It’s been a wild few weeks for consumer hardware news, but it seems the season is finally winding down. We’ve already seen big events from Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, and now it’s time for Google to get in on the action. After all, being fashionably late to consumer electronics is kind of Google’s thing.
Spoilers are kind of Google’s other thing. Rather than attempting to shut down leaks and rumors, Google has leaned in. In fact, the company has already announced and revealed pictures and specs of the two marquee devices we’ll be seeing at its event on Wednesday, October 4 at 10 AM ET.
In fact, if you go to the Google Store right now, you’ll see a giant ad for the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Google Watch 2. Clicking through, you’ll find additional photos and a little more information. On the Pixel 8 front, the company continues sticking with the design language it laid out with the Pixel 6, though the corners are more rounded and the 8 Pro drops the secondary hole in the camera bar.
The landing page also highlights existing software features like Magic Eraser and Live Translate. Nothing new there, but both are still bleeding edge compared with much of the rest of the industry. An image of the Pixel Watch 2, meanwhile, shows little if anything in the way of design changes.
“Pair it with your new Pixel phone to get even more personalized help, safety features, and health insights,” Google writes, seemingly alluding to some new health features — no surprise there.
The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are reportedly arriving with 6.2- and 6.7-inch displays, respectively, along with a sizable bump in brightness. The 8 Pro is said to max out at a whopping 2,400 nits of brightness that could go a ways toward making the handset that much more readable in direct sunlight.
The most bizarrely plausible rumor on the Pixel 8 front is a new thermometer feature. Soon your phone could be used to read your temperature. Why not? Another nice potential addition for the phone is seven years of Android software support. The arrival of the Google Tensor G3 seems like a no-brainer, as well.
The Pixel 8 an Pixel 8 Pro are apparently getting more expensive, as well, to the tune of $699 and $999 to start, respectively. That would mean they both get a not insignificant $100 price increase. Preorders begin the day of the event (October 4) and they would start shipping the 12th.
The Pixel Watch 2, meanwhile, is said to start at $349, which would put it right in line with the first-gen product. Google could also include the Watch 2 as part of a bundle, if you preorder the Pixel 8 Pro — not a bad deal, TBH.
The above video also features a glimpse at a new sensor many believe is electrodermal. That would make sense, given that Fitbit’s Versa watches have used the sensor to determine stress levels for several years now.
I’ve not heard much in the way of Home/Nest rumors. In fact, things have been extremely quiet on that front for several years. It seems Google’s smart home ambitions have been sidelined temporarily or permanently in the wake of economic headwinds and other global woes. As for Pixel Buds, new colors seem like a possibility. It seems likely the company would have included the headphones in it own hardware teases if something more substantial was on the way.
Whatever the case, TechCrunch will be live at the Manhattan event on October 4, bringing you the news as it breaks.
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