The annual Google I/O event has borne fruit.Googlehas once again announced its upcoming line of phones, which will be available starting later this year. This year there will be three different phones to choose from. It starts with the Pixel 6a, an iteration of the current Pixel 6 series of phones, that will be available in July. Then there areGoogle’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. The next-generation Pixel smartphones will be available later this year.Unfortunately, Google shared very little information about the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones during the presentation on Wednesday. What was confirmed is that both the 7 and 7 Pro phones will feature Google’s new iteration of the Tensor chip. Further, both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will ship with Android 13, the latest version of theAndroid OS. Specifications will have to wait until Google shares more information on the 7 and 7 Pro later this year.RELATED:Google Pixel Fold Phone Could Release This YearHowever, Google did share some high-fidelity photographs of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro from which some assumptions can be made. The design is akin to thePixel 6 and 6 Profrom 2021, with a raised “camera bar” across the back of the phone where its cameras can be seen. The bar on the new phones is now metallic, though, and is a part of the 7 and 7 Pro’s aluminum housing. Also, like the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, the 7 has two rear cameras while the 7 Pro will feature three.
More details were shared about the Pixel 6a, with pre-orders confirmed to begin on July 21 with a starting price of $449 and shipping to begin a week later. The Pixel 6a features a 6.1-inch OLED 1080p resolution screen with a 60Hz refresh rate. Its battery hits 4,400mAh, below theSamsung Galaxy A53 5Gbut over twice as impressive as the latest iPhone SE. The front camera hits 8 megapixels while the rear camera hit 12.2, again below Samsung’s comparable phone but ahead of Apple’s. Storage starts at 128GB, and the 6a will be available in White, Green, and Black. No battery charger will be included with purchase.
The Pixel 6a appears to be aimed at improving over the similarly priced third-generationiPhone SE phone. It offers improvements in specifications across the board compared to its iPhone counterpart but also lacks features the iPhone lacks, like microSD support and a headphone jack. The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G and Moto G Stylus 5G, on the other hand, are also similarly priced, have better specifications, and have more features overall. Google’s eye appears to be on Apple alone.
In addition to the Pixel 6a, as well as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, Google also made several other announcements during its Google I/O event. Google will be releasing its very first watch, the Pixel Watch, later this year. There are also plans to launch a Pixel Tablet in 2023, as well as a premium set of earbuds, the $199 Pixel Buds Pro, which arrive alongside the Pixel 6a. Stay tuned for more Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro official details from Google later this year.
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