Google is fond of introducing Assistant features alongside new devices, and that's true for the Pixel 7. Among other upgrades, the new phone now lets you mute incoming calls just by saying "silence." You don't have to let the call ring if you can't (or just don't want to) reach for your handset.
You'll also get transcription directly in Messages, so you don't have to play an audio clip in a quiet room. It should be easier to record your company meetings, too. The Pixel 7's Recorder app will "soon" provide speaker labels to transcribe each person's words separately. You'll know if it was your boss or a coworker who suggested an idea.
It's not clear when or if these features will reach non-Pixel hardware. Google sometimes keeps them as exclusives, but is known to sometimes make them more broadly available to Android users after a few months' wait.
Other phone-oriented improvements are subtler. Voice typing now automatically suggests emoji, and supports additional languages that include French, Italian and Spanish.
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As Google details all the camera, processor and security updates coming to its new Pixel 7 phones and its very first smartwatch, it also noted that more recycled materials have been used in its latest hardware. With the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro the frames are now made of 100-percent-recycled aluminum, while the Pixel Watch housing uses 80-percent-recycled steel. (Google clarified on Twitter that recycled aluminum apparently makes up to 11 percent of the product, based on weight.)
It goes a little further, too, with Pixel Watch fabric bands made from 100-percent-recycled yarn. According to Google's visualization, the company has folded in some recycled plastics.
Sustainability guides us—from product design to manufacturing and beyond.
🪴 New #Pixel phones include 100% recycled aluminum¹
After being teased back at I/O 2022, today Google announced the new Pixel 7 starting at just $599 featuring a refreshed design, a Tensor G2 chip and a bunch of new photo and video enhancements.
Available in three colors (snow, obsidian and lemongrass), the new Pixel 7 sports a familiar design including a big camera bar in back, a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus in front and the same IP 68 water resistance we got on last year's devices. That said, for 2022, Google has made a few tweaks including merging the camera bar with the frame of the phone for increased durability. On top of that, while the Pixel 7 Pro will get slightly more premium-feeling polished metal sides, the Pixel 7 gets a less shiny matte aluminum finish.
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Interestingly, another notable design change is that with a 6.3-inch 2400 x 1080 OLED display, the standard Pixel 7 is actually a tiny bit smaller than the outgoing 6.4-inch Pixel 6.
On the inside, the Pixel 7 will be powered by the new Tensor G2 chip, which helps support a number of new machine learning and software features.By leveraging the Tensor G2's next-gen TPU, Google says low-light image processing using Night Sight is two times faster compared to the previous generation. The Tensor G2 chip also supports an improved Face Unblur function in the Pixel 7's camera, while also unlocking a new Photo Unblur feature that allows the phone to sharpen photos (including previously taken pics or images captured by other devices) — all using local processing only.
As for its cameras, the Pixel 7 gets two shooters in back: a 50MP main lens and a 12MP ultra-wide with a 114-degree field of view.
Elsewhere, one interesting new feature is the expansion of the Pixel's Direct my Call Feature, which provides a handy touch menu for navigating those annoying automated voice messages you often run into when calling a big business. Previously, the issue with Direct my Call was that the phone needed to hear all the different options before being able to create a text-based menu on your screen. But now, by caching responses from the top 1,000 businesses (US only for now), the Pixel 7 can provide a menu right away, saving you time and frustration.
Finally, in a somewhat unusual move, alongside its new flagship phones, Google previewed some of the new software arriving in the next Pixel feature drop, which is slated for release sometime in December. In a big upgrade for anyone who uses the Pixel Recorder app, Google is adding automatic speaker labels will to audio transcripts.
Additionally, similar to what you get on the new Pixel Buds Pro, the company is also planning to provide a Clear Calling feature designed to help reduce potentially distracting background sounds. Lastly, in a big upgrade to privacy and security, Google will also give all Pixel 7 owners access to a free VPN via Google One that's good for the life of the device.
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With a new batch of Pixel phones comes a new chip at the heart of them all: Google's Tensor G2. Like last year's Tensor, the company's first custom mobile chip, it's an AI-infused powerhouse built specifically around the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro's new features. It'll also be joined with a revamped Titan M2 chip, which deals with on-device security.
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On stage during its Pixel launch event, Google VP Brian Rakowski said the Tensor G2 will power the Pixel 7's voice capabilities, including faster Assistant queries, as well as voice translation, voice typing, and more. He noted that voice typing is around two and a half times faster than using the keyboard, making it a feature that more people are relying on. You'll even be able to visually describe emojis, like asking for the "heart eyes cat," while voice typing.
The Tensor G2 chip features two "Big" CPU cores, two "Medium" cores and four "Small" cores, like its predecessor. Clock speeds are only a hair higher — literally just 5MHz and 10Mhz across the Big and Medium cores — and Google is sticking with the Arm Cortex X1 and A55 chips with the Big and Small cores. The only major update? The Tensor G2's Medium core now uses an Arm A78 instead of an A76. Google says the G2 is also running a "next-generation" TPU AI accelerator.
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evicdGoogle’s Pixel Watch has been in the works for years, and Google’s been quite happy to drop hints about what it’s been cooking up. (Admittedly, having an employee leave a prototype in a restaurant will also help knock some of the wind out of any surprise you may have planned.) Today, however, is the first time that Google has really lifted the lid on its new flagship wearable, and the first time we can see if it can make up for so many false starts in the watch race.
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The first thing Google has revealed is that the watch has a domed crystal which looks very bulbous, distinct from many other watches on the market. The benefit of such a domed design is that it makes the bezel looks almost invisible, reducing the clunkiness of the look. In addition, the company has outlined that the watch will be available in black, silver or what appears to be a rose gold finish, all of which can connect to a wide variety of bands, which attach not with the usual lug system, but with an internal set of mounting grooves. And that the devices are all made with recycled stainless steel.
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If you've been using an Xbox Series X or Series S for a while, there's a good chance you're running out of room for games. Thankfully, you won't have to pay as much as usual to get some breathing room. Amazon is once again selling Seagate's 1TB Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S for $200, or $20 off. The 2TB edition is also on sale for $360 ($40 off) if you need more capacity.
While you can certainly find more affordable external hard drives if you're mainly interested in archiving content or playing Xbox One titles, Seagate's card is your only option if you want to play Xbox Series X/S games directly from expanded storage. It's just as fast as the console's built-in SSD, and it's designed to easily plug in without having to pry open your system.
This isn't a trivial expense. You're paying most of the price of an Xbox Series S, after all. However, Seagate's add-on could easily be worth the investment if you would rather not spend your days deleting and reinstalling games as your collection evolves — you can keep an old favorite ready to play at a moment's notice.
Google's hardware launch event takes place today at 10am ET, and Team Engadget is covering it live from Brooklyn, New York. Deputy editor Cherlynn Low and Sam Rutherford will be there taking in the company's announcements live, and we'll post the breaking news here (and maybe some jokes. Just a few.) We'll also share pictures from the event of any fun or newsworthy behind-the-scenes happening. Stick around!
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After months of teases and leaks, Google is finally ready to show off the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Watch. Those who are curious about what Google has in store can find out the full details as soon as the company announces them by watching the Pixel Event livestream. The festivities start at 10AM ET and you can watch via the video embedded below.
Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low and Senior Reporter Sam Rutherford will be breaking down the news as it happens on our live blog. We'll have full coverage of everything you need to know from the showcase on our Pixel 7 event page as well.
Google has already confirmed that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will run on a next-gen Tensor chip and Android 13. The Pixel Watch, meanwhile, is the first smartwatch that Google has designed and built in-house. It will blend Google features with Fitbit's health and fitness knowhow, and have an overhauled Wear OS experience.
It might be worth keeping close tabs on the event if you're already interested in buying a Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel Watch or new Nest device (Google will have some announcements on that front too). All the devices that Google will show off during the event are going on sale today.
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Amazon has been slashing the prices of its own products over the past few days as we approach its second Prime Day event for the year. After holding a sale for its Fire tablets, Kindle Paperwhite and Fire TVs, the company is now also selling the Eero Pro 6E tri-band mesh WiFi devices at heavily discounted prices. Among all the options available, the three-pack bundle of Eero devices seems to be the standout deal — at $419, it's even cheaper than the pack with two nodes that's currently selling for $499. That's also $280 or 40 percent lower than its usual price, and it's the lowest we've seen the three-pack go for on the website.
This is the first Eero model to support WiFi 6E, which allows eligible devices to access a new 6 GHz band. Amazon said 6E support results in lower latency across the network, so even devices that don't support the extended standard will stand to benefit from the capability. The model supports network speeds of up to 2.3 Gbps, can cover up to 6,000 sq ft of space and can handle over 100 connected devices. Eero also uses TrueMesh technology to route traffic in order to reduce drop-offs and prevent dead spots. In addition to serving as a mesh router, Eero Pro 6E can be used as a smart home hub, allowing you to control compatible Thread and Zigbee devices with Alexa voice commands.
While the three-pack bundle is obviously the best deal you can get, you can also purchase one node at a discount. A single Eero Pro 6E node will set you back $179, which is $120 less than its regular price. The single node option has been widely available at that price over the past few days, but the discounted three-pack deal is only available today exclusively for Amazon Prime subscribers.
Uber has signed a 10-year agreement to use autonomous Ioniq 5 EVs from Hyundai's Motional for ride-hailing and deliveries, the companies announced. The vehicles will be "strategically deployed" in cities around the US and start offering passenger rides later this year.
"This agreement will be instrumental to the wide scale adoption of robotaxis," said Motional CEO Karl Iagnemma. "Motional now has unparalleled access to millions of riders and a roadmap to scale significantly over the next ten years."
The companies are already working together. Late last year, Uber announced that it would test autonomous food delivery with Motional (a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv) sometime in 2022. Motional is also working with Lyft, having started public tests in Las Vegas and Los Angeles back in August with the ride-hailing firm. (Uber used to have its own autonomous vehicle division called Advanced Technologies Group, but sold it to Aurora Innovation back in 2020.)
Uber will provide Motional with data to help it best allocate and position vehicles. In turn, Motional said its autonomous vehicles will allow for "reduced vehicle downtime and unnecessary miles traveled." It'll also supposedly lead to a better customer experience, with lower wait times and fares.
We've heard similar promises before, but so far, only Alphabet division Waymo and GM's Cruise are offering true driverless services at a reasonably large scale. The Waymo One service is operating in Phoenix and San Francisco, while Cruise rides are currently limited to San Francisco. Both operate only in specific areas of cities and some vehicles still use safety riders.
Motional got off to a later start than both those companies, but has completed more than 100,000 autonomous rides in Las Vegas using previous versions of its vehicles on the Lyft network, it said in August. However, the companies plan to ramp that up soon. "The scope of this partnership shows the important role that shared autonomous vehicles will play in the future of transportation, and in Uber’s strategy to be the global platform to help you go anywhere and get anything," said Uber's autonomous driving chief Noah Zych.
