Category: Technology

Google just announced the Pixel 10 Pro Fold smartphone at the Made by Google event. This latest foldable offers some novel features, especially when compared to rival handsets like the recently-released Galaxy Z Fold 7.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold offers an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. This is pretty significant for dust, as the Z Fold 7 has just an IP48 rating. IP68 is a good rating and essentially means that the unit will be completely dustproof and can withstand being submerged in water deeper than one meter for around 30 minutes. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold offered an IPX8 rating, which is the same metric for water but a much poorer rating for dust.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold also includes Qi2 wireless charging, and it’s the first foldable to offer this feature. That’ll pair nicely with Google’s just-announced PixelSnap platform, which is the company’s answer to Apple’s MagSafe.

The general specs are solid here. It ships with a 6.4-inch external OLED display and an 8-inch internal display when unfolded. The hinge is made from high-grade aluminum alloy and the external display features a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover.

The battery lasts for around 24 hours, but Google’s Extreme Battery Saver software can extend that all the way up to 84 hours. We’ll have to test that when we run the handset through its paces. It can also charge up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes.

There’s a triple rear camera system, including a 48MP wide lens, a 10.5MP ultrawide lens with macro focus and a 10.8MP telephoto lens. It ships with a Google Tensor G5 chip, 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB in storage.

The bad news? The Pixel 10 Pro Fold won’t be available until October 9, while the other Pixel phones drop on August 29. Like most foldables, this handset is on the expensive side. Prices start at $1,799.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-pixel-10-pro-fold-offers-improved-dust-resistance-and-qi2-wireless-charging-160052381.html?src=rss 

Google just announced the Pixel Watch 4 at the Made by Google event. The upcoming smartwatch features a newly-designed domed display that’s ten percent larger than the Pixel Watch 3’s screen. It can also reach 3,000 nits of brightness.

The battery life is impressive here, with the company saying it should last up to 40 hours per charge. That’s enough time to use the watch all day and night, for those who want to track their sleep every once in a while. It also offers 25 percent faster charging when compared to the previous model.

The Pixel Watch 4 gives customers access to SOS satellite communications, which lets users connect to emergency services via the device. This works even when cellular and Wi-Fi coverage isn’t available. The feature first launched with the Pixel 9 series of smartphones.

It’s the first smartwatch by Google “designed with serviceability in mind.” This means that it’s easier to replace the battery and screen. The Pixel Watch 4 tracks over 40 exercises, including yoga and kickboxing. There’s an AI-based personal fitness coach that arrives first for Fitbit Premium users after the watch launches.

As for health metrics, the smartwatch has an ECG app and offers irregular heart rhythm notifications. There’s also a brand-new feature that detects when a heart stops beating, which automatically connects users to emergency services. All health metrics can be tracked via an integrated dashboard.

Of course, the watch was designed with Google Gemini in mind. There’s a new speaker for communication and a raise-to-talk functionality. The company says that Gemini will leverage data “from apps across your device” to answer questions. 

The Pixel Watch 4 comes in two sizes (41mm and 45mm) and integrates with a full range of accessories, including various bands. The company is introducing new watch faces and changed up the design of some pre-existing watch faces. It’ll be available for purchase on October 9, with prices starting at $349. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-pixel-watch-4-offers-better-battery-life-and-easier-screen-replacements-160053246.html?src=rss 

Software has always been an integral part of the Pixel experience, and that’s not changing with the new Pixel 10 family. At its Made by Google event today in New York, Google detailed a suite of new machine learning and AI features that will debut with the Pixel 10 series before making their way to earlier models.   

The first new tool most people are likely to encounter is Magic Cue. As you’re texting your friends, Gemini Nano, Google’s private on-device model, will populate the conversation with contextual suggestions. For example, if a friend asks about a dinner reservation you two made last week, the Pixel 10 will display a shortcut you can tap to send them a Google Maps listing. Magic Cue depends on there being a digital paper trail to work. You can long press the shortcuts it generates to see where Gemini sourced the information it’s relaying to you. In the case of the example above, it may have come from your personal Gmail. 

The feature has extensions throughout Android. For instance, if a family member texts you about a flight you two are about to take, Magic Cue will not only provide the number of the airline, it will also display information about your flight on screen for easy reference.     

On the Discover page, which you can access on nearly every Android device by swiping to the leftmost page of your phone’s home screen, there’s a new shortcut to a feature called the Daily Hub. Like Samsung’s Now Brief, it’s a page with an AI-generated summary of the upcoming day. At the top, you’ll see a greeting, with a weather forecast and and any upcoming events on your calendar. Below that, there will be a list of reminders pulled from Gmail, Keep and other Google apps. If you keep scrolling, you’ll also find recommended articles and videos from YouTube.  

For those who also want to reflect at the end of their day, there’s a new Journal app too. It has AI features built throughout. For instance, as you’re writing an entry, it will automatically suggest images to include from your photo library. Additionally, the app will attempt to automatically categorize your entries based on topics you’ve designated. Google has used emoji for this part of the interface, which make it easy to see at a glance what you wrote about from the app’s monthly view.       

Over in Photos, Google has introduced a feature called Conversational Editing. It allows you to tweak an image by describing to your phone how you want it modified. For example, say you took a selfie of yourself in a busy tourist location. You can tell Photos — using your voice, your phone’s on-screen keyboard or a suggested prompt — to edit all the strangers out of the scene. After a few moments, the on-device model will produce a new image, with the original displayed alongside it so you can compare the two. It’s possible to build multiple edits on top of one another, and if you don’t like the latest edit, you can go back. 

In the camera app, there are a handful of new AI features. First, there’s Camera Coach, which will examine the shot you’re about to snap. It will read the scene and make suggestions on the angle and lighting to use, as well what capture mode is best for the situation. Another new AI feature, dubbed Auto Best Take, finds and combines similar photos so that everyone in a group shot looks their best. Lastly, Google updated last year’s Add Me feature to make it easier to include the photographer in even larger groups.  

Elsewhere, Google is introducing a few upgrades to its Gemini Live visual assistant that build on the base the company debuted last year. To start, there are new visual indicators that will mask part of your phone’s screen to make it easier to see what Gemini is referring to when it answers a question. This feature will be available first on Pixel 10 devices before rolling out to other Android phones and iOS devices later. Separately, Google says it will soon release a new model that “dramatically” improves how Gemini uses key elements of human speech. For instance, you’ll be able to tell the assistant to speak slowly if you’re jotting down notes, and it will change its tone depending on the emotional nature of the topic you’re discussing.   

The Pixel 10 family is available to per-order today, with general availability of the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL to follow on August 28. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Buds 2a won’t arrive at retail until October 9. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/all-the-new-ai-features-coming-to-the-pixel-10-phones-160017270.html?src=rss 

Google is kicking off the fall tech event season (albeit in late summer) today with its Made by Google showcase. The headline attraction at the event is the Pixel 10 lineup, but there’s plenty of other interesting stuff on offer too, such as the Pixel Watch 4, Pixel Buds 2a and — of course — a bunch of AI-related announcements.

Google has also confirmed something many folks have been waiting for: its take on MagSafe. The company is calling its version Pixelsnap.

Here’s a look at everything that announced at the Made by Google event, along with links to our more in-depth coverage of each product and our hands-on impressions:

Pixel 10

A tenth birthday is typically cause for a special celebration. The Pixel brand isn’t quite that old yet (the original Google Pixel arrived in 2016), but there might still be enough to the base Pixel 10 to make fans don a conical hat and blow a party horn.

For one thing, this is the first non-Pro Pixel phone to boast a telephoto lens. It is a 5x optical zoom lens, but it supports 10x optical image quality with the help of cropping and computational photography. Using the Super Res Zoom feature can give you a 20x zoom equivalent. Along with the telephoto lens, the Pixel 10 has 48MP wide and 13MP ultrawide sensors on the rear, as well as a 10.5MP selfie lens.

As with the other phones in this year’s lineup, the Pixel 10 runs on the Google Tensor G5 chip. It’s said to be 34 percent faster than the Tensor G4 chipset and it’s the first chipset that runs the Gemini Nano model. According to Google, that supports more than 20 generative AI experiences that run locally.

The user interface is in line for some changes too. The company says Material 3 will support expressive photo wallpapers, customizable quick settings and improved typography. All of that should look pretty good on the Actua display, which delivers up to 3,000 nits of brightness.

Google also claims that the Pixel 10’s battery can power the device for more than 30 hours, up from the 24-plus hours for which the Pixel 9 lineup was rated. When you use a 30W adapter, you’ll be able to charge the Pixel 10 to 55 percent of its capacity (i.e. 16-plus hours of use) in 30 minutes. In addition, the handset boasts a satin metal finish, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

The Pixel 10 will shelves on August 28. It starts at $799 and will be available in Obsidian, Frost, Lemongrass and Indigo colorways.

Read more about the Pixel 10.

Pixel 10 Pro / Pro 10 XL

How would you like that thing we just told you about but with higher specs and maybe a larger display? The Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL each boast a 50MP wide lens, a 48MP ultrawide and a 48MP 5x telephoto lens. Google claims this is its best camera system in a smartphone to date. There’s more memory in these models too, with 16GB of RAM versus 12GB in the base Pixel 10. (The Pixel 10 Pro Fold has 16GB of RAM too.)

The Super Actua displays are about 10 percent brighter than on the Pixel 9 Pro series, with 2,200 nits of full-screen brightness or 3,300 peak when viewing HDR content, and that’s while consuming less power than previous models. The Pixel 10 Pro has a 6.3-inch screen while the Pixel 10 Pro XL has a 6.8-inch display, and each has a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

As with the base Pixel 10, the Pro models are slated to have more than 30 hours of battery life on a single charge. The Pixel 10 Pro supports 30W fast charging, while you can top up a Pixel 10 Pro XL with 45W of fast charging. Both support Qi2, but in what’s said to be a first for a phone, the 10 Pro XL offers 25W wireless charging via Qi2.2 compatibility. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has upgraded speakers too, with what Google claims is loud and powerful bass, along with full and balanced stereo audio.

The Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL will be available in Moonstone, Jade, Porcelain and Obsidian colorways on August 28, with pre-orders opening up today. The Pixel 10 Pro starts at $999 for 128GB of storage and the Pixel 10 Pro XL will run you $1,199 for 256GB of storage.

Read more about the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL.

Pixel 10 Pro Fold

Of course, there’s a fourth phone in the Pixel 10 lineup this fall. Google made durability a priority on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance (a first for a foldable, the company says). A new gearless hinge will help with that — Google says it’s twice as durable as the hinge in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. In fact, the company claims the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is designed to handle over 10 years of folding.

The internal, eight-inch Super Actua Reflex display (said to be the largest on any phone), and outer 6.4-inch Actua display both deliver up to 3,000 nits of brightness. Google says it redesigned the interior with resilient, ultra-thin glass, along with dual anti-impact layers to help protect it from drops.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is said to have the largest battery in a foldable yet, with a 5,015mAh capacity. As with the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup, there’s Qi2 wireless charging support — an apparent first for a foldable. Alternatively, you’ll be able to charge the battery to half of its capacity in 30 minutes with a 30W adapter, Google says.

The triple-camera array includes a new 48MP main sensor, along with a 10.5MP ultrawide lens with macro focus and a 10.8MP telephoto lens. A feature called Instant View will show recently-taken pictures alongside the viewfinder. Google says it improved multitasking as well, with split-screen functionality that supports app resizing and the option to drag and drop files.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold comes in Moonstone and Jade colorways, but it’ll arrive later than the rest of the Pixel 10 family — it’s scheduled to land on October 9. It starts at $1,799 for 256GB of storage. If you’re willing to splash out more cash, though, you can have up to 1TB of onboard storage, the first time that’s been an option in a Pixel Pro Fold.

Read more about the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Pixelsnap

As mentioned above, all of the Pixel 10 devices have Qi2 wireless charging capabilities built-in, but Google is expanding on that with its own, long-awaited spin on MagSafe. Google’s take is called Pixelsnap. The company is offering a slew of magnetic accessories for Pixel 10 devices, including cases, a charging puck, charging stand and non-charging ring stand.

Read more about Pixelsnap.

AI updates

This being Google in the Gregorian calendar year of 2025, of course there are a bunch of AI features coming to the Pixel 10 lineup (some should trickle down to older models later). Magic Cue might be the handiest of the latest tools. This is said to deliver proactive suggestions based on your activity by pulling data from the likes of Gmail and Google Calendar.

For instance, if you’re calling your airline, Magic Cue might pull up your flight details. If a friend asks for the address of your Airbnb vacation rental, Magic Cue could bring that up to save you some time.

There are plenty of other AI tools on the way to Pixel 10 devices. I am an abysmal photographer, so Camera Coach sounds like it could be a genuinely useful feature for people like me. When you point the cameras at a subject or scene you want to capture, Gemini kicks into gear to analyze what the lenses are picking up. The feature will offer composition and framing suggestions, and suggest camera modes to employ. Gemini Live can offer visual guidance with on-screen overlays. 

Meanwhile, the Guided Frame feature will describe what the camera sees, primarily to assist blind and low-vision users. This is said to work on any scene and seems (at least on the surface) similar to services like Be My Eyes.

Other Pixel 10 AI camera tools include Auto Best Take, which can seemingly pick out the best group photo from multiple options. As for adjusting images, the Conversational Editing feature harnesses Gemini to help you tweak things using natural language voice prompts. You might ask it to adjust lighting, change the framing of a shot or remove objects, and hopefully Gemini will be able to handle those without a hitch. 

In addition, Pixel 10 devices are the first phones to implement C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) content credentials directly in the camera app. This is an industry standard labeling system for content that’s created or modified using generative AI.

Elsewhere, Pixel translation tools could be in line for a serious upgrade with Voice Translate. Google says this feature will be able to translate calls in real-time in your own voice.

Google has folded a new native audio model into Gemini Live that’s said to control the emotional tone and be capable of detecting a user’s emotions. AI could help you better manage your calls too. The Call Message function will keep missed and declined calls separate from spam, and offer real-time transcripts as well as suggestions for next steps. Gboard writing tools, Pixel Studio and NotebookLM integration are in line for updates too.

Last but not least, Pixel 10 devices have a Pixel Journal app that will remain private (following in Apple’s footsteps to a degree). The app harnesses AI to offer prompts that may help you track your progress and record your thoughts. 

Read more about the Pixel 10 AI features.

Pixel Watch 4

Let’s move on from phones and take a gander at Google’s latest smartwatch. The Pixel Watch 4 has a new dome-style display that’s 10 percent larger than the screen on the Pixel Watch 3. It can reach up to 3,000 nits of brightness. Battery life is said to be improved too, with Google claiming it can power the wearable for up to 40 hours on a single charge. Google has also made it easier to replace the screen and battery this time around too, though we’ll have to see it in person before we can judge how easy it is to actually do.

Other features include satellite connectivity for emergencies (when you’re out of range of Wi-Fi and cell towers), an electrocardiogram app and irregular heart rhythm notifications. Google says the Pixel Watch 4 will be able to detect when a wearer’s heart stops beating and contact emergency services. There will also be an AI-based personal fitness coach. Fitbit Premium subscribers will be the first to gain access to that.

The Pixel Watch 4 will be available in in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm. It starts at $349 and will hit shelves on October 9.

Read more about the Pixel Watch 4 and AI personal fitness coach.

Pixel Buds 2a and Pixel Buds Pro 2 updates

Google hasn’t forgotten about its earbuds here either. The company is releasing the the Pixel Buds 2a with active noise cancellation (ANC), powered by a Tensor A1 chip. Even with this upgrade, these are Google’s lightest and smallest A-Series earbuds to date.

They’re IP54 rated for dust and water resistance, while the charging case has an IPX4 rating. The Tensor A1 chip is also said to deliver improved quality for calls and other audio, while supporting Gemini and other AI features in the Pixel Buds 2a. These earbuds are said to have double the battery life of their predecessors at 10 hours on a single charge, with the case adding 17 hours of listening time (seven and 13 hours, respectively, when ANC is enabled). 

The Pixel Buds 2a will be available on October 9 in Hazel and Iris colorways. However, due to these upgrades, the Pixel Buds 2a will cost $130, which is $31 more than the previous generation.

Meanwhile, Google is offering the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in a new colorway, Moonstone, to match some of the Pixel 10 devices. A software update in September will introduce more features to the Pixel Buds Pro 2, including protection from certain sudden loud noises, the ability to adjust audio based on the volume of your surroundings, a way to answer or dismiss calls with head gestures and advanced audio processing for Gemini Live.

Read more about the Pixel Buds 2a and Pixel Buds Pro 2 updates.

Hands-on with the Pixel 10 lineup and Pixel Watch 4

Ahead of the Made by Google event, we had a chance to go hands-on with the new devices. You can now check out our first impressions of:

Google Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL

Pixel 10 Pro Fold

Pixel Watch 4

If you’re interested in pre-ordering any of those — or the Pixel Buds 2a — we’ve got you covered with our pre-order guide.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/everything-announced-at-the-made-by-google-pixel-event-including-the-pixel-10-lineup-161155567.html?src=rss