U.S. – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is showing off its new devices and hardware next week. On October 4th in San Francisco, the tech giant is holding the Pixel phone event, and while the company has kept details of the venue in secrecy, rumors of what they might show are abundant.
Unofficial reports suggest Google is going to unveil new smartphones, a release date for Google’s voice assistant, new Chromecast, and, more importantly, the official end of the Nexus brand to make room for the Pixel phones.
Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome OS, and Google Play, has been talking about the event. The executive has compared the date to the launch of Android 1.0 eight years ago and is sure people will be talking about 10/4 eight years from now.
Goodbye Nexus, Hello Pixel phones
The 10/04 event will be the announcement party for the Google Hardware division. Former vice president of Motorola Rick Osterloh created the group earlier this year. Google Hardware will be in charge of all Google final products.
The idea is to create a cohesive hardware portfolio, instead of having several teams working separately. It also means there will be more physical products bearing the Google label on their body.
On that regard, the strongest belief is that the company will finally release the “Pixel” and the “Pixel XL” smartphones on the event.
It appears the flagship line of Nexus devices will adopt a brand the Chrome OS team created. The manufacturer is anonymous, as these will be “Google Pixel” phones with no other brand.
The Pixel and the Pixel XL will come with a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB RAM, 12MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, rear fingerprint sensor, and a USB Type-C port.
The XL will have a 5.5-inch 2560×1440 AMOLED display, 3450mAh battery, and 32GB or 128GB storage options. The smaller Pixel will have a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, 2770mAh battery, and 32GB storage.
Rumors say the prices of the phones will start at $649.
The first Daydream VR headset
The next thing people expect to see on the event is the launch of Google’s Android VR gear. Daydream VR may come with a single three-axis motion controller similar to a Nintendo Wii remote.
Daydream Gear VR will be available for any Android that meets the minimum requirements which the company has not unveiled yet. Android 7.0 Nougat made some changes to the core O.S. to improve the quality of virtual reality experiences.
On that regard, the event will probably showcase the first update for Nougat, Android Nougat 7.1. While point one updates are usually about fixing bugs, this one may bring redesigned icons to the Pixels.
The Chromecast Ultra, the Google WiFi, and Google Home
Reports are saying Google will launch a robust version of the media streaming device Chromecast. The Chromecast Ultra will be able to stream 4K and UHD content for $69 a piece.
Likely, Google will announce a third operating system, a hybrid of Chrome OS and Android that will come out for both tablets and laptops. The codename of the OS is Andromeda.
Other media outlets suggest Google will launch a new router to join the OnHub. The rumored Google WiFi will also connect and control smart devices and smart homes, and will cost $129 a piece.
Finally, Google might launch Google Home on stage, a voice-based Bluetooth assistant that may cost $130 per unit.
Source: The Verge