a Pixel Fold phone coming in the near future, which would add a lot of excitement to the lineup, it wasn’t announced during the Pixel Fall Launch. The Pixel Fold is rumored to have a 7.6-inch display at 120Hz, but beyond that, we don’t know much. However, there is reason to be hopeful since the Android 12.1 release is clearly optimized for foldable and large-screen devices. We’ll continue to provide updates as we learn more.
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.