Techtober's events have just started, and the #MadeByGoogle '23 Keynote just took off. Let's be honest, did we not see enough of the new products already, like months ago? Either way, they did show some surprises. So let's break down the announcements and new stuff.
First off was an introduction by Rick Osterloh, giving a historical breakdown of the 25 years Google has grown as a company from a search engine to making hardware devices and software. (Currently, this article is being typed on an old Google tool and it still stands, Blogger.) He gave a follow-up of the Pixel Portfolio that was mentioned in Google I/O 2023 Keynote.
Pixel Buds Pro
Then he made some announcements on the Pixel Buds Pro with Bluetooth Super Wide Band technology. which it says should make you sound “fuller and clearer.” The Pixel Buds Pro will also support Google’s Clear Calling feature that helps to reduce background noise on calls. These features will be available in an upcoming firmware update.
Pixel Watch 2
The Pixel Watch 2 was the second product to be announced. Even though may not look all that different from the original Pixel Watch, it comes with a lot of improvements, such as the more efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 processor that allows for up to 24 hours of battery life even with an always-on display turned on and a slightly thinner bezel display.
It comes with new sensors for skin temperature and continuous electrodermal activity that enable a new stress-detecting feature as well as a way to automatically record workout starts and stops for seven activities and a new multi-path heart rate sensor that takes your heart rate in more ways.
Price: $349.99 GPS Version (KES 51,938.52)
Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro
The Pixel 8 features a two-camera setup with an upgraded 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera. The Pixel 8 will come in rose, black, or hazel.
As for the Pixel 8 Pro, it comes with quite a few upgrades. That includes a Tensor G3 chipset, along with an updated rear camera array with a 50MP main sensor, a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide camera. It will even have a new Zoom Enhance feature that can retroactively add detail to an image when you pinch to zoom in.
Google Assistant, with Bard AI.
The longer the updates...
After the launch of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, Google has announced that it will offer seven years of “OS, security, and Feature Drop updates” for both phones. That means Pixel 8 users can expect to get updates until the year 2030. This tops as the brand with a longer software update span than iPhone or Samsung in the market.
Finally, Android 14 is here!
Android 14 just arrived and it is packed with many other exciting features like automatic framing in video calls, one-tap access to your Google Home controls, performance improvements, improved passkey support, a new health tracking feature, and several customization updates and more.