Google IO 2022 has just kicked off and like every year, the latest edition of Google’s annual developer conference was packed with quite a few new updates. So what’s on the lineup from Google this year? Here’s a rundown of some of the most notable announcements from the keynote.
Pixel 6A and 7 is on the way
Following months of rumors, the Pixel 6A is finally official. Google’s budget version of its Pixel lineup will release its latest entry in July housing the same tensor chip. Though it will feature a comparatively smaller 6.1-inch OLED 1080p display and a standard 60Hz refresh rate. Further, the Pixel 6A comes with a 4,400mAh battery, which is actually smaller than its predecessor.
Another noticeable difference from the 6 and the 6 Pro models is the 12-megapixel main rear camera (same as Pixel 5A) instead of the 50-megapixel camera found on the Pixel 6.
The phone’s priced at $449, which translates to roughly LKR 162,000 (yeah, it’s a budget phone) and it will be available in several countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and United States.
But the 6A isn’t the only phone coming up. The Pixel 7 and the 7 Pro will also debut later this year. While Google hasn’t shared any spec details yet, it did show a preview of what the phone will look like. The teaser showed the same design format for the most part, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the Pixel 6 has outsold both the 4 and 5 combined.
Pixel Watch
Years after speculation, Google has entered the smartwatch market. Google did briefly consider a Pixel-branded smartwatch back in 2016 when it first unveiled the first Pixel. But the idea was scrapped as Google was skeptical about the product’s feasibility at the time. But come 2022, the Pixel Smartwatch features a distinctive, yet familiar circular design with a tactile crown and a side button. The watch will be powered by an improved Wear OS 3 and will have tight integrations with Fitbit, which was to be expected sooner or later after Google acquired the company for $2.1 billion in 2019.
While there are no specific details about the device unveiled yet, the Pixel Watch will require a Google account and an Android device running version 8.0 or later. This means that the smartwatch is an Android exclusive.
Pixel Buds Pro anyone?
It’s not just the smartwatch, Google now has its own version of the Airpods Pro too. Priced at $199 (~LKR72,000), the Pixel Buds Pro features active noise cancellation and supports Bluetooth multipoint. Additionally, the company also stated that spatial audio headtracking is also in the works.
Google Glasses makes a comeback, sort of
Google showcased a pair of AR glasses that acts as a real-time translator during a conversation. So if you’re speaking to someone and don’t understand the language, the glasses will automatically translate the conversation for you.
A whole bunch of AI upgrades
There was a lot of AI updates that Google introduced. Here are a few of them:
- Auto-generated translations are coming to YouTube on mobile.
- You no longer have to say “Hey Google” to kickstart Google Assistant. Instead, you can use certain phrases.
- Mutlisearch feature is expanding, which essentially lets you search things on multiple axes.
- Scene exploration will let users operate multisearch with the camera where more relevant details will be overlaid on it.
Privacy features
This year, the tech giant has tried to show that it’s serious about privacy. One was its continuous push for going passwordless through its mechanisms such as the two-step verification process. Another addition was the expansion of its AI-powered phishing protections to other Google products such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
There’s also Google’s Virtual Card feature that will replace your payment card number with a virtual number whenever you autofill details on Chrome and Android.
Google also said that its launching My Ad Center. This will essentially let users manage ads privacy settings and allow filtering based on preference.
Android 13 is here
Compared to Android 12, this looks to be a further refinement of what Google has already announced with the latest Android version. Specifically, the company looks to double down on its Material You theme, along with some security, privacy, and accessiblity features.
For those interested, Android 13 Beta is currently available for select devices. You can check it out here.
Of course, there were tons of other announcements from the day’s keynote address ranging from the upcoming Pixel tablet in 2023 to Google Wallet that aims to replace your actual wallet. If you care to dive a little deeper into all the things google announced, you can check out the full list here.
Though it’s unclear how much of these announced products and services will be readily available to the Sri Lankan market. The current economic crisis only makes it even more unlikely to expect any of these new hardware to become widely available, or even affordable for that matter. Still, it will be interesting to see how these products and services will impact markets like Sri Lanka in the time to come.
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