This is what Google’s latest answer to iPhone and Apple Watch looks like

At a product event (last Thursday), Google presented two new smartphones and its own smartwatch for the first time. T-Online has collected the most important details about the new devices.

Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro

Since the first pixel smartphone, Google has followed its own, sometimes idiosyncratic design line. This tradition has also remained true to the new devices Pixel 7 (from 649 euros) and Pixel 7 Pro (from 899 euros).

The rear cameras are housed in a metal band that runs across the back of the device. This gives the devices an unmistakable look – and at least it looks quite chic in the photos.

As the different (Euro) prices indicate, the Pro model is better equipped on some details. However, both devices are powered by the new Google Tensor G2. The self-developed chip is mainly intended for AI applications that are used in many places in Google’s pixel devices.

The first leaked test results confirm that the new chip delivers very good performance, just behind Qualcomm’s top model. Apple achieves significantly higher values ​​with its chip in the same test program and is about 75 percent ahead of Google’s new Tensor chip.

The chip is backed by eight GB of RAM in the Pixel 7 and twelve GB of RAM.

Luminous and durable.

The devices differ in terms of display: the cheaper Pixel 7 has a screen diagonal of 6.3 inches and displays 1080 x 2400 pixels. The Pixel 7 Pro comes in a 6.7-inch size with 1440 x 3120 pixels.

Both shine brightly up to 1000 nits, with HDR peaking as much as 1400 (pixels) or 1500 nits (Pixel 7 Pro). For smooth scrolling, the cheaper device offers a refresh rate of up to 90 Hertz, the more expensive one up to 120 Hertz. In general, these are not top values, but they are still very good.

Google also promises a lot when it comes to the battery: the devices should last up to 72 hours in the new extreme power-saving mode, and longer than 24 hours in normal mode.

However, the focus is back on the camera: in both devices, the main camera is equipped with a sensor that has a resolution of 50 megapixels (MP). There is also an ultra wide-angle camera with a 12 MP sensor.

The Pixel 7 Pro has a third telephoto camera with a 5x optical zoom and a 48 MP sensor.

But the real power of the pixel cameras lies in the AI ​​magic Google gives to the photos and videos from its devices. Using algorithms, the Pixel 7’s main camera should allow a magnification of up to eight times, the Pixel 7 Pro even a 30x zoom – up to a 10x zoom, the quality should be comparable to that of an optical zoom.

The Pixel 7 Pro also offers a macro mode that lets you take close-ups from just three inches away.

On two other counts, Google is clearly trying to match the video king iPhone, which has been undefeated for years: On the one hand, videos are now recorded in 10-bit HDR with significantly higher contrast. Apple switched its video recording with the iPhone 12 to the Dolby Vision HDR format, making the videos appear much more vivid on HDR screens since then. If the pixel videos reach a similar quality, that would be a big step forward.

The new movie mode is also borrowed from an Apple model: The whole thing is like portrait mode for videos, in which the subjects are rendered sharp and the background artificially blurred.

Last year, Google also caused a stir with an image-editing feature called the Magic Eraser. It was later made available for all Pixel devices, but was initially only available on the latest Google smartphone.

This year it is similar to the “Sharpener” feature. Using AI, it sharpens blurry images in such a way that content is actually reconstructed in a meaningful way. This should also work with old photos. We’ll have to test how well this works, but the Google demonstrations looked impressive.

The new cameras of the Pixel smartphones look promising – and at least have the potential to become the best smartphone cameras on the market.

Speech Recognition and Security

Two other exciting innovations are device security and on-device speech recognition. For example, the Pixel can instantly translate voice messages that arrive on the Messages app into written language, so you can read the content instead of having to listen to it. A feature that many users are definitely looking forward to.

A function that will be added later should provide more security: VPN from Google One. This is intended to route all network activity for free through a secure VPN, which encrypts the data connection and prevents tracking. How well this works in everyday life has yet to be tested.

Both devices will be available in Germany from October 13 from 649 euros (Pixel 7) or from 899 euros (Pixel 7 Pro). Despite the strong dollar exchange rate, Google not only remains much closer to dollar prices (599 US dollars / 899 US dollars) – it also clearly undercuts the prices of most other top smartphones.

Google’s new watch

The hype surrounding Google’s first smartwatch was considerably greater in the run-up. Smartwatches have been available for Android for many years – no manufacturer has ever been really successful with them. The Apple Watch continues to be significantly more successful here.

One reason for this could also be the lack of a common platform for Android devices: because the most successful carriers such as Samsung and Huawei have long relied on their own operating systems for their watches. Google and Samsung have been working together on Wear OS since last year – and with the Pixel Watch, Google is now bringing its own device for the first time to demonstrate the capabilities of Android devices.

The Pixel Watch seems to get off to a good start here: the watch with a stainless steel case has a pleasingly simple round design, and the crown as a control has been taken from the Apple model. According to the datasheet, Google also offers functionality similar to that of the Apple Watch: tight integration into the smartphone’s operating system and simple operation and configuration for the customer.

In addition, the acquisition of the fitness tracker company Fitbit is clearly noticeable: a large number of sports functions and extensive sleep analysis make the watch interesting for active, body-conscious users, the possibility to detect heart problems via an EKG on the wrist and the automatic accident detection is aimed at an older target group. .

Typical notifications and app extensions bring more convenience and less time on the mobile phone display. Paying with Google Pay also works – here the Pixel Watch covers typical smartwatch usage scenarios with ease.

In addition, there should be many ways to personalize the look of the dials, a whole range of different bracelets made of different materials should underline this.

Ultimately, all the ingredients for possible success are there. How successful the Pixel Watch and upcoming watches will really be depends mainly on how well the devices harmonize with the Android smartphone and how comfortable and intuitive the operation is. Both show only a test.

The Pixel Watch is available in black, silver or gold and costs 379 euros, with an LTE modem 50 euros more.

New Pixel tablet coming in 2023

In addition, Google also showed a preview of a new Pixel Tablet. It won’t hit the market until 2023, but it looks promising – also because Google promises to finally make Android better suited for large tablet screens.

The magnetic charging speaker stand can also be very useful. Further details are likely to be given in the coming year.

sources