Pixel 3, Home Hub, refreshed Chromecast and more: Five things you can expect from Google's October 9 event
For the past couple of years, Google has been trying to position Pixel phones as the holy grail for not just Android enthusiasts, but even the average users amongst us. And, to be honest, it has managed to make some progress in this regard. Last year, both its phones – the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL – were received quite well by experts and end users alike and were generally accepted as the benchmark for the industry post-their launch.
However, with the likes of Samsung, Huawei and OnePlus flooding the market with worthy alternatives, there is now the need for a new leader of the Android pack. A leader that Google could unveil on October 9, 2018, at its second big event of 2018.
Although there is no official confirmation, the tech giant is widely expected to unveil its 2018 line-up of Pixel smartphones at the event which could also see it release a number of other important gadgets.
Here are five major things you can expect from this year's event.
Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL
To begin, all the rumours and leaks point towards Google announcing two new Pixel smartphones at the event – the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL – and the interesting thing is that one of them will even come equipped with a notched display that Apple first popularised with iPhone X back in 2017.
Apart from the notch and the bigger display on the Pixel 3 XL, the two phones are expected to feature an identical design and bring with them similar functionalities. However, they will differ in terms of the size of the bezel they sport – the Pixel 3 is rumoured to sport a much thicker bezel in comparison to the XL.
The other big similarity between the two phones is said to be the single lens rear camera on them.
Even though the single lens setup on the Pixel 2 phones was amongst the best last year, it cannot be denied that the industry has now moved on to two, even three lens setups. As such, the Pixel 3 equipped with this camera setup could have a difficult time beating the competition.
On the front, the two phones are expected to sport dual cameras with 8.1-Megapixel sensors.
The new Pixel phones will also bring with them the ability to be charged wirelessly. However, for this, users will require a special wireless charging stand that Google will sell separately.
Google Pixel Slate
The other big announcement likely to be made tomorrow is a new Google-branded Chrome OS tablet.
Rumoured to be named the Pixel Slate, this tablet would also be able to double down as a laptop with the addition of certain accessories making it a direct competitor for the iPad Pro and Microsoft's Surface Pro.
There are suggestions that it will come packing up to 16GB of RAM and running a powerful i7 processor, support USB-Type C and also bring with it a fingerprint sensor, which would be a first for Chromebooks.
Pixel Buds 2
Last year, Google announced the Pixel Buds – its take on wireless earbuds – which, despite showing a lot of promise, never really lived up to the billing. A year on, the company is likely to introduce an update to the Pixel Buds, which many expect would fix the frailities of last year's products and bring Google back in the wireless earphones game.
The Pixel Buds 2 as such could be truly wireless in nature and improve on the feature which promised real-time translation.
Google Home Hub
With smart appliances slowly becoming central to the modern way of life, Google is also expected to unveil a new Home Hub.
The particular device will essentially be a smart display that would show information from Google Assistant and help you set commands for individual smart devices in your home. Additionally, it will also serve as a tablet that you can use to browse videos on using the YouTube application.
Chromecast
With the Chromecast not having been updated for a few years now, it is all but certain that Google will be updating it this year.
Though it won't bring with it too many new features, leaks suggest it may bring 4K support along with improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality.
Leaks also suggest a new design for the refreshed Chromecast, with the most noticeable change being Google replacing the glossy top and Chrome logo with a matte finish and a simple G.