During today’s Google I/O event, the company gave us a quick teaser of what we can expect from its next revolutionary smartphone: The Pixel 7.
Although the focus was primarily on the Pixel products that are coming now — the Pixel 6a, Pixel Watch, and Pixel Buds Pro — Google also wants to make sure it’s whetting our appetites for the next big entry in its smartphone lineup.
While it’s not launching until later this year, we’d already heard enough to know not to expect any significant design changes, so today’s teaser didn’t include any real surprises. The Pixel 7 that Google showed off looks nearly indistinguishable from the Pixel 6, suggesting that Google has settled on this design as the look for its smartphones.
However, that doesn’t mean that Google isn’t enhancing the design in some exciting ways. At today’s event, it shared that the rear of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will move to a 100% recycled aluminum finish across the entire rear casing, including the camera bar. The polished and aluminum glass design promises to deliver an even classier look for Google’s flagship smartphone.
As expected, the Pixel 7 will be powered by Google’s next-generation Tensor chip, the second version of Google’s own silicon that builds on the original Tensor introduced with the Pixel 6. While this is being referred to as the “Tensor 2,” Google hasn’t announced its name just yet. The company did offer up that the Pixel 7 Pro will set a new standard for photography, performance, and design thanks to the powerful new chip that will power more heavy artificial intelligence processing for photography and video.
There have also been some indications that the Google Pixel 7 could adopt an under-display selfie camera for the first time, but the leaked renders we’ve seen have cast some doubt on that. Google didn’t mention this when it teased the new Pixel 7 at today’s event, and it conspicuously avoided showing us any images of the front of the Pixel 7.
The new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will ship with Android 13 standard. Google confirmed that it will arrive this fall, but hasn’t shared any pricing or other details on it just yet, so we’ll have to wait and see what else it has up its sleeve for its next major smartphone release.
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.