On Wednesday (Oct. 4), Google is taking the wraps off its next smartphone along with a host of other revamped products.
This year, we’ve seen a clear trend of smartphones ditching the humble bezel. Flagship handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and iPhone X have been dominated by screen, signaling a futuristic design trend that’s only going to become more popular in the next few years.
Pixelbook laptop and more Google Home speakers are google next products. These devices are expected to launch on October 4th.
Google recently penned a $1.1bn deal with HTC to “expand its smartphone business”, and it seems HTC will be responsible for building the Pixel 2. Rumors suggest that the Pixel 2 will look much the same as 2016’s Pixel. Codenamed ‘Walleye’ behind the scenes, various reports are saying the Pixel 2 will offer 4GB of Ram, 64GB or 128GB of storage and a 5-inch display. It will have a 2,700mAh battery, and that Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL buyers will also get ‘unlimited Google Cloud storage until 2023’.
HTC may be working on the Pixel 2, but it’s LG that apparently has the job of building the Pixel 2 XL. Of course, the XL will have a larger display than its smaller sibling; Android Police reckons the XL will have a 5.99-inch screen. Reports say it’ll be powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor (the same as the Pixel 2), backed by 4GB of Ram.
You’ll spot a fingerprint sensor on the back of the smartphone that sits underneath a single camera. None of the rumors or ‘leaks’ we’ve seen mention a dual-lens camera system for the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL. The battery on the XL should be bigger than that of the Pixel 2: 3,520mAh compared to the Pixel 2’s rumored 2,700mAh battery. It’s thought the Pixel 2 XL will be available with 64GB or 128GB of internal storage.
Then there’s the new Google Pixelbook, which looks kind of like a Google-branded Surface Book running Chrome OS. It looks to be priced starting at $1,199 for a model with 128GB of storage, and going up to $1,749 for one with a 512GB drive. The main difference between the new Pixelbook and Google’s previous Chromebooks is that this model has a 360-degree hinge that will let it transform into a tablet, along with a touch-sensitive screen with built-in stylus support. It seems Google will even make its own PixelBook Pen, which should arrive as a $99 optional accessory.
A smaller version of Google Home called Home Mini is the most likely. Set to go against the Echo Dot, the alleged leaked images show an adorable little speaker that comes in three colors and has swappable fabric covers similar to the original Home. There’s talk of a larger Home Max with stereo speakers too, though we know little about its potential features (or if it even exists).
There is a chance to Google to update AR core to AR. This is Google’s answer to Apple’s ARKit, and the replacement for Google’s Tango AR project. Instead of working with third-party phone makers to make AR-centric phones with multiple rear-cameras (like the Lenovo Phab 2 Proand Asus ZenFone AR), ARCore will allow developers to use existing phones with single cameras to build AR games and content.
It’s been two years since the company overhauled its streaming Chromecast stick, not counting the incremental update that was the Chromecast Ultra. We’d also love to hear updates about Google’s nifty Lens AR technology, which stole the show at Google’s I/O developer conference this May.