Overnight, Google officially launched its latest line of Pixel 7 phones along with the all-new Google Pixel Watch. These will be joined by a Pixel tablet, which will be released next year, and form a complete ecosystem of phones, wearables, headphones and tables. Here’s what you need to know.
Google Pixel Watch
The Pixel Watch is designed to take the health and fitness tracking features of Fitbit, which Google acquired, and combine them with the smarts and convenience of Google apps and the Google Assistant.
The watch has a more conventional circular shape rather than the square design of the Apple Watch Series 8, and features a touchscreen and rotating digital crown. The scratch-resistant 3D domed glass blends into the aluminum body and it’s waterproof up to 50 meters.
There’s already been feedback about the Pixel Watch’s large bezels surrounding the screen and taking up too much space, where the screen would otherwise have to be able to stretch to the edges. Still, the 1.2-inch AMOLED display is bright enough for daytime viewing, with a 1000-nit rating. The screen is also capable of an “always on” mode, similar to the Apple Watch 8 and Samsung Watch5.
The Pixel Watch only comes in one size, 41mm, and there are three colors to choose from, including Matt Black, Champaign Gold, and Polished Silver. You can also mix and match the style and color of your bracelet.
In the box you get the Google Pixel Watch, active band in large and small sizes, USB-C magnetic charging cable and quick start guide.
As expected, the Pixel Watch will help you get things done with Google Assistant, Maps, Wallet, Calendar and Gmail all supported.
There’s also a 4G LTE option, which means you can stay connected even when you leave your phone at home.
And thanks to deep integration with Fitbit, there are 40 exercise modes to track workouts and all-day activities, including steps, distance with built-in GPS and active zone minutes, to help you push harder.
Google Pixel Watch starts at $549 (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi) and is available from the Google Store, Officeworks, and Harvey Norman. The 4G LTE version is available for $649 from the Google Store and Telstra. Accessory bands start from $69. Pre-order the Pixel Watch today or pick it up in-store starting October 13.
Google Pixel 7 Pro
The new Google Pixel 7 Pro sits at the top of the line and offers a truly impressive alternative to Apple, Samsung and other Android phones.
The Pixel 7 Pro builds on the positive reputation of the Pixel 6 Pro. This year, the Pixel 7 Pro comes with a smooth 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED display and a sleek design made from 100% recycled and polished aluminum.
Color choices for this year’s phones include snow, obsidian, and a new hazelnut color.
Also new is Google’s latest Tensor G2 chip. Like Apple, which also manufactures its own processor, the Tensor G2 is designed to deliver high-powered AI processing while being power efficient to maximize battery life.
Google explains that with Tensor G2: “…we’ve improved almost every major subsystem on the chip, and we’ve designed them to work very well together to handle the nuanced and complex nature of our software and machine learning. So your smartphone is even smarter, especially when it comes to understanding speech and language. »
This helps drive new translation features, including Live Translate, where you can interpret face-to-face conversations in 48 languages, chat in real time, and translate menus with your camera.
Texting is also easier now with the help of the voice typing assistant, which turns your speech into text and automatically suggests relevant emojis for your messages. Emojis can now also be searched with your voice.
The new adaptive battery feature should be able to last over 24 hours, with fast charging up to 50% capacity in around 30 minutes.
Photo characteristics
Google touts the Pixel 7 Pro as the “best photo-taking experience yet.” Standout photography features include:
- Super resolution zoom – it lets you take clear shots up to 30x from its 5x telephoto lens without the need for a tripod. Google says the system is designed to achieve optical quality similar to a 10x telephoto lens, giving you the flexibility to creatively frame your shot at multiple magnifications while maintaining high image quality. Super Res Zoom can also take a 2x photo using genuine super resolution techniques.
- Night vision – Thanks to machine language and the new Tensor G2 chip, night photos are sharper and can be captured in half the time. Google says updates to HDR+ with Bracketing help reduce noise and reduce motion blur.
- Unblur photos – this harnesses the machine learning power of the Tensor G2 chip to remove blur from photos captured on the Pixel 7, but it also supports older photos.
- your real – Improved from its previous iteration, this captures realistic skin tones, especially with darker skin. Google says it has created more than 10,000 new portraits on Pixel 7 to improve Real Tone with help from partners around the world.
- macro-zoom – Like the iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, the Pixel 7 Pro has a Macro Focus mode for capturing ultra close-up shots. Google says the upgraded ultra-wide lens is 21% wider than the Pixel 7’s, and it also has autofocus, which powers Macro Focus. The Pixel 7 Pro can focus on a subject as close as three centimeters, making small objects appear life-size.
- Guided frame – It helps people who are blind or visually impaired to take selfies with confidence. The system provides “…a combination of audio cues with high-contrast animations and haptic feedback to help capture a selfie.”
- Cinematic blur – like the art-focused cinematic blur of the iPhone, it helps create a soft background behind the subjects you’re shooting. The Pixel 7 Pro can record 4K video at 60fps on all cameras, even the front, and uses speech enhancement to isolate the person speaking. There are advances in active video stabilization too, and 10-bit HDR 10 video recording is supported.
Google Pixel 7
Google’s Pixel 7 is reminiscent of the Pixel 6, but a bit more compact. It features a 6.3-inch 90Hz display with a punch-hole camera cutout, a matte aluminum enclosure made from 100% recycled content, and durable Victus Gorilla Glass on the front and back. back. Colors include Snow, Obsidian, and all-new Lemongrass.
The Pixel 7 also sports Google’s powerful and efficient Tensor G2 chip, along with 8GB of RAM and a dual-camera system. The camera system supports most of the features of the Pixel 7 Pro, including Real Tone, Guided Frame, Photo Unblur and improved low-light shots thanks to “HDR+ with bracketing”. There’s also the new 2x photo mode, Cinematic Blur and has wide and ultra-wide lenses. What it doesn’t get is the advanced and 21% wider ultra-wide lens, the new macro focus mode as well as the 5x zoom that maxes out at 30x with Super Zoom technology. .
Prices, sales dates and availability
The Pixel 7 costs $999, with the Pixel 7 Pro starting at $1,299. We think both Pixel 7 models offer great value with an impressive selection of cutting-edge features and technology. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will be on sale from October 13 and available on the Google Store, JB HI-FI, Telstra, Vodafone, Officeworks and Harvey Norman, and soon on Optus. Google says that “you can also order Made by Google cases or from a wide assortment of Made for Google partners, all of which are available through both the Google Store and our retail channels.”
