We’ve finally learned more about the upcoming Google Pixel 10 following yet another round of leaks. This time, they come from Android Headlines and paint a clearer picture of Google's next flagship. And while previous leaks of the renders by OnLeaks and Mystic Leaks confirm a familiar formula, together they raise a worrying question: Is Google coasting?

If you were hoping for a design shake-up, you might want to temper expectations. The base model Pixel 10 looks almost indistinguishable from its predecessor. Same horizontal camera bar. Same flat display. Same matte glass aesthetic.

We’re not saying it’s ugly. It’s arguably one of the cleanest designs on the Android side of mobiles. But in a year when all the big Android players are leaning into bold, AI-heavy, edge-to-edge reinvention, Google’s next phone feels like it’s stuck in 2022. Especially when the base models are missing what is quickly becoming a critical inclusion: A vapor chamber.

A safe bet, but perhaps too safe

According to the leak, the Pixel 10 will feature a 6.17-inch flat display, possibly OLED, with the same centrally aligned punch-hole selfie cam we’ve seen since the Pixel 6. Around back, the trademark camera visor houses what should be three lenses — wide, ultrawide, and telephoto — and a flash in a layout similar to the Pixel 9.

Measurements show it’s slightly taller and slimmer than its predecessor (152.8 x 71.9 x 8.5mm), with rounded corners and a new metal frame that could help with durability. But visual tweaks aside, this feels like more of a spec refresh than anything groundbreaking.

There’s no confirmed word on the chipset, but we’ll likely see a next-gen Google Tensor G5, manufactured by TSMC. Early whispers suggest modest gains in AI performance and battery efficiency, but no leap in raw power.

That’s going to sting when the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Apple A19 chipsets are reportedly doubling down on generative workloads with major gains in TOPS (trillions of operations per second).

Vapor chamber? Pro model only

Easily the most surprising and controversial takeaway from June 24’s Pixel 10 leak is what’s missing under the hood. According to Android Headlines, the base Pixel 10 does not include a vapor chamber cooling system.

This is a pretty big deal. We’re in 2025 now, and thermal design is table stakes. Even budget phones are shipping with copper heat pipes or vapor chambers to keep performance stable under load, particularly with AI processing and high-end gaming pushing mobile chips harder than ever. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and even OnePlus mid-rangers include advanced heat dissipation systems.

Segmentation seems to be the only viable reason Google would choose to do this. It would also explain why Google is leaving out Wi-Fi 7 and Ultra Res Zoom on the base model. By pulling key features from the vanilla Pixel 10, Google is drawing a sharper line between the base and Pro models. But that strategy risks alienating fans who don’t want to shell out $999 just to get modern cooling.

If the Tensor G5 chip is as efficient as leaks suggest, maybe this won't matter for most users. But for video capture or AI workloads, the lack of a vapor chamber could lead to thermal throttling, which is simply unacceptable.

Pixel vs. everyone

Let’s put all this in context. The Galaxy S25 Edge is 5.8mm thin, feather-light, and still packs a 200MP camera with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip. That’s the same silicon expected in many late-2025 Android flagships. Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max, meanwhile, is tipped to include an upgraded Neural Engine with on-device GPT-4-class processing and improved battery life from its new stacked cell tech.

Against that backdrop, the Pixel 10's rumored dual-lens setup and conservative redesign feel underwhelming, especially without a confirmed leap in AI compute or display technology. Even mid-range phones like the OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 Pro are starting to ship with periscope lenses and sub-4nm chipsets.

Despite all this, the Pixel 10 could still matter a lot. Pixel phones don’t win on brute force. They win on experience. Call Screen, Hold for Me, live translation, and Assistant at your fingertips. These are all features that turn Google’s phones into digital companions, not just pocket computers.

If the Pixel 10 tightens up the formula, enhances efficiency, and brings the next wave of Gemini-powered tools to a clean, stable phone? That’s a win for mainstream Android users. But if you were hoping for a radical Pixel Fold 2-style rethink? That’s not what the leaks are showing.

More from Laptop Mag

• Samsung’s next Unpacked is official, and an "Ultra" foldable might be coming
• This iOS 26 battery life upgrade could save the iPhone 17 Air from the iPhone mini's fate
• It takes more than money to buy this Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 rival

Today's best Surface Pro deals offer solid spring savings this month. Retailers are kicking off the new season with considerable discounts on Microsoft's Windows-charged productivity tablets. So if you're looking for a price break there are plenty of deals out there to be had. 

Surface Pro 2-in-1 tablets are powerful enough to replace your laptop. If you're on the hunt for a powerful tablet PC, the Surface Pro line has a device for you. Choose from the latest 13-inch Surface Pro 9, previous-gen 13-inch Surface Pro 8, 13-inch Surface Pro X or 12.3-inch Surface Pro 7+. Direct competitors to Apple's iPad Pro, Surface Pro tablet PCs range in price from $799 to $2,299. 

If you're in the market for any of Microsoft's premium productivity tablets, shop the best Surface Pro deals below.

Best Surface Pro deals — Quick links

• Microsoft Surface Pro 9: $1,549 $1,199 @ Amazon
• Microsoft Surface Pro 9 w/ Keyboard: 1,539 $1,099 @ Best Buy
• Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ w/ Keyboard: $999 $700 @ Best Buy
• Microsoft Surface Go 3: $549 $399 @ Best Buy

Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 has a starting price of $999 and is optimized for multi-tasking and productivity. It boasts an upgraded 12th Gen Intel processor (or Microsoft SQ 3 with 5G support) and packs a gorgeous 13-inch (2880 x 1920) PixelSense touch display with 120Hz refresh rate. 

By design, the Surface Pro 9 retains the premium-looking portable characteristics of its predecessor. Its high-grade aluminum casing keeps it lightweight and durable while the iconic built-in kickstand makes it easy to prop up on flat surfaces. 

For enhanced video conferencing, the Surface Pro 9 features an upgraded 10MP front-facing camera. Powered by Windows 11, the Surface Pro 9 is available in an array of beautiful colors including Platinum, Graphite, Sapphire, and Forest.

Starting at $1,099, the Surface Pro 8 is a solid choice if you're looking for the best 2-in-1 tablet PC. The base model features a 13-inch (2880 x 1920) touch screen, 2.4-GHz Intel Evo Core i5-1135G7 4-core CPU, 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD. 

In our Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review, we found its gorgeous display and strong performance impressive. We also loved its dual Thunderbolt 4 port array and excellent webcam. 

During performance tests, the Surface Pro handled everything we threw at it without a hiccup. Even when tasked with 24 Chrome browser tabs, two of which streamed YouTube videos at 1080p while another pair ran Twitch streams — the Surface Pro 8 didn't even stutter. 

We gave the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 an overall rating of 4 of 5 stars. It's the Editor's Choice convertible tablet PC.  

Microsoft's Surface Pro X is a versatile Windows tablet PC. The optional keyboard (sold separately) makes it a capable 2-in-1 laptop. Starting at $1,299, the latest model Surface Pro X features a 13-inch (2880 x 1920) touchscreen, 3.1-GHz Microsoft SQ2 8-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD. This device offers a significant performance over the first Surface Pro X with Microsoft's 2-GHz SQ1 8-core chop. 

As we note in our Surface Pro X SQ2 review, it boasts a gorgeous 13-inch display, sleek, premium design, and good battery life. Design-wise, the Surface Pro X has slimmer bezels and rounded corners compared to the Surface Pro 7. It retains the convenient kickstand of its sibling on the back. 

The Surface Pro 7+ starts from $912 is one of the best 2-in-1s for business pros or anyone else who wants to get things done. The base model packs a 12.3-inch (2736 x 1824) display, 11th Gen Intel Core i3 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD. And for video conferencing, its 5MP front-facing camera is one of the better webcams we've seen on a tablet or laptop.

In our Surface Pro 7 Plus review, we liked its bright, vivid display and fast CPU and graphics performance. We also appreciate its swappable SSD and fanless chassis. We gave the Surface Pro 7 Plus an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. 

In one test, our reviewer launched 20 Google Chrome tabs, a few Edge windows, a handful of 1080p YouTube videos, and a Champions League match on Paramount+. The Surface Pro 7 Plus didn't stutter or lag. Our test unit had an 11th Gen Core i5 CPU so we expect the tablet in this deal to deliver on par performance.

Google's December Feature Drop could be one of the most important for the Pixel lineup to date. Not only will Pixel owners be treated to a range of new features for their Android 14 devices, but the minds inside the Googleplex have debuted the AI that could change what it means to be a smartphone forevermore: Gemini AI.

Gemini is a multimodal AI designed from the ground up to intuitively handle language, code, images, video, and voice for a richer, better, and more contextually aware experience.

Gemini is a welcome addition to the Pixel platform, and while it doesn't feature too heavily in December's feature drop, the wider implications of how this tech could be applied in the future sets the stage for devices like the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro to become the smartest smartphones we've seen to date.

Let's dive into what we can expect from Google's December Feature Drop as it rolls out to all Pixel devices from now and over the coming weeks.

December Feature Drop: What Pixel owners can expect

Devices impacted by Google's December Feature drop range from the Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Fold, and Pixel Tablet right the way through to the Pixel 5a (5G). The updates below will be rolling out right now, and become available to download over the coming weeks depending on your device and carrier.

Make sure your Pixel device is up to date with the Android version by heading to System > System Update, and make sure to update your on-device apps by heading to the Play Store, tapping your profile image, and selecting Manage apps & device.

Let's explore the contents of the December Feature Drop starting with the exclusive features heading to particular Pixel devices.

December Feature Drop: Exclusive features

Unsurprisingly, the Pixel 8 Pro nabs the bulk of the December Feature Drop's exclusive features thanks to its Tensor G3-backed Gemini AI capabilities. Coming exclusively to the Pixel 8 Pro are the following new features:

• Summarize in Recorder: Gemini's powerful language processing capabilities allow it to quickly summarize voice recordings into brief snippets of text, allowing users to quickly decipher the contents of longer recordings without having to scan through things manually.
• Smart Reply in Gboard: This particular feature is limited to the Developer preview, but showcases Gemini's ability to contextually understand messages and how to accurately respond to them. Smart Reply is an upgrade to Gboard's predictive messaging feature, though instead of offering a word-by-word suggestion Smart Reply allows you to accurately respond to an incoming message in full with a single tap.
• Video Boost with Night Sight: One of the more impressive computational features of the Pixel 8 Pro is its AI-powered Video Boost enhancement. Revealed earlier in the year, Video Boost makes use of cloud computing to adjust a video's stability, lighting, color, and sharpness automatically. Adding Night Sight into the mix ensures that even low-light conditions receive the same treatment and ensures the best results no matter the conditions.

The next exclusive Pixel feature arriving in December's update is for both the Pixel 8 Pro and standard Pixel 8 devices.

• Night Sight in Time Lapse: Pixel 8/8 Pro owners can now take longer videos at night with Night Sight in Timelapse now allowing for a five-minute 1080p, or 20-minute 4K recording. Both of which result in 10-second timelapse videos boosted with Google's Night Sight enhancing tech.

The Google Pixel Fold also snags an exclusive feature with this round of updates that Shutterbug subjects will find incredibly useful when it comes to looking your best on camera.

• Dual Screen Preview for Pixel Fold: The Pixel Camera app on Google's Pixel Fold will now allow the foldable's outer screen to act as a preview window to the photo being lined up on the inner display. Letting your snapshot subjects get a better look at themselves in advance of you capturing an image.

The Pixel Watch will also receive a long-awaited feature first showcased in 2022: 

• Watch Unlock: Why bother with passcodes or face unlock when your phone can tell it's you who's holding it because of the watch on your wrist? That's the basic premise behind Watch Unlock, which senses the proximity of your Pixel Watch to allow near-instant unlocking of your device as you grab it.

The Pixel Tablet isn't without love, gaining the Clear Calling feature and the ability to listen with Spatial Audio (with head tracking) as found in other Pixel devices, bringing it more up to speed with the rest of Google's lineup.

December Feature Drop: New features

There are a ton of upgrades heading to the Pixel platform in this December Feature Drop, including improvements to Photo Unblur and Portrait Light, better Passkey support in Google Password Manager, Direct My Call and Hold For Me support for non-toll-free numbers, and the Weather and Clock widget now combined in an all-in-one package.

However, that's far from all, with the following features also making an appearance:

• Contextual replies in Call Screen: While Pixel devices can already screen calls for you, Google has expanded the feature to allow you to follow up the call screening process with contextual replies that let you respond to callers without ever having to answer the phone!
• Repair Mode: If you've ever been worried about the safety of your data or accounts when sending your device in for repair, then this is a feature you'll cherish. Repair mode safely stores away all of your data and information while your phone is out of your hands with technicians limited to performing necessary tests only, without the ability to interact with your stored pictures or messages.
• Device as a webcam: Connecting your Pixel device (not including the Pixel Tablet) to a PC or laptop via a USB cable now allows it to act as a high-definition webcam.
• Clean: The new Clean feature lets you remove stains, creases, and smudges from scanned documents within the Pixel Camera app allowing you a clean and pristine copy of any document you need scanning.

Apple’s and Google’s top-of-the-line phones this year — the Pixel 8 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max — add a bunch of key upgrades over their predecessors and are even harder to pick between. They both feature improved three-camera systems, smooth, and ultra-bright 6.7-inch screens, secure facial recognition, software updates for years, and a $100 hike. 

Look closer, however, and there’s no shortage of differences either. While the Pixel 8 Pro offers an extensive suite of AI-enabled and pro photo editing tools, a temperature sensor, and faster charging speeds, the iPhone 15 Pro Max raises the bar with its titanium frame, better telephoto lens as well as video-recording capabilities, and console-grade gaming. Most important though, the Pixel 8 Pro is a solid $200 cheaper, and it’s usually up for grabs at a discount. 

So is it as easy as a choice between Android’s and iOS’s 2023 flagbearers or is there more than meets the eye? Here’s what we found in our in-depth comparison. 

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Specs

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design and build

Against their previous iterations, the Pixel 8 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max are familiar sights. Compared to each other, though, they couldn’t be any more different. 

Though both phones are sandwiched between a glass front and back, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s frame is made out of a new titanium alloy as opposed to the Pixel 8 Pro’s aluminum body. The titanium’s brushed texture, in comparison, feels more refined, and premium. Since this material is less dense and shifts the balance towards its center, it feels lighter than it is, which is 0.3 pounds heavier than the Pixel. 

Plus, while their similar matte finishes over the rear glass are slippery to hold, the iPhone is a little better ergonomically, thanks to its ever-so-contoured edges compared to the Pixel’s shiny aluminum sides. Make no mistake, however: these are gigantic phones and by no means, suited for one-hand use. Another detail worth noting about their builds is the Pixel 8 Pro is protected by Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which emerged stronger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max in unofficial durability tests. 

Visually, it’s the case of the bold and … the boring. The iPhone 15 Pro Max inherits Apple’s now four-generation-old industrial design with its three-camera setup tucked away in the top left corner. On the other hand, the Pixel 8 Pro features a cleaner iteration of the lineup’s signature look and sports a wide, periscope-like camera housing on the back. 

Between the two, the Pixel is the head-turner and the iPhone appears like it’s overdue for a little refresh. Plus, its speck of a notch on the front is far less intrusive and it’s available in more fun, brighter colors — white, black, and blue — as opposed to the iPhone’s muted options. 

Winner: Draw

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display

Both the Pixel 8 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro come equipped with a 6.7-inch expansive OLED display that’s perfect for whether you’re streaming movies or playing video games. They’re about equally sharp, vivid, and can accurately reproduce colors. In addition, each screen can stay always on to show you the time and other information and can adapt its refresh rates depending on the content from a smooth 120Hz to 1Hz to preserve battery life. 

While both are plenty bright and you’ll have no trouble reading on them even at the beach, the Pixel 8 Pro edges out the iPhone 15 Pro Max on paper. It can reach a peak brightness of 2400 nits, which is 20% more than the iPhone’s. In terms of sheer numbers, it’s also a tad sharper at 489ppi (vs 460ppi). Thanks to these metrics, the Pixel 8 Pro’s screen is technically rated the best smartphone display. 

Another upside of the Pixel 8 Pro is that its selfie camera notch is much smaller — since it doesn’t have the numerous Face ID sensors — and therefore, there’s more screen real estate for everything, including status and notification icons. 

In Apple’s defense, that wider notch does serve a semi-useful function. It’s called the “Dynamic Island,” and instead of just a static blank space accommodating the front sensors, it’s an interactive pill-shaped cutout that can elongate into the rest of the screen to show you live activities like how far out your cab is, or the remaining times on your timer. You can even touch it to expand it and access quick controls such as music playback controls. 

Winner: Pixel 8 Pro

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Hardware

Though the Pixel 8 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max each are laden with top-of-the-line hardware, there are certain differences in their spec sheets that can potentially seal which one you pick over the other. 

If you’re an outdoors person, for example, the iPhone’s ability to beam an emergency SOS via satellite in zero-connectivity areas can be a lifesaver. Both of them, though, can detect severe car crashes, and automatically call for help. Similarly, for gamers, the iPhone’s support for DisplayPort will let you play console-grade AAA titles on external monitors at up to 4K resolution and 60Hz over USB-C. 

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a handful of other handy perks: it has an additional physical button you can link to your action of choice like launching the camera or the flashlight. There’s a LiDAR scanner which can bounce laser beams off of objects to tell how far they are from you and enables a lot more immersive Augmented Reality experiences. 

The iPhone’s facial recognition system is also superior and while the Pixel fails to detect faces at all in low-light scenarios, the iPhone can authenticate even in pitch-black rooms. Lastly, it houses the second-gen ultra wideband chip that can help you precisely find your Find My accessories and friends at over 3-4 times longer distances than the Pixel’s first-gen module. 

The Pixel 8 Pro does have a few tricks up its sleeve. I like the flexibility its in-screen fingerprint reader adds to the authentication experience. At times when I can’t look into the facial recognition system, I can just unlock it with a finger instead of typing the PIN as is the case on the iPhone. Plus, it’s compatible with Wi-Fi 7, and once the routers and networks around you transition to the latest standard, it will be capable of offering five times faster bandwidth. In addition, you’ll find a temperature sensor next to the Pixel’s rear cameras, which while isn’t much help at the moment since it only works for objects, will become indispensable when the FDA clears it for recording body temperature. In the United States, the Pixel 8 Pro still has a physical SIM tray, unlike the iPhone 15 Pro Max. 

Winner: Draw

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Software

The Pixel 8 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max exhibit the best of Android and iOS. After years of mirroring each other’s moves, both operating systems are more polished and feature-packed than they’ve ever been. Unfortunately, this also means there’s still no definitive answer to the perennial Android-vs-iOS update, and it narrows down to your preferences. 

On the Pixel 8 Pro’s Android 14, Google’s software supremacy is on full display. There are far more ways to personalize the software, such as the ability to choose from a spiffy catalog of lockscreen clocks, picking which shortcuts appear on the lockscreen's bottom corners, and a playful underlying theme that adapts to the wallpaper. Speaking of which, the Pixel 8 Pro’s AI can generate unlimited wallpapers for you — all you have to do is pick a theme. 

One of the more indispensable aspects of Android is the amount of control it offers over notifications: you not only block them but also cherry-pick what kind of alerts you want from an app. Plus, you can snooze them for later and scroll through all the ones you dismissed in the past. In addition, it can better leverage a large screen and allows you to use two apps at once in a split-screen mode. 

In select regions like the United States, the Pixel’s virtual assistant can also pick up your phone calls for you, find out who’s calling you and what they want and allow you to jump in if and when you wish to. 

The iPhone Pro Max’s iOS 17 benefits from a richer third-party dev ecosystem. iPhone apps are usually more responsive than their Android counterparts. Similarly, new services tend to debut on iOS and take months to arrive on Android. In the last couple of updates, Apple has also brought on some nifty features such as Standby Mode, which turns your iPhone into a smart display, and an upgraded Spotlight, which lets you look up and access in-app functions right from the universal search results. Of course, iOS’s biggest pull is Apple’s in-house apps. If you’ve got a circle of friends and families who live inside FaceTime and iMessage, then there’s a high chance you’ll feel more at home on iOS. 

There is one, objective upper hand the Pixel 8 Pro holds over the iPhone 15 Pro Max, however. Google claims it will receive major software updates for seven years, which is, on average, about a year or two longer than Apple. Historically, Google has also done a better job at rolling out new features to older models, as opposed to Apple which typically limits them to the latest phones. 

Winner: Pixel 8 Pro

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance

If the software is Google’s home turf, performance is Apple’s. 

The Pixel 8 Pro is powered by Google’s nine-core 4nm Tensor G3 chip and 12GB of RAM. It’s available in four storage variants: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The iPhone 15 Pro Max runs on Apple’s 3nm, six-core A17 Pro processor, and 8GB of RAM. It has three variants: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. 

In day-to-day activities, none of the phones will let you down. I had no trouble navigating routine tasks like scrolling social media, multitasking between numerous apps, or clicking hundreds of pictures back to back on either of them. 

Put them through their paces like shooting and editing a 4K video and the iPhone 15 Pro Max outclasses the Pixel by a mile. The iPhone 15 Pro Max scores double that of the Pixel in benchmarks and even comes close to beating desktop-class chips like the Intel Core i9-13900K CPU in some tests. Its GPU can also handle hardware-accelerated ray tracing and supports console games like the upcoming release of Resident Evil Village. 

In addition, the Pixel 8 Pro, like its predecessors, tends to get warm rather quickly under duress, and on sunny days, especially, it sometimes refuses to capture high-res video because it’s too hot. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has had its fair share of overheating issues as well but a recent update seems to have put those to rest. 

Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max 

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery life and charging

Although the iPhone 15 Pro Max is equipped with a smaller 4441 mAh battery compared to the Pixel 8 Pro’s 5050 mAh pack, it lasts longer on a single charge. In official battery tests, the iPhone clocked about 13 hours, while the Pixel tapped out in a little over 10 hours. In real-life use, both phones can comfortably go on for a day and a half, though the iPhone will likely last a couple of extra hours in total.

The Pixel 8 Pro does score points in charging speeds. A 30W adapter can top up the Pixel from 0% to 100% in about ninety minutes, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s outdated 20W speeds will take closer to two hours. The Pixel also charges faster wirelessly; With Google’s own 23W charging stand, you can completely charge the Pixel 8 Pro in less than two hours. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, is compatible with inferior 15W MagSafe wireless charging and 7.5W with any standard Qi charger. 

Plus, the Pixel has reverse-wireless charging, which means you can charge other devices like earbuds simply by putting them on its back. 

Winner: Draw

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Cameras

The Pixel 8 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max are two of the finest smartphone cameras on the market. Although there are certain hardware differences between them, comparing their camera results is tricky since each has its own belief of which kind of photos look best and processes your shots accordingly but we’ll do our best to help you decide. 

Both phones have three cameras on their back. On the iPhone 15 Pro Max, you’ll find a main 48-megapixel f/1.8 lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor (5x optical zoom), and a 120-megapixel 120-degree ultrawide. The Pixel 8 Pro has a 50-megapixel f/1.7 lens paired with a 48-megapixel telephoto shooter, also capable of 5x optical zoom, and a 48-megapixel 126-degree ultrawide.

In ample lighting, it’s close to impossible to separate these two phones’ camera performance. The photos they capture are sharp, accurate in colors, and feature well-balanced shadows and highlights. None of them goes too far to shoot up the saturation or exposure.

The Pixel’s shots, though, do feature a more contrast-y look that often better depicts the scene, as opposed to the iPhone, which tends to prefer blowing up the highlights ever so slightly. In addition, the Pixel usually gets skin tones correct compared to the iPhone, which, again, prefers to raise the exposure a little, overshadowing each person’s complex facial features in group shots. Selfies are nearly identical and both phones’ front cameras have autofocus.

Telephoto performance is another close-call with both drawing in plenty of details in 5x zoomed-in pictures while maintaining a consistent dynamic range. In this case, however, the iPhone’s pictures can come out a tad dull, whereas the Pixel does a better job at pulling in more colors and details, especially in dimly lit scenarios. In low light, both phones’ Night Mode fare well in keeping shots tidy and producing a rich amount of details. Overall, though, the Pixel edges a little ahead in retaining sharpness, especially in scenarios where there’s a lot of movement.

Yet, the reason I’d pick the Pixel 8 Pro for photography is not its outcomes, but its default camera app. It offers an impressive suite of pro editing options that let you customize your shot however you wish to, such as tweaking the ISO, or shutter speed. Plus, dedicated modes like “Action Pan,” which freezes your main, moving subject, and adds a creative motion blur effect to the background, are fun and allow me to capture photos that otherwise would have taken me a while to set up.

Once you’ve saved your photos too, the Pixel 8 Pro has a bunch of AI-enabled tools you can use to practically alter the reality. You can remove or relocate objects in your shots, unblur faces, and pick faces from photos taken in quick succession to build the best version of the group shot.

The one area where the iPhone trumps the Pixel is video recording. The quality of the iPhone’s 4K footage is usually crispier with cleaner colors and contrast and it keeps subjects in focus, even when the lighting fluctuates.

Winner: Draw in performance, Pixel wins in software

Overall winner

Both the Pixel 8 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max prove their worth with flagship qualities across the board. There’s no clear winner but at the end of the day, I’d say the iPhone doesn’t do enough to justify its higher starting price. Therefore, unless you’re an active mobile gamer, someone who would find themselves taking advantage of the emergency SOS features, or you spend more time shooting and editing videos than photos, the Pixel 8 Pro is the way to go. 

Google Pixel fans had a rude awakening a few weeks ago when the company’s Made By Google 2023 event went live, confirming a slew of exciting details about the Pixel 8 series. This includes a new Tensor G3 processor and a display that’s 42% brighter according to Google. We also got new colorways like Rose, Hazel, and Obsidian for the base model, while the Pro has Porcelain, Bay, and Obsidian.

But the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro reveal came with a bomb drop: The Pixel 7 was $599, but the Pixel 8 is now $699. The Pixel 8 Pro ($999) has suffered the same fate. With both phones being raised in price by $100, we have an unfortunate potential reality to face: Will the Pixel 8a undergo this same treatment?

Will the Pixel 8a be $50 to $100 more? 

It might be hard to imagine that the Pixel 8a could be priced anywhere between $549 to $599, but it’s possible. Diehard Pixel fans will remember that the Pixel 7a’s price point of $499 is similarly new, as the 6a was just $449. You might think there’s no way Google would raise costs twice in a row, but never say never.

In fact, it’s not necessarily normal for the Pixel 8a to be $500 while the Pixel 8 is $700. That’s a $200 dollar gap, but if we were to hypothesize the more likely price increase of $50, it would line up with the prices of a previous model.

The Pixel 6a ($449) and Pixel 6 ($599) had a $150 price gap between the two. If the Pixel 8a also raises its price by $50 when compared to the $499 Pixel 7a, it would maintain that $150 price gap. Having a Pixel 8a at $549 and Pixel 8 at $699 unfortunately seems reasonable, but it would be an enormous detriment to the appeal of Google’s budget phone.

We weren’t shy in celebrating the Google Pixel 7a as the best phone for most individuals. It received a rare perfect score from Laptop Mag, but without justified enhancements and a potential $50 increase, will we be quite as impressed with it? Assuming the 8a does receive the Google Tensor G3 processor, it would obviously be different, But the existence of a new skew already needs to justify itself. 

If it doesn’t, you might as well just purchase the previous phone. And while the Tensor G3’s inclusion might be a decent justification for the existence of an 8a, I’m not sure if Pixel fans will see it as enough of a reason why the phone deserves a price increase. We still have quite some before we see a release of the Pixel 8a (7a was launched May 2023), but if the company does expect us to pay more, we’ll need a good reason.

On the other hand, if Google does raise the price by only $50, the company would have handled it in an admittedly clever way. Rather than just bumping up the price by $100 out of nowhere, which could turn some folks off, a smaller increment of $50 is less scary. Even I forgot that Google had already bumped up its cost between the previous two generations, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the average user forgot this too.

Alternatively, there’s a possible future where Google doesn’t change anything and the price gap between its $500 budget model and $700 base version remains. After all, Google is not remotely consistent as far as price has gone throughout its Pixel series.

The Pixel 4 started at $799, which is even more expensive than the Pixel 8. Things get even more intense when realizing the Pixel 4a was only $399, meaning its more expensive model was double the price. Google might as well be throwing darts at a dartboard, and there’s no way that we can predict where the 8a will land in cost.

Bottom line 

Reasons like this make me hope Google won’t modify prices any further. We once lived in a world where the Pixel a-Series’ level of affordability was mind blowing, but as the gap between it and its other models shrinks, it loses more and more of its appeal. The Pixel 7a is one of the best phones we’ve ever tested, and it’s hard not to worry about Google losing its balance between performance and affordability.

Plain and simply, $500 is the perfect cost for a budget phone right now. It will inevitably go up in the coming years due to the nature of the economy, but we’re hoping Google doesn’t quite pull the trigger on disrupting the sanctity of that divine price point just yet.

The Google Pixel 8 series is only a day away from its official reveal, with Google planning to unveil its latest flagship phones at the Made by Google 2023 event. It begins at 7 am PT / 10 am ET / 3pm GMT.

However, key info has leaked the day prior about Google’s Tensor G3 processor. Google has never boasted the strongest chips in the game, especially when compared to the iPhone, but preliminary performance metrics showcase a big boost in power.

Google Tensor G3 benchmarks leaked 

YouTuber M. Brandon Lee has published an early hands-on with the Google Pixel 8 Pro, offering hardware information alongside Geekbench 6 performance scores. While we’re not far off from testing these phones ourselves, let's get right into these test results.

The Pixel 8 Pro’s Geekbench 6 scores were 1,760 for single-core and 4,442 for multi-core. Compared to the Pixel 7 Pro’s 1,407 single-core and 3,385 multi-core, this is a rather decent jump in performance.

Through our own tests, however, the iPhone 15 Pro managed a multi-core score of 7,194 and single-core score of 2,890 with its A17 Pro. We still won’t have solidified performance scores until we do our own tests with the Pixel 8, but there is still a considerable gap between the two smartphones from these preliminary tests.

These two phones also feature a massive difference in price. If we compare the rumored $899 cost for the Pixel 8 Pro to the $899 iPhone 15 Plus, we can put their performance against one another with more fairness. While the iPhone 15 Plus’ multi-core score of 6,280 and single-core score of 2,551 is not quite as good as the Pro models, it’s still significantly better than what Google can offer.

As mentioned earlier in the article, this isn’t surprising. Google has never boasted the fastest processor, so it’s not like we were expecting the company to suddenly compete against Apple’s latest flagship phones. While we still have to perform our own tests on the Pixel 8 series, we expect it’ll be mostly accurate to what we’ve seen from these early results.

Apple boasted about numerous new features on the iPhone 15 Pro Max including that new 5x zoom camera and titanium build, but battery life was one feature I really keyed in on, so I was very curious to see how it held up in testing.

We're still awaiting our iPhone 15 Pro Max, but our sister site Tom's Guide uses the same battery test and the iPhone 15 Pro Max lasted 14 hours and 2 minutes, outlasting its predecessor by 23 minutes. Now that might not seem like that much, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max was already leading the pack and when you factor in the roughly 30% boost to Geekbench performance, it becomes quite a bit more impressive.

Let's take a closer look at how the iPhone 15 Pro Max battery life stacks up to the competition and the rest of the iPhone 15 lineup.

As you can see the iPhone 15 Pro Max currently commands almost an hour lead on the longest-lasting Android flagship (OnePlus 11), almost 2 hours over the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and an almost silly 3 hours and 58 minutes over the Pixel 7 Pro.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 3 and Tensor G3 that should power those phones' predecessors will need to dramatically improve efficiency if they are going to eclipse the new high watermark set by the 15 Pro Max. 

Apple still has one glaring weakness

While the iPhone may hold the lead on overall battery life, one feature that Apple left untouched is charging. The iPhone 15 Pro Max maxes out at the same 27W that Apple claims should yield 50% in 30 minutes, but in Tom's Guide's tests only made it to 41%.

That doesn't hold a candle to the best Android phones with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra able to reach 57% in 30 minutes and the OnePlus 11 puts them both to shame with a full charge in roughly 27 minutes.

Even if the next-gen Android flagships gain only limited ground when it comes to battery life, the charging advantage is enough that it renders the difference moot for anyone who can quickly charge for even 10-15 minutes a day.

While we're happy to see the iPhone finally join the rest of the phone world with USB-C, here's hoping next year we get a charging speed upgrade on the iPhone 16 to bring it more in line with the best Android has to offer.

The iPhone 15 Pro brings some tasty upgrades to Apple’s smartphone platform, but with the Google Pixel 8 Pro recently unveiled at the Made by Google 2023 event, you might want to think carefully about which phone you'll snag first.

So, now that the iPhone 15 Pro is official, and the Google Pixel 8 Pro was just made official as of today, which flagship smartphone should you get your hands on? Let’s find out.

iPhone 15 Pro vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Specs

iPhone 15 Pro vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Price

The rumors were true about iPhone 15 Pro Max getting a $100 price hike, thanks to Apple dropping the 128GB model and putting 256GB as its base. But the 128GB iPhone 15 Pro maintains that $999 price tag.

It was also rumored beforehand that the Google Pixel 8 Pro would be increasing in price by $100, and that similarly turned out to be true. This means both the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro have officially landed at the same price point.

• Google Pixel 8 Pro: $999
• iPhone 15 Pro: $999
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: $1,199

This means we can compare the nitty gritty without being bogged down by disclaimers regarding price. Google usually comes in cheaper, but in this case, neither will save you money.

iPhone 15 Pro vs. Google Pixel Pro: Design

iPhone 15 Pro’s transition to Titanium makes for a redesign that is small but impactful. The iPhone’s traditional mute toggle has been replaced with an Action Button, the metal band now has a slight curvature to make the phone a little more comfortable in the hand, and the Lightning port is gone!

Thanks to the whole Apple vs EU saga, the Union legislation has forced Apple’s hand to adopt this standardized port, and I could not be more excited to see the back of Lightning (though I have a lot of useless cables now).

The Google Pixel Pro 8 introduces matte back glass for the first time, alongside being built with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. We also have Obsidian, Porcelain and Bay colors confirmed for the Pixel 8 Pro. The base Pixel 8 retains the Obsidian option, but also features Hazel and Rose color schemes.

The Pixel 8 pro measures 6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches and weighs 7.5 ounces, while the iPhone 15 Pro measures 5.8 x 2.8 x 0.3 in and weighs 6.6 ounces, making the latter both heavier and larger.

You will get the same color-coordinated slab with a bold aluminum protrusion across the back housing the camera bump. It certainly stands out from the more generic smartphones out there. Not only that, but Google has bested Apple when it comes to battery capacity too.

• Google Pixel 8 Pro: 4,950mAh
• iPhone 15 Pro: 3,274mAh
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: 4,422mAh

Of course, battery life is not all based around the size of the battery inside — a lot of the formula comes down to software optimization and the power draw of components too. But in reality, a bigger battery is always going to help the situation. 

It’s fortunate to see the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max’s battery capacity go up (especially after the weak longevity of the iPhone 14 Pro), but the Pixel 8 Pro is going into this face-off with a numbers advantage. 

iPhone 15 Pro vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Display

• iPhone 15 Pro: 6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR OLED display, 2556 x 1179-pixel resolution, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: 6.7-inch, Super Retina XDR OLED display, 2796 x 1290-pixel resolution, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate
• Google Pixel 8 Pro: 6.7-inch, LTPO AMOLED display, 2992 x 1344-pixel resolution, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate

The iPhone 15 Pro’s display remains largely identical to last year’s model — same resolution, same LTPO technology, and the same adaptive refresh rate from 1-120Hz. For the next big display upgrade, you’ll have to wait for the iPhone 16, which is rumored to make the jump to a micro lens array (MLA) that provides better brightness and power efficiency.

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro panel (beyond being a flat display rather than curved at the edges) is getting a brightness upgrade from 1,400 to 1,600 nits peak brightness, which is 400 less than the 2,000 nits you can get from the 15 Pro. It also features a 1344 x 2992-pixel resolution LTPO OLED panel.

iPhone 15 Pro vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Processor

• iPhone 15 Pro: A17 Pro with 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine
• Google Pixel 8 Pro: Google Tensor G3 with nine-core CPU, and Immortalis-G715s MC10 GPU

The iPhone 15 Pro makes the leap over to TSMC’s 3-nanometer process with A17 Pro — packing 19 billion transistors in A17 Pro (up from 16 billion in A16 Bionic), 10% faster CPU performance, 20% faster graphics, and support hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Google’s Tensor G3 chipset is built on a 4-nanometer process, and looks like it will get an impressive update in performance too. It starts with a nine-core CPU with a top speed of 3.00GHz, and the 10-core Immortalis variant of the G715 GPU could also unlock ray tracing capabilities too.

You can also look forward to Google upgrading what Tensor is well known for — its AI smarts. Codenamed “Rio,” this new TPU runs at a faster speed, and looks set to increase speeds of processing AI and Machine Learning tasks.

It's almost unfair to talk processing power when comparing Apple's iPhone and Google's Pixel. The winner in this race has been evident for years, and that certainly won't change this time. The Pixel 8 Pro's upgrade to a Google Tensor G3, while certainly yielding the potential for great improvements in performance, won't be anywhere near enough to take down the iPhone 15.

Through our own tests, the iPhone 15 Pro managed a multi-core score of 7,194 and single-core score of 2,890 with its A17 Pro. Even the iPhone 15 Plus, which is only $899, yielded a multi-core score of 6,280 and single-core score of 2,551.

We haven't been able to test the Google Pixel 8 Pro's performance just yet ourselves, but a leaked Geekbench 6 test from YouTuber M. Brandon Lee reveals some preliminary data. The Pixel 8 Pro’s Geekbench 6 scores were 1,760 for single-core and 4,442 for multi-core. Compared to the Pixel 7 Pro’s 1,407 single-core and 3,385 multi-core, this is a rather decent jump in performance, but it still stands no chance against the iPhone 15.

iPhone 15 Pro vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Cameras

• iPhone 15 Pro Max gets an updated 48MP wide camera, and the brand new 12MP 5x telephoto with periscope lens (or tetraprism, if you’re nasty)
• Google Pixel 8 Pro continues with an 50MP main camera, while its telephoto remain 48MP. However, its ultrawide camera gets a massive upgrade from 12MP to 48MP with this new model.

The iPhone 15 Pro continues Apple’s lineage of offering stellar camera systems, as the 48MP sensor has been updated with a wider aperture. Beyond that, the Pro Max ditches the standard telephoto lens (which has a fixed magnification in the 15 Pro), and makes the leap to a 5X periscope lens, although Apple refers to it as a tetraprism design.

But if smartphone aficionados know one thing, it's that Google really brings the heat in the photography department, and the Pixel 8 Pro is no different. It's built with a 50MP Octa PD wide camera that makes the most of Tensor G3’s power and AI to deliver new features like staggered HDR for improved low light performance.

We're also getting a renovated 48MP ultrawide for more detail than what you’d get on the 12MP of the 15 Pro, and the Pixel 8 Pro could be the phone to beat for snapping pictures.

Outlook

I make no bones about the iPhone 15 Pro bringing some impressive updates to hardware design, cameras, and its peak performance. But given what seems to be coming down the line from Google Pixel 8 Pro, the latter could be the right choice for certain individuals.

The 15 Pro will absolutely reign as Apple performance champion with its A17 Pro, alongside its improved battery life and great camera. On top of that, iOS 17 has brought some warmly welcomed changes to the software side of it.

However, Google’s skinned version of Android is capable of great AI-driven features that Apple is still catching up with, the Tensor G3 looks set to bring the generational leap we were missing with Pixel 7, and that camera system may pip the Cupertino crew to the post with upgrades to both hardware and software.

Two of the largest smartphone companies in the world enter the ring, but only one can leave. With Samsung in one corner, boasting its acclaimed Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and in the other corner, Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max. Both phones are the highest-end models for their respective flagship series and are undeniable beasts.

We’re exclusively comparing specs in this competition, as we don’t have the iPhone 15 Pro Max in our hands just yet. We’ll update with our final decision once we complete our review, but based simply on what each phone is packing under the hood, let us see which one comes out on top.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Specs

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Price

iPhone’s Pro Max series would have had the advantage over Samsung most years, as iPhone 15 Pro Max has solidified itself as the most expensive iPhone in this latest series, bumping up the price by $100. 

This means both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are $1,199, making the two companies evenly matched in cost for their most premium smartphone model

Winner: Draw 

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Design

Tons of little upgrades are coming to the iPhone 15 series, but it’s hard to count something like USB-C ports as an “upgrade” when everyone else is already doing that (and that Apple was forced to do it). At the very least, the inclusion of the Action Button (a feature from Apple Watch Ultra) is massive, which provides a haptic response that can be modified to perform unique tasks.

But beyond functionality, iPhone 15 Pro Max has finally made its upgrade from stainless steel to titanium. This should make the phone lighter but also sturdier than ever. However, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra wasn’t using stainless steel to begin with, as that was something Apple has always been a bit behind on.

Instead, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is made with “armored” aluminum. The question here comes down to a battle between aluminum and titanium, but the results online about which one is stronger are rather mixed. This isn’t just because the internet cannot come to an exact agreement, but because its use case, grade, and concentration can all make a massive difference. 

It would be rare if both Apple and Samsung used the exact same density and grade quality for their metals, so we won’t know which one is stronger until experts properly test the phones themselves. And while aluminum is way lighter than titanium on average, Samsung does not have the lighter phone. iPhone 15 Pro Max is 7.8 ounces, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 is 8.3 ounces. This could be due to many other factors, but at the end of the day, lighter is better.

Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max 

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Display

The iPhone 15 Pro Max features a 6.7-inch, 2,796 x 1,290 resolution OLED display with adaptive refresh rate from 1-120Hz. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra features the same refresh rate, but also boasts a 6.8-inch, 3,088 x 1,440 AMOLED screen.

We can’t compare testing numbers between these two phones, as we’ve tested only the Samsung, but based on some previous numbers from iPhone 14 tests, we can make some assumptions. The iPhone 14 Pro Max was already brighter than the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, with the former achieving 1,565 nits at its peak, while the latter was a bit behind at 1,444 nits. 

During Apple’s September event, the company claimed that the 15 series displays would go as high as 2,000 nits of brightness. Whether or not this statement is entirely true will be determined when we can actually test the phone, but we can say with some confidence that it’s unlikely it will be worse than the previous generation, considering Apple is claiming it’ll be way better.

We can also make an educated guess based on the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s color performance that Samsung will have its next model beat once again. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra achieved 136.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max was at only 83.2%. We’re not expecting this new phone to jump 50% higher, especially since a majority of Apple products normally hover around this 80% range.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Processor

Spoiler alert: The iPhone has this in the bag. Apple is making some massive moves with its processor development by introducing the world’s first commercially available smartphone with a 3nm chipset in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

iPhone 14 Pro Max was already ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in our Geekbench 5.4 tests, with the former hitting a score of 5,333 and the latter a tad behind at 5,081. By no means is this a massive gap, but it’s clear that Apple was in the lead and considering the company is continuing to innovate in processing power, we’re expecting that to remain the case.

Beyond just the potential for this to provide excellent performance boosts, it could also mean a huge change in battery life efficiency. We won’t know for sure until we get our hands on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and can test it ourselves, but there’s reason to believe that it could result in hours extra of battery life.

Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max 

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Cameras

iPhone 15 Pro Max has finally unveiled its periscope camera or, as Apple likes to call it, the “Tetraprism.” Beyond this just sounding like the latest McGuffin in a Marvel Cinematic Universe flick, it’s hilariously on point for Apple to be so extra in the design of something that already exists. I had previously written an explainer on the ins and outs of periscope cameras, which involves reflecting light at a 90-degree angle after lining multiple lenses to perform a greater optical zoom. But instead of just having light reflect through a 90-degree angle, the “Tetraprism” has it bounce off of multiple lens in a zig-zag to reach a 5x optical zoom.

But Samsung’s greatest assets are its incredible cameras. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra features a 200 megapixel sensor as the primary, while it also has a 10MP camera with 10x optical zoom, which doubles what Apple is promising. iPhone 15’s primary camera is unfortunately still only 48MP.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 

Outlook

Determining a winner solely based on specifications isn’t completely fair, as we still have to test the iPhone 15 Pro Max and see how it does in application. Beyond that, whether or not you should buy an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy depends on more than just specs, as each phone’s application suite might be most important to you.

But if we’re analyzing solely based on the numbers we see thus far, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra overpowers the iPhone 15 Pro Max with better optical zoom, high megapixel sensor and potentially more vivid display. iPhone 15 Pro Max will almost certainly have superior nits of brightness, while its performance could blow us away alongside a lighter build. We have one draw, two wins for Apple and two wins for Samsung. At this point, the winner entirely depends on if the battery life rumors are true, but assuming they are, Apple takes this victory home.

Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max 

I used to buy the base, new iPhone every couple of years. It was a no-brainer for me as it offered Apple’s latest, flagship tech at a relatively affordable cost, and I didn’t care for the Plus model’s larger displays and batteries to shell out the extra couple hundred dollars. 

So when Apple added a pair of Pro models to its yearly refresh four years ago, it made sense to me. I assumed it would allow the iPhone maker to cater to professionals willing to pay a premium for a few, extra pro-grade features — whilst, more importantly, retaining the non-Pro iPhone’s value-for-money package for the rest of us, and for the first iterations, that appeared to be the plan. 

Apple’s then Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing, Phil Schiller made what pro means for Apple clear at the iPhone 11 Pro launch keynote: “For us, pro means it’s a device pros can count on to get their work done,” he said. 

Apart from a nicer screen, and an additional rear camera, for example, the iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 shared most of their specs, from running on an identical chipset to the main, 12-megapixel lens. The iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro followed a similar playbook. But things took a turn for the worse from last year as Apple began to lock more perks behind the Pro paywall irrespective of whether they’re suited for professionals or can fit in everyone’s day-to-day experience. The base iPhone evolved into a mid-range phone (at the same flagship prices) with hand-me-downs recycled from older Pro models. However, never has this been as apparent as it is in the new iPhone 15. 

The iPhone 15 is less of a cost-effective entry to some of the state-of-the-art tech Apple’s been working on in the past year and more of a mid-range phone designed to democratize last year’s Pro abilities, such as the Dynamic Island, 48-megapixel camera, and the brighter screen.  

One of the reasons Apple’s base iPhone made sense before is that it still ran on the company’s new chipset, ensuring its performance wouldn’t dip at least for a few years. Since the iPhone 14, though, that perk is gone as well. The new iPhone 15 is powered by the A16 Bionic, the one found inside 2022’s iPhone 14 Pro, while the iPhone 15 Pro houses a next-gen A17 Pro. 

The base iPhone now, therefore, offers outdated hardware by default, knocking a year down from its longevity. Though an argument could be made about how the non-Pro iPhone doesn’t need all that power, I’d beg to differ as an iPhone 13 owner. Within a year, the iPhone 13 I own had lost more than 10% of its battery health, and its performance had begun to show signs of age — as opposed to my Google Pixel 6 which, thanks to Google’s software-based enhancements, continues to run like new, and still receives features that debut on the latest Pixel models. 

Without the specs the iPhone 15 inherited from the iPhone 14 Pro, it comes off as a lackluster refresh. Apple has limited the majority of new and exciting upgrades to the Pro lineup, including better Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity, and the customizable action button. What’s more surprising is Apple has omitted a laundry list of features that have long been standardized in the Android ecosystem on its $799 flagship phone, such as a higher refresh rate, an always-on screen, and reversible wireless charging. 

In comparison, the Pixel 7 series offers a better case study into a more rounded non-Pro and Pro model balance. Not only do they share the same processor, main camera, software, and connectivity but the absence of the Pro perks, such as a slightly smoother and sharper screen, an extra telephoto lens, and a larger screen, wouldn’t be dramatically detrimental to most people’s day-to-day use. On top of that, there’s a significant $300 cost difference between them, and the Pixel 7 starts at a lower $599 price. 

In the early days of Apple’s shift to a Pro lineup, I would tell people they didn’t need to spend that $200 difference for the Pro model as the base iPhone, thanks to its latest-gen chipset, was enough and will last them years to come, but starting with the iPhone 14, the scales have tipped the opposite way. Now, that $200 bump-up offers far more value, and is hard to ignore, as the Pro model houses most of the true upgrades, and that’s ideally what Apple is hoping you do as well. 

In fact, an iPhone 14 Pro — if you can find it in stock somewhere and if it weren’t for the USB-C port change — is more bang for the buck today than the iPhone 15. For the same price, it offers an always-on screen, an additional camera lens, a 120Hz refresh rate, a LiDAR Scanner, and longer battery life. At least that’s what I’m planning to do. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro were announced yesterday. While there are a lot of features to celebrate, one has really been grinding my gears — the fact that Apple still offers a 128GB version.

You see, as companies add more sophisticated-yet-space-consuming features, more storage needs to be a standard. With that in mind, all the new photography features, combined with the A17 Pro’s support for console-quality games like Resident Evil Village is going to stuff that on-board storage so quickly, you’ll be playing that game of deleting files often.

Super-high-resolution — super-high space consumption

The iPhone 15 has joined the Pro and Pro Max in getting a new 48MP sensor, and Apple has expanded its usability too. This includes a new feature called super-high-resolution photography.

Basically, instead of pixel binning to just 12MP (4-in-1), you can now either pixel-bin to just 2-in-1 with a 24MP image, or take a standard photo with all of Apple’s computational photography data in there at a fully fledged 48MP.

iPhone 15 Pro sample photos

Now, given the average 12MP picture will take up 2-3MB of space, it’s logical to assume that it will double to 5-6MB with 24MP, and double again to 10-12MB with the full resolution (this would be with JPEG saving turned on because nobody wants HEIF). Add the automatic portrait mode recognition on top of that — spotting a person and saving depth of field information by default for you to edit the picture after its taken — you could see these numbers increase drastically.

And the situation gets worse with ProRAW capture options, which can be a killer for storage. Apple estimates that a 48MP ProRAW image is roughly 75 MB in size, which is a far cry from the 2-3MB of your standard 12MP pixel-binned image. Then there’s the video recording options with 4K 60 FPS (even if you turn on HDR), ProRes recording and even Log format support in the Pro. 

That 128GB is going to get absolutely rinsed by an average day of photo and video recording, never mind using these features that will brim it quicker than my terrible pint-pouring skills.

Outlook

Apple already knows this is the case. How do I know the team knows? iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn’t come in a 128GB configuration — the lowest is 256GB. The support for super-high-resolution photos is going to put an even greater pressure on this limited amount of storage. 

There is a workaround for prosumers, though, as the USB 3 controller on the A17 Pro does allow you to capture content directly to an external drive. But this isn’t a problem limited to just the Pro models, as the standard iPhone 15 has also made the jump to 48MP.

Put simply, the Cupertino crew needs to make 256GB its base storage across the entire lineup next year. I can imagine a lot of people struggling with the on board storage, which could be by design given Apple was quick to tell you about its iCloud+ space options.

iPhone 15 features are plenty, but the most exciting additions revolve around the upcoming Pro models. It'll receive suggest significantly longer battery life, a superior processor, upgraded RAM, sturdier build, and a new type of camera that will allow for the furthest optical zoom iPhone has ever seen.

But all of these changes result in a price increase of $100 for iPhone 15 Pro Max. iPhones are already expensive, especially when compared to Google's widely affordable Pixel series with our beloved Pixel 7a in particular retailing as low as $499. But you'll be spending $1,199 for iPhone 15 Pro Max. Is this upgrade truly worth your money?

3 reasons you might want an iPhone 15 Pro

The iPhone 15 Pro is built with a titanium frame. Previous models were made of stainless steel, and that new material could result in a stronger yet lighter exterior. It's hard to deny that's an improvement altogether, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's implemented throughout the series if it gets cheaper to produce in the future.

The periscope lens is also exclusively available on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This results in a 5x optical zoom, whereas the original iPhone models can only manage half of that before diving into digital, artifact-ridden territory.

Increased processing power thanks the to the A17 Pro chip being put into both Pro models was expected, but the 3nm architecture was not. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company chairman Mark Liu is even going so far as to suggest that it will use up to 35% less power as a result. The phone will also bump from 6GB of RAM to 8GB.

3 reasons you might not want an iPhone 15 Pro

The iPhone 15 Pro series will be packed with exciting features that are designed for specific audiences. Don't get too absorbed in the hype of what these new phones can do before you consider whether or not they're relevant to your daily use.

Can you see yourself actually using the 5x optical zoom periscope lens? Think about how you take photos on a daily basis, and question how frequently you've needed to zoom in that far to take a photo. It's undeniably useful in certain cases, and some users will find it far more valuable than others, but it's not for most.

And is it all that important that you have the additional power that comes with the new 3nm processor? iPhones are already zippy with their processing speeds, and unless you're someone who frequently plays the most demanding games or runs high-performance software, this is not the most relevant upgrade.

The only aspect of the enhanced processor that is an all-around improvement for every user is its increased battery life by 35%. That's great no matter who you are, as the issue of longevity is one that plagues nearly every smartphone user.

Even if it begets a lighter chassis, is the titanium frame's enhanced sturdiness all that important? After all, the most fragile part of your phone is the glass. Think about it; have you ever dropped your phone and worried about the frame? Of course not. Everyone immediately worries about the screen.

And finally, with the price bump, is the iPhone 15 truly worth it? You should just stick with a regular iPhone 15 if you imagine a majority of these features will be wasted on you.

Just days ahead of the iPhone 15 announcement it looks like Google decided it was sick of all the attention Apple was getting and it has revealed its Pixel 8, 8 Pro, and Pixel Watch 2 almost a month ahead of its October 4 Made by Google event on October 4.

This isn't the first time Google has pulled this particular trick, so it's clear at this point that Google doesn't like the typical dance we play as events draw near with virtually every angle of a device leaked already. It removes the last vestiges of mystery regarding the look of its devices but doesn't give a full spec, feature, or price breakdown, so you'll still want to watch along on October 4 for the full reveal.

Here's the brief teaser video that Google released alongside the reveal on the Google Store, and we'll dig into what else was revealed.

Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro

Let's tackle the phones first, the images mirror what we've seen in the leaks precisely with the most apparent change being the size reduction for the Pixel 8. While again Google isn't going into the specifics yet, according to the rumors it is going to feature a 6.2-inch display, down from 6.3 inches, and fulfilling one of our wishes since Google bumped the display size up for the Pixel 6. 

The Pixel 8 Pro display will remain 6.7 inches, but the teaser seems to bear out the leaks suggesting it will now be a flat display rather than curved. Again, I'm thrilled to hear it as the curved display trend is one that I have railed against for years.

A close-up look at the rear camera array on the Pixel 8 Pro confirms that all three lenses are now grouped together in a single cutout, which isn't likely to be the tipping point for anyone considering it, but it's a more aesthetically pleasing look. This also gives us our best look yet at that new temperature sensor below the flash. But of course, there are no actual details or even confirmation that it is a temperature sensor, so whether Google has any grand plans for that sensor beyond doing the occasional thermometer reading will remain a mystery until October 4.

While the images officially confirm that many of the leaked photos we've seen before were accurate, they don't give us anything on perhaps the biggest update to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro; the Tensor G3. While day-to-day performance was solid with the G2, it remains miles behind the best from Apple or Qualcomm, so the question of whether Google can narrow that gap a bit looms large.

The Pixel 7a finally broke the Pixel battery life curse by eclipsing 10 hours in our testing, but here's hoping that Pixel 8 and 8 Pro can push that even further. 

Google didn't post anything about pricing, but a leak by Deallabs Magazine suggests that the days of the affordable Pixel may be coming to an end. The site claims that in the EU the pricing for the Pixel 8 will start at 799 euros, while the Pixel 8 Pro will go to 1,099 euros. Typically we see this mirrored exactly in the U.S., so that would be a $200 jump for both phones. The Pixel 8 going from $599 to $799 and the 8 Pro bumped to $1,099 from $899. 

The writing was on the wall for a Pixel price bump this year after the Pixel 7a rendered the Pixel 7 somewhat irrelevant, but we were hoping it would maybe only be a $100 increase. Google is going to need to really sell us on the upgrades that are justifying that big of an increase as the teaser and even the current rumors don't fully explain an upcharge of nearly 33% for the Pixel 8 and 22% for the 8 Pro.

Google Pixel Watch 2

The Pixel Watch 2 doesn't get the same video teaser treatment, just a still image saying that it is also coming on October 4 and that you can "Pair it with your new Pixel phone to get even more personalized help, safety features, and health insights."

Unlike the Pixel 8 phones, Google has done a reasonable job of keeping the Pixel Watch 2 under wraps, so we don't have much to go on beyond the images. Rumors suggest it will move to a lighter aluminum frame and that it could add a stress detection feature similar to the Fitbit Sense 2, but there's little else to go on. 

Our two biggest wishes for the Pixel Watch 2 are a second size option as the 41mm original is a little on the small side and for an increase in battery life, but the latter is true of almost every smartwatch.

Outlook

Google remains something of an agent of chaos when it comes to the handling of its device launches. While we're starting to get used to its shenanigans, it remains to be seen whether these tactics are working with consumers to bring more attention to the Pixel brand. There's no question Google's advertising push alongside the improvements to the phones has given them a meaningful boost in recent years, but they've got a long way to go before Apple or Samsung are feeling the pressure.

While Google's release gave us confirmation of the look of its new devices, the devil is in the details and the teaser hasn't given us any more to go on there. The software is a major part of the story for the Pixel phones and Google is only showing off existing software features on its teaser site.

So well played Google, you got us talking about the Pixel devices without really giving us anything new. While there's this little iPhone 15 event coming next week, we'll certainly be keeping our eyes out for anything new on the Pixel front and we'll be there to cover the actual launch of the Pixel 8, 8 Pro, and Pixel Watch 2 on October 4.

Google Pixel 8 Pro leaks and rumors should always be taken with a pinch of salt, but there’s one source that’s virtually gospel when the grapevine's lips get loose — Google themselves.

Unearthed by Dylan Roussel on X/Twitter, Google has recently begun hosting a Pixel Phone Simulator that gives users a chance to get to know its upcoming flagship device from all angles. We're just not entirely sure if we were meant to know about it yet.

Google Pixel 8 Probed

This is the most in-depth look at Google’s Pixel 8 Pro to date, and one we can bank on for providing wholly accurate information. Along with being able to take three color variants (Porcelain, Blue, and Black)  on a full 360-degree spin, Google has highlighted some of the key features Pixel 8 Pro owners will be enjoying after the smartphone's suspected October 4 launch date.

Sadly, detailed specifications aren’t included in the Pixel simulator, however, there’s enough to accurately depict what’s on offer — including confirmation of the Pixel 8 Pro’s new rear-facing temperature sensor.

Other labeled features detail the contents of the Pixel 8 Pro’s camera bar including a rear-facing camera array of a wide lens, ultrawide lens, and 5x telephoto lens. This is also where we find the aforementioned temperature sensor, alongside a rear-facing mic and LED flash.

Outlook

Google's upcoming flagship is expected to launch on October 4, powered by the company's new Google Tensor G3 processor. That gives us a little more time to find out more about the device ahead of its official unveiling, with many of us excited to learn about its software capabilities when taking full advantage of the latest Android 14 OS.

For news, rumors, and updates on all things Pixel and Google, follow Laptop Mag on Twitter, Facebook, and Flipboard for the latest word as it arrives.

Event season is upon us with the Made by Google Pixel event now officially on the calendar for Oct. 4 just a day after the Apple September event got locked in.

This falls right in line with the typical timing for the Google event and should set the stage for some intriguing face-offs between the latest from Apple and Google this fall. 

When is the Made by Google October 2023 event?

This year the Made by Google event will be held in New York City on October 4, with the livestream kicking off at 10 a.m. ET, sorry Pacific time zone, this one isn't as kind to you as Apple's.

You'll be able to catch the event either on YouTube or on the Google Store website and we'll of course be covering everything live in case you can't watch along.

What will be announced at the Made by Google October 2023 event?

The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are sure to be the highlights of the show for most people. After the Pixel 7a managed to claim the top spot on our best smartphones this year we are certainly intrigued to see how it steps up its game with the 8 series. We could be in for a significant shakeup rumors about changes to the display, cameras, perhaps a new sensor, and of course the brand new Tensor G3 chip. One of the biggest questions is pricing after the Pixel 7a upgrade made the Pixel 7 feel obsolete last year.

The other device expected to debut is the Pixel Watch 2. Google managed to deliver an impressive first effort with the Pixel Watch, but there's certainly room for improvement with more battery life at the top of our list.

Given that Google remains completely incapable of keeping any hardware secrets, it seems unlikely that there will be any surprises at the event, but we have just over a month left until we find out.

While the Tensor chip was a big lift for the Pixel lineup, the Pixel cameras have been the calling card for Google's smartphones for years now. While upgrades to the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24 cameras may threaten Google's dominance, leaks show that the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are likely ready for the fight.

The newest reveal comes courtesy of Android Authority, with the site claiming an "anonymous source inside Google" gave them an early look at the new camera interface and features that will be found in both the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro (via TechRadar).

New look Camera app

While Google has continued to deliver new features in the Camera app over recent years, not much has changed with its basic functionality. While the new look won't be completely unfamiliar to longtime Pixel fans, it does take some steps to streamline the user interface.

Video gets a much more prominent role in the new Camera app with a separate toggle for photo and video at the bottom, as opposed to simply being one of the options in the carousel at the bottom. Now you get distinct carousels for photo or video, so you don't feel like you need to swipe endlessly for the mode you want.

Speaking of modes, Google will try to clear some things up with new names for some modes. The "Motion" mode will now be "Long Exposure" and "Action Pan," while the "Cinematic Pan" becomes simply "Pan." The latter felt like a pretty clear knockoff of Apple's Cinematic mode, so I'm happy to see it simplified. The stabilization modes are now going into the pop-up menu in video with standard, active, and locked options.

More under the hood upgrades

The above updates are nice quality-of-life improvements to the app itself, but for results what you really care about are the features helping to supercharge your snapshots. One of the biggest rumored updates is the adoption of something called "Staggered HDR." If you aren't familiar HDR has been all the rage for years now, particularly in phones, as it stitches together multiple shots to deliver a better photo than any phone sensor would be capable of in a single shot. Staggered HDR reduces the time between those shots ensuring better low-light shots without blurring or artifacts.

Another low-light upgrade will come in the form of "Adaptive torch," which according to Android Authority's source will govern the intensity of the flash to avoid that blown-out look that makes people opt for Night mode over even risking the flash. Particularly for group shots Night mode is a potential nightmare as anyone moving can ruin it, so a truly useful flash photo mode could be a game-changer.

Finally, a new feature called "Segmentation AWB" is also apparently slated to arrive for the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro to more judiciously handle processing across different parts of your photo. Particularly if you are capturing a photo in mixed lighting, this should give you a more realistic overall image rather than just optimizing for a single focal point.

While Apple's iPhone 15 should debut first at Apple's September event, if you are on the fence about iPhone vs. Android you may want to hold off until Google's presumed October event before you make your decision. Whether Google's camera hardware can match Apple's is a legitimate question, but it wouldn't be the first time a Pixel's camera beat an iPhone with a lesser camera.

The iPhone 15 Pro is set to be announced at Apple’s September event, but this latest slew of iPhone 16 Pro rumors are going to give users a whole lot of pre-emptive buyers’ remorse.

Not to say the 15 Pro will be a bad phone, but according to securities analyst Jeff Pu, next year’s iPhone could come with huge WiFi and ultrawide camera upgrades!

Feeling snap happy?

The first big upgrade that Pu mentions takes us to that ultrawide camera. For all the love we have of this lens for exaggerating the distance between near and far subjects, that 12MP resolution is starting to get a little tired.

Well, Apple looks to up this to a 48MP sensor for the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max. This could unlock a ton of additional capabilities that we see with the main camera, such as the ability to capture ProRAW images, gather a lot more light, and use pixel binning for vastly increasing the detail.

Get connected

Pu has also claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will support the next generation WiFi 7 standard — bringing faster speeds and a lower latency. However, the 7th iteration of WiFi hasn’t arrived yet, with an eye on it landing in late 2024. 

The maximum speed for WiFi 6 is a rather speedy 9.6 Gbps, whereas moving up to WiFi 7 amps that all the way up to 46 Gbps — that is an insane jump that is sure to vastly improve download/upload speeds. Not only that, but with support for more bandwidth channels and an increased range, it will be a more reliable connection too.

Outlook

A vastly updated ultrawide snapper paired with an upgrade to WiFi 7 are changes that seem to be far bigger than what we are seeing in the iPhone 15 leaks. Pair that with potential bigger screens, a larger main sensor and a super periscope telephoto camera, and it may be worth holding onto your current iPhone for just a little longer.

You see, the main things we’ve heard about the 15 Pro are that it will get the A17 Bionic, slimmer bezels, an increased battery capacity, and a slight change to the Pro Max’s camera layout. Not to say these aren’t good updates to see (especially after our disappointment with the iPhone 14 Pro’s battery life), but the 16 Pro is bringing some more fundamental changes.

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra will be the next flagship installment in Samsung's S-series and if a pair of new rumors is accurate the display and cameras may put the iPhone 15 Pro Max and even the iPhone 16 on notice.

The latest comes from the oft-accurate leaker Ice Universe on Twitter with new insights into Samsung's updated 50MP 3x zoom camera sensor and a new upgraded screen (via Phone Arena).

Samsung wants to keep its telephoto crown

The first rumor is far more detailed with Ice Universe claiming that Samsung will use "a new 3x 50MP sensor, 0.7μm, 1/2.52". With this sensor, Samsung can get a good 5x zoom image quality." That last piece is meant to clarify the discrepancy with earlier rumors that Samsung would move to a 5x optical zoom for its smaller telephoto lens on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

While that extra optical zoom reach would be nice, the rest of those specs should put any worries about the quality of Samsung's new junior telephoto to rest. To remind you the 3x optical zoom on the Galaxy S23 Ultra uses a 1/3.52″ 10MP sensor with 1.12 μm pixels. 

So this new sensor is considerably larger and while it does have smaller pixels, that's before you account for the quad-pixel binning that Samsung can employ with a 50MP sensor. By default, that sensor should produce a 12.5MP image that combines four adjacent pixels to create the equivalent of 1.4μm pixels, again at least theoretically vastly outperforming the current sensor. If accurate this should give users sharper images and superior low-light in the 3x-9x zoom range.

Samsung's display dominance

The second piece of the rumor from Ice Universe is far less detailed. The tipster only offers that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will finally get an upgraded screen. Yep, that's it. 

The speculation is that this means Samsung may be using an M13 LTPO panel for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. That's significant because it is also the tech rumored to be coming to the iPhone 16, you read that right, iPhone fans have to wait over a year to get this display tech. 

The new panels will be thinner and offer enhanced power efficiency, but we'll have to wait for future leaks to give us a more detailed look at Samsung's actual specs for its Galaxy S24 Ultra display. 

Samsung has gotten some flack for "coasting" a bit with the Galaxy S23 Ultra, so this should whet the appetites of fans looking for a major upgrade in 2024. 

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra sees a $350 price cut this week amidst Galaxy S24 Ultra gossip. Best Buy currently offers the Galaxy S3 Ultra (Unlocked) for $849 with activation. This unlocked Samsung phone normally costs $1,199, so that's $350 in savings. 

Plus, take an extra $750 off when you trade-in an eligible device. For example, an iPhone 14 Pro Max in good condition has the highest value, so you'd be getting the Galaxy S23 Ultra for just $99 ($1,100 off). As an alternative, Best Buy offers the Samsung Galaxy S23 for $599 ($200 off) and Galaxy S23 Plus for $699 ($300 off). 

In terms of phone deals, this is one of the best we've seen this back to school season.

Samsung's Galaxy S23 Series flagship are among the best smartphones to buy. The base model boasts a 6.1-inch, (2340 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 8-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, Adreno 740 graphics and 128GB of storage. If you prefer a bigger display, you can get the 6.6-inch Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus for $699 ($300 off) with activation at Best Buy. 

As per our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review, we found the phone's bright, vivid display and powerful Qualcomm 8 Gen 2 processor impressive. We were also fond of the advanced camera and seamless integration with other mobile Samsung devices. We gave the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra a solid 4 out of 5-stars backed by our Editor's Choice Award. 

 During real-world testing, the Galaxy S23 Ultra was always up to the task. Not even 40 Chrome tabs with a YouTube video playing in the background while switching between apps could slow it down. Back in our lab, it achieved big scores on our benchmarks, notching 14,611 with 3DMark WildLife Unlimited. It beat flagship competitors including Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max (8,652, 5-core Apple GPU) and Google's Pixel 7 Pro (6,725, Mali-G710 MP7 GPU).

Collectively, the Samsung Galaxy S23 features advanced camera systems for fool-proof high quality resolution photos and videos. For one, the Galaxy S23 Series' enhanced optical image stabilizer (OIS) captures blur-free images even in low light. Plus, wide-angle lenses make 8K video recording at 30 frames look more professional.

Now up to $350 off, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Series is worth considering if you don't want to spend upwards of $1,000 on an unlocked phone. 

When you’re trying to focus on a work project or study for a difficult test, notifications on your phone can be incredibly distracting. You can swipe notifications away quickly if they’re not important, or even turn notifications off completely for an app. But what if you just want a temporary break from notifications or you have important notifications that can’t be swiped away until you address them?

That’s where notification snoozing comes in handy. With your Android device, you can snooze notifications for a specified time. During this snooze time, notifications will be hidden and any future notifications will be muted until time is up. You can even specify which notifications you want to snooze if an app has multiple “Notification Channels.” 

If this sounds like the perfect productivity hack for you, read on to figure out how to snooze Android notifications. 

How to snooze notifications on a Samsung Galaxy phone

Samsung’s Galaxy devices are a little different than your typical Android device because of the One UI skin. The steps are quite similar, but menu titles differ slightly and the user interface looks different. 

First, you’ll need to enable the option to snooze your notifications.

1. Head to your Galaxy device’s Settings app.

2. Tap on Notifications in the menu.

3. Select Advanced settings.

4. Make sure the toggle next to Show snooze button is switched on.

After this setting is enabled, you can start snoozing notifications whenever you need a temporary break from your phone.

1. Swipe down from the top of your Galaxy device to see all your notifications.

2. Find a notification you want to snooze for a while and expand it by tapping on the down arrow to the right.

3. Tap the small bell icon in the lower right corner of the notification strip.

4. Choose how long you’d like to snooze the notification. There are options of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 2 hours. Once you’ve made your selection, tap Save and the notification will disappear temporarily.

How to snooze notifications on Google Pixel (or any other Android phone)

The ability to snooze notifications on Google Pixel phones — and most other Android devices — isn’t turned on by default. You’ll first need to enable the feature, and then you’ll be able to snooze individual notifications whenever you want. 

To enable notification snoozing on your Google Pixel, follow these simple steps: 

1. Open the Settings app by navigating directly to it or tapping the gear icon after swiping down from the top of the screen. 

2. Select Notifications from the menu. 

3. Make sure the toggle beside Allow notification snoozing is turned on.

4. Then, tap Notification history, and make sure this is toggled on as well. 

Once snoozing and history are both turned on for your notifications, you can start temporarily snoozing individual notifications from your device’s swipe-down menu. 

1. Swipe down from the top of your screen to access all your current notifications. 

2. Expand a notification you’d like to snooze by tapping the down arrow to the right. 

3. Tap the little alarm clock icon (the Snooze button) that’s in the lower right corner. 

4. By default, notifications are snoozed for 1 hour, but you can change this time length to 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 2 hours. If you ever need to change something, you can tap Undo. 

Temporarily snoozing notifications can be a great way to hide an important message or email that you need to remember to respond to later. If you find yourself constantly muting notifications from social media, mobile games, or other non-essential apps, you might consider turning off notifications entirely or even deleting or disabling the app. 

Google's Pixel Buds A-Series just hit their lowest price of the year for back to school season. So you're ticking items off your back to school essentials list or just need some new earbuds, this deal is for you. 

Right now, you can get the Google Pixel Buds A-Series for $79 at Amazon. Usually  these earbuds sell for $99, so that's $40 off. Not only is this the lowest price we've seen for the Pixel Buds A-Series in a while, it's also one of the best headphone deals of the summer. Not to be outdone, Best Buy and Walmart offer this same deal.

If you don't mind spending more, the latest Pixel Buds Pro are on sale for $139 ($60 off) at Amazon and other retailers. 

Google's Pixel Buds A-Series are the 3rd generation of the brand's true wireless earbuds. They wirelessly connect to devices via Bluetooth 5.0 and feature 12mm drivers for high quality sound. Meanwhile, Adaptive Sound which intuitively adjusts volume depending on your surroundings. 

Although they lack noise cancellation, their ergonomic fit offers a tight seal to block some outside noise.

In our Google Pixel Buds A-Series review, we raved over their comfortable, lightweight design and good audio quality. We gave them an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars and our Editor's Choice award cosign. 

During real-world audio tests, our reviewer found that the highs and mids were full, while the lows were deep and weighty. And for phone calls, the buds' dual mics worked great for phone calls and video conferencing. 

Put simply, Google Pixel Buds A-Series are a no-brainer if you're looking for cheap but good wireless earbuds.

The most recent leak about the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro suggests that the company is sticking to smaller storage sizes, which is great news for you.

Of course, take any leak with a dash of skepticism, but sources have told the German tech news site WinFuture that Pixel 8 will be available in 128GB and 256GB. Meanwhile, the Pixel 8 Pro will offer the same but also a 512GB option.

Let's talk about why this could be a good thing, and what other new leaks have been mentioned.

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro: Low storage = low price

Google has gained a reputation for offering some of the more affordable smartphones on the market, and it seems like the company wants to stick to that trend by sticking to lower storage options.

Low storage could mean a lower or more consistent price. However, this only works if Google takes advantage of it by adding features somewhere else. From the Pixels we've seen, we know they need more power and better battery life. If we sacrifice a bit of storage to achieve that at a reasonable price, I'll be satisfied.

On top of the storage leak, WinFuture claims to know the colors that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will have to offer. Apparently, the Pixel 8 will come in Licorice, Peony, and Haze, while the Pixel 8 Pro will come in Licorice, Porcelain, and Sky.

We won't have to wait long before we find out what's officially happening with the Pixel phones, as we anticipate a unveiling on Oct. 3 or Oct. 10, with Oct. 4 or Oct. 11 as the next most likely options.

Stay tuned for our full report and reviews of the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

The choice of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Moto Razr+ could be challenging for foldable fans with both manufacturers making a leap with their respective designs this year.

While we are still weighing the question of which phone offers the better total package, we wanted to do a camera face-off to see which flip-style foldable delivers a superior experience for mobile photographers. 

Now as always with camera face-offs, there is a subjective aspect to some of the interpretations of the images, so while I'll give you my opinion on which is coming out ahead in each case, you can peruse the images and determine which you prefer.

Without further ado, here's a look at the Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2023 cameras.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2023: Camera specs

Both phones feature the same basic camera layout with a primary and ultrawide camera on the back and a centered hole-punch front-facing camera. 

However, the details differ with Samsung opting for a 12MP with an f/1.8 aperture and larger 1.8μm pixels for its primary compared to an f/1.5 aperture and smaller 1.4μm pixels on the Razr. It's hard to land on a clear winner there with Samsung's larger sensor balancing out Motorola's superior aperture.

The ultrawide is basically a wash as well with both featuring an f/2.2 aperture and 1.12μm pixels. The only difference is that Samsung's is 12MP and Motorola's is 13MP, which is negligible. 

The front-facing camera is the one relatively clear win with Motorola going over the top with a 32MP sensor with an f/2.4 aperture and 0.7μm pixels. Samsung comes up well short in the megapixel race with 10MP but does fight back with a superior f/2.2 aperture and 1.22μm pixels.

From a hardware standpoint, neither of these phones is really managing to stand out as a winner and both fall short of a flagship phone camera experience in 2023, however, that's not to say they can't produce excellent photos.

Let's take a look at actual samples and see what these sensors can do.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2023: Primary camera

Note: I'm including samples here from the primary camera at 1x all the way out to the maximum digital zoom for each phone's primary camera: 10x for Galaxy Z Flip 5 and 8x for Motorola Razr Plus 2023. Neither of these phones actually offers a telephoto lens, there are still times where punching in a little bit can be the difference between getting a shot or not so it's good to know what's possible.

Samsung's primary camera on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 impressed me after relatively weak results from the previous versions. The first shot is of a mountain lake off Beartooth Highway and shows off the strong dynamic range of the camera. The lush greenery is accurately displayed and the intense clouds that dominated the sky retain sharp detail. The results at 1x are consistently solid from the primary, delivering bright, sharp, and color-accurate results.

This all holds true at 2x allowing you to bring your subject reasonably close without sacrificing any perceptible visual fidelity. While some of the samples in the 4x to 10x range hold up pretty well to me, the first set of the mountain lake is a demonstration of what can go wrong. Something about those conditions just destroyed the sharpness of the image and give it a blurry and surreal quality. The swans and the floral scene on the other hand remained detailed and color accurate throughout, so if you are capturing something that allows for multiple attempts don't ignore the zoom capabilities of the Flip 5.

The Motorola Razr Plus 2023 primary camera has its moments, but overall I found it to be a frustrating experience as it often somewhat inexplicably missed capturing a scene properly. In the first scene, the vibrant green falls to a more muted tone, while the clouds are blown out in comparison to the Flip 5's effort at the same shot. In the second scene the Razr struggled to deal with the contrast between the land and sky with the former being too dark and the latter blowing out again. Finally, the floral scene is over-brightened consistently which is throwing off the hue of the flowers.

While the above issues remain present, I was surprised that the 2x through 4x zoom images remained mostly usable, but steer clear of 8x in almost all circumstances. The detail in the image just evaporates to a degree that won't have you saving or sharing any of these photos.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2023: Ultrawide camera

Things were a little more hit-or-miss with the ultrawide on the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The first scene is excellent again with a color-accurate landscape and it did a fantastic job dealing with the contrast between the land and cloud-filled sky. The second shot is a much less flattering result from the Flip 5 with the sky mostly blown out, the trees in the foreground lost in darkness, and considerable distortion at the edges. The floral scene returns to a solid performance with the lack of distortion on the light post on the left leaving me even further confused by what happened in the second shot.

The ultrawide on the Razr does remain consistent with the primary, which is generally a good thing, but in this case it left me still feeling like it has a way to go to catch up to Samsung. The first shot again lacks some of the vibrant color that should be present in the foreground and the cloudy sky is blown out in spots and loses detail. The second shot casts the entire foreground in darkness in order to deliver an overly bright, but detailed sky. The floral shot is the most successful in the set to me with color accuracy and a lack of distortion at the edges.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2023: Front-facing camera

You should basically never be using the front-facing camera on these phones. Going split-screen on a video chat app is just about the only reason I can think of. Why? One of the most obvious benefits of a flip-style foldable is the incredible ease with which you can use the much better rear cameras for selfies. As you'll see the results bear this out, neither front-facing camera comes close to the results from the primary or ultrawide.

It was a bright environment, but even so the Galaxy Z Flip 5 struggled here with the side of my face and the background largely blown out. It did a solid job with my skin tone and the rest of the colors in the image with my light orange shirt and the leaves behind me accurately depicted. However, I find the detail mushy and lacking with the leaves behind me blending into single mass in spots.

Motorola finally chalks up a win for itself here, it did a much better job of managing the bright lighting to keep the image clear while still maintaining accurate colors. What's more it offers a sharper image and cleaner separation from the background without even using the portrait mode. The only unfortunate part about this is that front-facing camera is the least important of the three by far as you should stick to using the rear cameras with cover display preview whenever possible as both the wide and ultrawide cameras there are superior.

Overall winner

While the Motorola Razr Plus 2023 scored itself a late win in the front-facing camera battle, it ultimately loses the war with the Galaxy Z Flip 5's primary and ultrawide cameras consistently outperforming it. It's not that you can't get a good image out of the Razr Plus 2023, but your hit ratio is going to be much higher with the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

What I will say for both is that the literal flexibility of these phones makes them so much fun to use for taking photos. Whether you are taking a selfie, a group photo, or even just want a steady tripod shot of something you can place your phone down and angle it to get the shot without any concern over shaky hands or needing to leave someone out of the photo. For anyone that loves mobile photography, foldables are only going to make that love blossom even more.

It does make me wish that Samsung would give us a Galaxy Z Flip Ultra that added a telephoto lens and even better sensors, maybe next year. 

One of the key things that everybody loves about an iPhone is its camera system. Ever since the iPhone 4, it’s become a point of focus for Apple’s big announcements.

The iPhone 15 and 15 Pro look set to take another impressive leap forward in photography and videography. Here is what we expect to see at the big September keynote.

The standard iPhone 15 takes it up to 48 Megapixels

This is probably the most surprising rumor coming out about iPhone 15 cameras. You see, for all intents and purposes, the standard 15 and 15 Plus look set to be very minor upgrades. Sure, we may see a Dynamic Island on them, but the update seems to be quite a boring one.

However, we may see that the 12MP main sensor takes a huge leap up to 48MP. This higher resolution will no longer be limited just to the Pro iPhones. With pixel binning, we’ve seen far sharper imagery from the current sensor on the likes of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Hopefully Apple can fix some of the software photography issues too.

An upgraded main sensor for the larger iPhone 15 Pro?

This rumor has been popping up a little more recently. Currently, the 48MP sensor on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro max is the Sony IMX803 — a respectable snapper. But as reported by Phone Arena, the 15 Pro and Pro Max could be getting a huge upgrade to a 1-inch IMX903 sensor from Sony.

Now, I’ve made my feelings clear about the 1-inch sensor false advertising. You’re not actually getting a sensor that’s one inch in size, but that doesn’t mean these bigger shooters don’t produce better photos. They capture far more light and provide vastly improved levels of detail.

iPhone 15 Pro Max packs a periscope

One place where the Pro iPhones have been letting themselves down a little is in the telephoto department. It’s a nice-to-have lens for maybe grabbing a quick snap of your kids playing soccer, but for any real zoom photography, the results aren’t great.

It seems like Apple’s got the memo, as we are expecting to see a new periscope lens in the 15 Pro Max. That would mean a potential variable optical zoom of up to 6X — rather than a 3X fixed zoom with up to 10X digital of old. Photos will be a lot crispier because of it!

Outlook

These upcoming camera upgrades look mighty interesting. The sensor upgrade in the standard iPhone may be the cherry on top of what seems to be a sundae of minor upgrades. But it’s the Pro Max that seems to be getting all the special treatment this year.

Whether these are true or not (we are just dealing with rumors and potential leaks here), we will know for sure come the September event — where we are also expecting to see the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and maybe even an updated iPad Mini.

The Google Pixel Watch is seeing a sweet discount this back to school season. Currently, the Google Pixel Watch LTE is on sale for $337 at Amazon. It typically  fetches $400, so that's $62 off and $27 cheaper than Best Buy's current price. 

Rarely on sale, this is one of the best Google Watch deals we've seen this year. 

Google's Pixel Watch is the smartwatch to buy if you're in the Android ecosystem. It's a great companion gadget for the Pixel 7 or any other Android-powered phone. It features Fitbit heart rate, sleep, and activity tracking to help you stay on top of your health and wellness.

With the Pixel Watch, you can easily access Google's useful apps right on your wrist. When you're not near your phone, call on Google Assistant, Maps, Wallet, Calendar and Gmail to get things done.

Design-wise the Pixel Watch is engineered for all-day wearing comfort. Its sleek, circular, domed design gives off a clean, minimalist look. If you want to stand out from the crowd, there are 20 interchangeable band options to choose from. That way, you can match your outfit of the day and express your unique style.

If you're in the market for a smartwatch to complement your Android phone, the Google Pixel Watch is a wise choice. Especially at this tempting price.

Samsung is literally giving away the Galaxy Z Flip 5 for free with its generous back to school education discount. So if you want to step into the new semester with Samsung's latest phone, here's how to get the Galaxy Z Flip 5 for free. 

Preorder the Galaxy Z Flip 5 at Samsung.com starting from $999 and get a free storage upgrade to the 512GB model (valued at $1,119). Students, teachers, and faculty, select Samsung's Education Offers to save $100 which drops the Galaxy Z Flip 5 to $899. Take an extra $900 when you trade in your Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Galaxy S23 Ultra to drop the Galaxy Z Flip 5 down to the low price of free. 

You can also get the Galaxy Z Flip 5 for free when you trade in a Google Pixel Fold or Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max. This is one of the phone deals students and teachers can get.  

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the ultimate tool for self expression and showcases your personality. It features a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz 1,750-nit foldable display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU with 8GB of RAM. When closed, you can access your favorite apps via a 3.4 Super AMOLED 60Hz 1600 nit display.

One thing's for sure about the Galaxy Z Flip 5, it makes it easy to capture images and videos on the fly. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 provides the best hands-free selfie experience, and features an expanded cover screen to access your apps and flex your style. It's the largest cover screen on a Z Flip yet. 

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 features a 12MP Wide, 12MP Ultra Wide and 10X Digital Zoom camera, complemented by a 10MP front camera. Great for creators, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 automatically switches to wide-angle when you're capturing images to include everyone in the frame. Notable Galaxy Z Flip 5 camera features include zoom, night capture, and stable video for shake free recording. Meanwhile, built-in AI reduces noise and enhances image and video quality. 

Introduced four years ago, Samsung's Galaxy Z Series of phones have revolutionized creativity, productivity and lifestyle. 

Galaxy Z Flip 5 preorders ship to arrive by the phone's Aug. 11 release date.

This should come as no surprise to read, as it’s something I put in most of my wearables reviews, the Apple Watch has been designed to work exclusively with your iPhone.

And in that same vein, Android wearables like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 are purpose built to work closely with Android phones. While they do technically have compatibility with the iPhone, the feature set is restricted. Keep that in mind when you make your purchase decisions.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 vs Apple Watch Series 8 price and value

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 comes in four variations — two of which are the Classic model with the return of the fan-favorite rotating bezel. 

• Galaxy Watch 6 40mm: $299
• Galaxy Watch 6 44mm: $329
• Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 43mm: $399
• Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 47mm: $429

Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 8 has a ton of different finishes and price tags. So I’ll stick to the cheapest of each configuration. 

• Aluminum GPS 41mm: $399
• Aluminum GPS 44mm: $429
• Aluminum GPS + Cellular 41mm: $499
• Aluminum GPS + Cellular 44mm: $529

It’s clear that when it comes to value for money, Samsung has Apple beat with a lower price point. 

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 vs Apple Watch Series 8 design

To say you’re getting more of the same in the Series 8 would be an understatement. Outside of the new color finishes, it is identical in bubbly aesthetics and size to the Series 7.

The 41mm model measures in at 1.6 x 1.5 x 0.4 inches, whereas the 45mm sports the same thickness, but sees its other dimensions increase to 1.8 x 1.5 inches. Weight-wise, we need to break this down further.

But while I have gotten used to the squared off aesthetic of the Apple Watch, I’ll always be more of a fan of the traditional timepiece. That is what the Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic offers. The build quality is premium in nature, and there are small tweaks all over the place to make this signature device all the more beautiful — including a 30% slimmer bezel on the 6, and a 15% thinner edge on the Watch 6 Classic.

Oh, and that bezel on the Classic? It rotates! I know a lot of people (me included) have been requesting the return of this, and the UI is so much slicker to move around because of it.

Going into specific measurements: 

• Galaxy Watch 6 40mm: 1.2 x 1.6 x 0.4 inches, 1.0 ounces
• Galaxy Watch 6 44mm: 1.7 x 1.75 x 0.4 inches, 1.2 ounces
• Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 43mm: 1.7 x 1.7 x 0.4 inches, 1.8 ounces
• Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 47mm: 1.8 x 1.8 x 0.4 inches, 2.1 ounces

This will come down to individual taste, but I know what I prefer. 

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 vs Apple Watch Series 8 display

Both of these watches pack impressive OLED panels. On the Series 8, Apple’s giving you either a 1.7 or 1.9-inch Retina LTPO panel with a 326 ppi density. As for the Galaxy Watch 6, you’re getting a slightly sharper 377 ppi across either the 1.3 or 1.5 inch Super AMOLED panels.

At this size, the sharpness of each screen is going to be barely noticeable, and you already know that with OLED technology, each of these screens are super vivid too.

Winner: Tie 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 vs Apple Watch Series 8 health & fitness tracking

Health and fitness tracking are integral to the Apple Watch Series 8 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. Both of them pack sleep tracking, temperature sensors, heart rate monitors, and the simplistic UIs to make the most of all of them.

The big new additions that Samsung brings to the table are in depth analysis of sleep score factors, personalized heart rate zones, and even a body composition tracker to keep an eye on the likes of skeletal muscle, basal metabolic rate, and even body fat percentage.

Both of these offer a comprehensive suite of methods to track your health and fitness.

Winner: Tie 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 vs Apple Watch Series 8 battery life and charging

The Apple Watch Series 8 saw an upgrade to the battery life over the Series 7, which starts with the 282 mAh (or 308 mAh in the 44mm) battery that is able to hit a promised life of up to 18 hours. On top of that, a new low power mode is able to keep much of the functionality, but extend that longevity to 36 hours.

In the Galaxy Watch 6, the battery capacity has been increased to up to 425 mAh, and the stamina has been claimed to run at up to 40 hours. If true, this would be a significant jump over the Apple Watch. But we’ll see what this is like through testing.

Winner: Undecided 

Outlook

So here is where we’re at: The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is basically the Android version of the Apple Watch Series 8 — packing a lot of the same hardware and software capabilities.

Which one you should buy comes down to not just the phone you use, but when looking at the specifications on offer and the price, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 seems to pip Apple at the post.

We’ll wait until we’ve had more hands-on time with the Watch 6 to give a fuller opinion on who is the clear winner, but things are looking good for Samsung right now.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked gave us our first official look at many of the latest and greatest Samsung Galaxy products coming to us in the near future, and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 was a notable part of the company’s presentation. If you’re on the fence about whether to invest in this new phone, we recommend stopping for a moment and hearing us out.

The Flip 5 is more of the same in many areas, but there are a few things that the company changed this time around. And depending on whether you already own a flip phone, or if you’re even willing to spend the money to begin with, it could be right or wrong for you. Here are three reasons to buy and skip the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.

3 reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

1: Larger cover screen 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series has two screens, just like the Z Fold series, but how these utilize them is a bit different. The Flip series is a foldable phone that opens vertically, making it more compact than a regular smartphone.. But beyond just the normal main screen, there’s also a slightly smaller display on the front. With the Flip 4, it featured a relatively tiny 1.9-inch SUPER AMOLED, 260 x 512-pixel screen as its cover.

But the Flip 5 is taking things up a notch by up-sizing this to a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED 720 x 748-inch screen at 306 ppi and 60Hz refresh rate. The Flip 5 has clearly solved the problem of the Flip 4's cover screen size, if that was an issue for you.

2. A new processor 

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is launching with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. If you’re obsessed with squeezing as much juice out of every new phone launch, and are also a big fan of the Z Flip series, this is an expected but necessary jump. It is one of the few things that makes this phone new alongside its larger cover screen, otherwise it might as well just be the Flip 4 again.

When we tested the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, it yielded a Geekbench 5.4 multi-core synthetic score of 5,081. The Flip 4 was built with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+, and running it through the same test resulted in a multi-core score of 4,105. Other factors can affect performance, but we predict that the new Flip will receive around a 1,000 point increase in its synthetic benchmarks. 

3: Flip phones are pretty cool 

If you’ve never used a flip phone before, they’re great compact devices for those who want to maximize their space efficiency. And they’re also an avenue into foldable screen technology without costing quite as much as Samsung’s Z Fold series. New flip phones, not like the old ones, could capture your heart if you're unfamiliar with them.

When we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, Editor Kimberly Gedeon claimed that it is an “engineering masterpiece.” However, she noted that its minor improvements from the previous iteration made her feel a bit mixed, which is actually a shared issue with the Flip 5.

3 reasons to skip Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

1: Same old same old 

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers a lot of the same, and although there are reasons you might still want it, don’t get your hopes up for a massive overhaul. Featuring the same megapixels for its cameras, 8GB of RAM, an identical 3,700mAh battery, and seemingly the same weight‌.

This could be a bad pick if you already own a Galaxy Z Flip 4, as there’s not much new here. This new flip phone is only exciting if you're really into its faster processor and bigger screen.. It’s a good choice if you don’t already have a recently launched flip phone. Otherwise, you’ll be fine skipping it.

2: Experimental cover screen style 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5’s cover screen features a distinct style when compared to its predecessor. While the Flip 4 simply featured a thin black bar at the top of the cover screen, this latest model has it take up a majority of the space of the cover. Featuring a 3.4-inch cover screen at 748 x 720-pixels, it’s significantly larger than ever before.

This may sound like a positive, but not to everyone. We can totally see you being put off by this far larger cover screen, as it practically takes up all of its space now. This sounds a little unwieldy to me, as I like to tell where my phone begins and ends. Almost all-screen is a bold choice.

3: Samsung still hasn’t figured out IP58 for foldable devices 

Samsung has yet to include IP58 dust-resistance standard for its foldable line-up. This also applies to the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which lacks this important rating alongside the Z Flip 5. Both phones are stuck at IPX8, which means they have water resistance that allows it to be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes.

Many were hoping that Samsung would finally catch on with this latest model series, but that does not seem to be the case. Samsung's website even goes so far as to recommend being wary around “foreign substances or dust.”

The Google Pixel 8 Pro is one of the most hotly anticipated flagship phones expected to arrive this year, especially after the incredible success of the Pixel 7a. We’ve seen glimpses of Google’s smartphone in leaked photos over the last few weeks, so we have a fair idea of what to expect in terms of design.

However, thanks to Twitter tipster Yogesh Brar, we now have our first reported look at what’s going on inside the shell of Google’s upcoming premier phone — and a possible confirmation of when we can get our hands on one.

Google PIxel 8 Pro: What to expect

If you know your way around the Pixel 7 Pro then there’s a lot to be familiar with here. The Pixel 8 Pro will reportedly feature a similar 6.7-inch, QHD+, LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) OLED display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

The Pixel 8 Pro is also likely to feature the same 12GB of RAM and 128/256GB storage options also, though it’s worth keeping in mind that there’s no 512GB option mentioned in the leak — which leaves just enough room for Google to squeeze in a configuration with even more RAM to fill that void if they choose.

As for what’s new, Pixel fans will be overjoyed to finally see the Google Tensor G3 chip finally make an appearance alongside a likely improved Titan security chip. Google’s next-gen chip is rumored to feature nine CPU cores in total — a mix of ARMv9 Cortex-A510s, A715s, and a Cortex-X3 cores alongside an Arm Immortalis-G715 which is supposedly powerful enough to handle 8K video recording and even ray-traced graphics.

The Pixel 8 Pro’s camera array makes use of the same three-lens setup with a 50MP main shooter, a 64MP ultra-wide, and a 48MP telephoto lens. It’s a considerable bump up from the Pixel 7 Pro’s 12MP ultra-wide lens, but otherwise, things look nearly identical. The Pixel 8 Pro’s selfie camera will also feature a tiny bump in quality as it features an 11MP sensor over its predecessor’s 10.8MP offering.

Also listed in the tweet are the Pixel 8 Pro’s ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and the previously leaked and rather bemusing inclusion of an infrared thermometer. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is an impressive security upgrade for the Pixel 8 Pro that will enable highly accurate fingerprint scanning even on wet or oily digits.

As for the temperature sensor? We’ve no real idea what that’s there. It’s likely this was an idea pitched during the wider worries of the pandemic, or, it may be tied to another more fascinating feature altogether. For this one, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Interestingly the Pixel 8 Pro features a slightly smaller battery capacity of 4,950 mAh, though an improved 27W of wired charging. It’s a minor reduction of just 50 mAh and is unlikely to make a world of difference to Google’s all-day battery claims. The change itself could be due to shaving off a little space for the new sensors, or due to improved efficiency in the Tensor G3 architecture — which could see this smaller capacity even more capable than its Tensor G2-backed and marginally larger counterpart.

Pixel 7 Pro vs. Pixel 8 Pro specifications (rumored)

Outlook

To cap off his tweet, Brar also mentioned a launch date: October. This would line up with Google’s annual release schedule for Pixel smartphones and seems like the most concrete time at which to expect you can lay claim to your very own Pixel 8-Series device. You can expect a full unveiling earlier in October, likely at the annual Made by Google event.

Don’t expect radical changes on the surface of the Pixel 8 Pro and you’re unlikely to be disappointed. However, the real thing that makes or breaks Google’s premium flagship offering will be the performance and capabilities of the Tensor 3 SoC — a chipset with an incredible amount of potential.

Will it have enough potential to make the Pixel 8-Series of devices worthwhile upgrades, though? That remains to be seen. However, if it’s capable of much of what we’ve heard, Google could be on to a sure-fire winner with the Pixel 8 Pro.

This morning Samsung unleashed the 27-inch screen ViewFinity S9 5K (5,120 x 2,880) monitor. Offering 50% more workspace than 4K UHD monitors and being Samsung, you can expect exceptional picture and text clarity. 

The S9 is a great option for content-creating professionals allowing them to work on ultra-high-resolution content without zooming in. This will enable them to keep all their editing tools in view, making for a smoother workflow. I must admit; I can't wait to get my hands on one and test it out using all the 6K footage I film to push it to its limits. 

Samsung indicates that the S9 is rated at 99% DCI-P3, with 218 PPI (pixels per inch). According to Samsung, the ViewFinity S9 provides more saturated and vivid colors with crisper details, perfect for those who rely on visual fidelity. The S9 also features  600 cd/m2 brightness, making it easy to work in nearly any lighting environment.  

Now let's jump into the cool stuff that has me excited. I learned about some of them in January while attending CES 2023.

Smart Calibration with a smartphone

I came into contact with Samsung's calibration app back in January at CES 2023, and was super impressed with how easy it made calibrating your monitor. The technology helps users achieve color accuracy without the expensive tools typically required.  

Samsung's rep shared that the monitor's color is factory calibrated for incredible Delta E < 21 accuracy immediately out of the box during production. This is awesome, but many content creators like to be able to fine-tune their monitors to look a certain way or for the way they choose to color-correct certain projects. 

The ViewFinity S9's Smart Calibration feature is controlled by the SmartThings app, the first in the industry. Users can conveniently customize the screen for precise settings without expensive, complex calibration equipment whenever they want.

Using the SmartThings app, users can choose to calibrate in Basic mode for a quick and easy adjustment of white balance and gamma settings. For next-level adjustment, they can use Professional mode for complete control of color temperature, luminance, color space, and gamma settings. Users can start this process simply by pointing their smartphone camera at the ViewFinity S9. After calibration, they can view a report detailing the adjustments and Delta E color accuracy. 

When I saw this demonstrated at CES, I was blown away, and I have been thirstily waiting for these monitors to launch so that I can use this app. 

Workflow, productivity, entertainment and more

The ViewFinity S9 comes with TUV-certified Intelligent Eye Care features to reduce eye strain. At the same time, the Samsung Matte Display limits light reflection and glare on the monitor, minimizing distractions and preserving the screen’s color accuracy while working.

 The ViewFinity S9 offers versatile connectivity for users of both Mac and Windows PCs, with Thunderbolt 4 and Mini DisplayPort inputs, in addition to USB-C. The Thunderbolt 4 compatibility allows users to charge devices with up to 90W of power and transfer data reliably at speeds up to 40 GBps.

The other cool thing about the ViewFinity monitor is., it comes equipped with a built-in 4K SlimFit camera that connects via a Pogo pin without additional cables or equipment.

At 4K resolution, it should deliver crystal clear quality for video calls on apps such as Google Meet. The camera tilts to fit the angle of the monitor, and Auto Framing 6 software, keeps users visible and in the frame.

I really like the slim profile and metal design of the ViewFinity S9, and it would look great in any workspace. Its ergonomic design provides comfort and improves productivity by adjusting to almost any position or posture.

It has a height-adjustable stand that matches the user’s eye level, and the screen can tilt to match viewing angles. In Pivot mode, the screen rotates 90 degrees so users can read long documents without scrolling. 

Of course, it comes with Samsung's Smart TV apps, giving users the full TV experience when switching to entertainment after work. Users can access popular streaming apps and shows without needing a separate PC, and Samsung Gaming Hub lets users play games in the cloud without a PC from partners like Xbox Game Pass and NVIDIA GeForce Now. 

The ViewFinity S9 has built-in speakers with Adaptive Sound+ that automatically adjusts noise levels and remote control, so once work is done, you can relax and enjoy some entertainment. 

The ViewFinity S9 will be available for purchase in August on Samsung.com and at select retailers nationwide for $1,599.99. You can find out more about the ViewFinity S9 and Samsung's lineup of Hi-Res monitors at Samsung.com.

It's no secret that Apple has taken its time introducing the popular foldable screen feature to iPhone devices. After all, the original Samsung Galaxy Fold launched all the way back in 2019, and just this year, Google introduced its Pixel Fold, yet we haven't heard a peep about an "iPhone Fold" from Apple itself. 

Of course, rumors are circulating throughout the internet that Apple continues to test different flip and fold prototypes, but nothing has made it through the cracks quite yet. But Apple recently filed a new patent detailing its plans to implement electronic devices with rollable displays instead. And after reading this detailed patent, I can't help but wonder, what is the use case for this thing?

Apple's Rollable iPhone could become a reality

Apple's patent goes in-depth describing how this would work, explaining how the display can shift from an unrolled to a rolled state for storage. Images in the patent showcase the phone rolling within itself, enlarging its radius and resulting it in looking like a tootsie roll of sorts. 

Apple claims that this "rolled state" is for storage, but the use case is somewhat difficult to imagine. Pockets perfectly accommodate the flat nature of a phone. Just imagine stuffing a rolled up Drake Yodel cake right into your pocket, with it jutting out awkwardly.

Foldable technology makes sense because two screens are closing in on one another to create another flat object. It's admittedly a little thicker as a result, but it's still flat, making it perfect for fitting in pockets and bags. There are probably very specific use cases for why having a rollable phone is convenient, but until those are shown and proven to actually be practical, it sounds like a gimmick more than anything right now.

What's especially fascinating about this technology is that it is seemingly more difficult to get right than a foldable or flip phone. Whereas foldable phones utilize a single hinge point, every inch of this will need to be bendable for it to roll up. Apple has certainly taken on a fascinating challenge, with the patent claiming that a polymer will protect the glass while this happens.

Patents aren't confirmation that a company will actually create a device utilizing the technology, but they make it clear that a group of designers has put a lot of thought into its conceptualization. In the future, it's possible that we'll see it come to light if Apple believes it's worth investing in. It's also not an idea that sprung up recently; the company filed the provisional application back in January last year with further proof that suggests it's been in development since 2017.

Regardless, I'm fascinated to see if something along the lines of the "iPhone Roll" gets introduced over the course of the next few years. It is a bizarre and bewildering idea, but who knows, if anyone can pull it off, Apple probably can.

Just like last year’s phone (1), the Nothing phone (2) is easily the most hyped phone launch of 2023. While sequels are usually more of the same, this one is far bigger than that.

Because sure, it follows the same Nothing playbook: a unique transparent aesthetic that’s as much “power nerd” as it is “hipster,” a huge marketing campaign that seems to be tying the phone to potentially releasing a kraken, and odd marketing phrases like bringing you “new ways of interacting with a smartphone.”

But two big things are happening with this particular entry into Nothing’s family: it is the first true flagship phone from the company, and it is the first phone to (officially) release in the US. And while there are a couple of issues we need to talk about, I’m pretty confident that you’re going to love it. Let me explain.

Nothing phone (2) price and configurations

Carl and the gang have gone pretty aggressive on the Nothing phone (2) pricing:

• 8GB/128GB: $599/£579
• 12GB/256GB: $699/£629
• 12GB/512GB: $799/£699

That is $200 less than the Samsung Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14, and $100 cheaper than the Google Pixel 7. With a cost like that, this could very well be the next big summer blockbuster.

Nothing phone (2) design

When compared with the phone (1), nothing of note has really changed from an aesthetic point of view — bar an upgrade in the materials and a curved glass back. But in a time when all other smartphones are pretty stale, the phone (2) stands head and shoulders above as one of the most interesting and (in my opinion) best looking phones out there.

The transparent design round the back gives you an unfiltered view of the electronics, and gives everything a raw retro futurism that I love. Add to that the improved feel of the 100% recycled aluminum frame (alongside a far tighter design with minimal gaps across all the components on the back. This looks and feels far more refined than the phone (1) and rightfully claims its place in the flagship category.

The commitment to sticking out like this may not be for everyone. For every geek’s appreciation (like me) of the subtleties of the dot matrix branding and the utilitarian persona of seeing the phone’s innards, will be another person’s view of it looking a bit over-engineered.

Plus, there are key things that the leaks got wrong that I’m very happy about. The display glass is flat — only the back glass is slightly curved around the edges to make your hand grasp around it more comfortably, and the aluminum band around the outside is flat too with chamfered edges.

But while the design feels fresh, the dimensions are rather ordinary when it comes to flagship devices. While it is a little taller and heavier than the iPhone 14, this slots nicely into the mix at the top of the pile.

Nothing phone (2) Glyph interface

And of course, we must turn our attention to the second iteration of the Glyph interface, which now has 33 individually addressable zones. First thing you’ll notice is that there are some new gaps placed in between the continuous curves of the LED lighting around the charging coil and cameras, which I think adds to the utilitarianism of the phone’s look. 

I left my time with the phone (1) thinking this all felt a little like a gimmick — something that was there to bring an additional cool factor without much use (besides being a really nice fill light for low light photography).

This time round, Nothing has thrown the kitchen sink at it to deliver on its mission to reduce the time you need to look at the screen. Previous features are still here like Flip to Glyph, the battery level indicator and volume checker. But the company added more everyday functionality like watching a light bar slowly trickle down instead of watching a countdown timer on your screen.

On top of that, third-party integrations are making the most of this too, such as the light bar draining away based on how far away your Uber ride is or your delivery order. It’s small, intentional implementations like this that will tell the story of how the Glyph is a genuinely useful addition to the whole phone’s experience. Hopefully more developers jump on board.

You can also have a little fun with it too, thanks to the Glyph composer enabling you to create your own ringtones with the lighting system. All of this adds to a mightily interesting visual presence that is sure to make your phone a talking point of any trip to the pub with mates.

But there is a problem, and that comes down to the possible risk of triggering photosensitive epilepsy. Lights that flash anywhere between 3 - 60 times per second can be a trigger for anyone with this condition, and there’s no way to alter the severity of these flashes. The Advice and Information team from Epilepsy Action has weighed in further — saying that reducing the brightness of the lights would not eliminate the possible risk.

That is why at this moment, I can’t recommend this phone to anyone with this health condition. Of course, if Nothing does update the software to address this (maybe giving the lights a far softer, more gradual illumination pattern), then I’ll revisit this section.

Nothing phone (2) display

We are still running our lab tests on the display — finding out the DCI-P3 color gamut percentage and brightness. This review will be updated once the results are in.

The Nothing phone (2) packs a stunner of a display: a 6.7-inch OLED panel with LTPO, HDR10+, a claimed 1,600-nit peak brightness, a sharp 2412x1080-pixel resolution, and an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz.

While I adore the monochrome, refined look of Nothing OS 2.0 (more on that later), once you put something with color on the screen, you really start to see it come to life with vividity and depth. 

I can say that watching (and crying at) the likes of the Ted Lasso finale really shows the explosion of vibrant color across the green pitch and team shirts, while highlighting the impressive HDR contrast in darker scenes. Not only that, but without lab testing numbers, I’m still feeling confident in the color accuracy of this panel too.

Add to that a well-placed fingerprint reader with a simple circle UI (none of this over the top magic spell-esque reader animation of other phones), and this is a stellar screen.

Nothing phone (2) audio

The stereo speakers in the phone (2) are basically identical to what you get in the phone (1), which means a nicely detailed, but predictably tinny experience.

Distortion is non-existent, even when throwing some metal at it like Bring Me The Horizon’s classic album Suicide Season. Everything in this ferocious composition is clearly defined, from the thrashing guitars to Oli Sykes’ guttural screams.

There is no 3.5mm headphone jack, but the Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity in here does enable this to support a few hi res audio files over wireless playback. That means you can make use of the best wireless headphones on the market. 

Nothing phone (2) performance

The Nothing phone (2) guns for a flagship experience, but stops just short of the bleeding edge. That is not a bad thing when it comes to what’s inside: a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

Thanks to a litany of software updates, the mid-range Snapdragon 778+ 5G in the phone (1) continued to feel super smooth in most situations (provided you don’t try to push it). The difference here, however, is night and day in terms of snappiness of app opening, multitasking, and performance across processor-intensive apps. 

However, there’s no two ways around it. Outside of the Tensor G2 in the Pixel 7 and the A15 Bionic in the iPhone, the phone (2) is simply outperformed by the competition around it.

But in use, the speed differences are hard to spot outside of extreme use cases like playing Call of Duty: Mobile at its highest settings. Everything runs smoothly, and it really helps bring the Nothing OS experience to life as not just a cool-looking UI, but one that gets out of the way for you to get things done rapidly.

Nothing phone (2) battery life & charging

We are in the process of running our battery life tests. Once these are done, we will update this section with official results.

Inside, the battery capacity has improved to 4,700 mAh — up by 200 from the phone (1), while also upping the fast wired charging speed to 45W. Here’s how these specs compare to its competition.

Waking up at 8 am, I went through an entire day to 11 pm with about 20% remaining. This includes throwing all my usual work/entertainment at it (emails, calls, social media, taking some quick pictures, Spotify by day, gaming and YouTube in my own time).

Comparatively, the Pixel 7 and iPhone 14 struggled to make it this far on this same amount of regular use. The only phone that came close to it is the Galaxy S23, which shows the benefits of the tight integration between the higher battery capacity and software efficiency. 

Plus, in any moment where I did do some battery-intensive tasks, the speed of that charging meant I could get back to around 85% in the space of me enjoying a pint.

Nothing phone (2) cameras

The Nothing phone (2)’s camera system is a story of two parts: hardware and software.

On the hardware front, the 50MP main camera has been upgraded to the Sony IMX890 sensor that is found in the OnePlus 11, which is paired with the same great 50MP ultrawide found in the phone (1), and an updated 32MP selfie shooter (double the resolution of phone (1)). There is also a new 18-bit Image Signal Processor in here that is able to capture 4,000 times more camera data than Nothing’s first phone.

That enables a lot on the software front, which combines the knowledge of a year’s worth of camera tweaks the company implemented on the phone (1) (i.e. a dramatic, contrasty look) with a new Advanced HDR, which captures the same scene eight times at all different levels of exposure.

You can see the results for yourself just below — results that I personally prefer far more to the super saturated feel of Samsung’s phones, and a little closer to what you get from the iPhone 14 and Google Pixel 7.

On top of that, selfie cameras with a megapixel count that high always make me a little nervous, due to reducing the amount of light going into the lens. However, pictures are crisp and clear, even in difficult situations.

As for video, you can shoot up to 4K 60 fps footage, or even crank on HDR at the sacrifice of that frame rate for 4K30. Optical image stabilization does a great job of keeping the footage nice and stable, with autofocus keeping everything crisp without too much visible refocusing, and good color accuracy. While the iPhone remains the undisputed champ of video capture, Nothing’s new slab is one of the best when it comes to Android blowers.

Nothing phone (2) software

Nothing OS 2.0 overlays Android 13 with a complete transformation, but does so with Google Pixel levels of cleanliness. No bloatware and no unnecessary over-engineering of the experience with pointless proprietary apps. 

I love that the OS feels super smooth with its animations and transitions, along with that dot matrix typography and commitment to keeping everything uniform with a feature that makes all app iconography fit to the monochrome style. You’ll discover more nifty implementations as you go along, such as customizable folders with icons to not look so busy, more Nothing-created widgets, and 

As for the future, Nothing has committed to three years of OS updates and four years of security updates, which leaves a lot of time for the team to smooth out any wrinkles.

Outlook

The Nothing phone (2) is nothing (2) f**k with. It’s a stellar phone through and through.

It looks great, feels great to use, and truly stands out from the flagship crowd with its unique aesthetic, great cameras, zippy performance, and decent battery life. 

There are a couple of rough edges, though, such as the use of last year’s chipset and the potential visual epilepsy risk of those strobes of the Glyph interface. 

But this time around, Carl Pei’s hype machine may be just about backed up by a true summer blockbuster of a device.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is being unveiled at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked July 2023 today in Seoul, South Korea, but it's launching against a far more crowded foldable market than the Galaxy Z Fold 4 of last year.

Samsung remains the dominant force in the foldable market, but new options like the Google Pixel Fold, Motorola Razr+, and soon the OnePlus Open are all vying for attention in this lucrative high-end foldable phone space.

Here's a closer look at everything we know so far about the Galaxy Z Fold 5 including the release date, price, specs, design changes, and more.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Latest news (Updated 7/26)

• The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is launching on August 11 for $1,799.
• Galaxy Unpacked July 2023 is July 26 in Seoul, South Korea where the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is being shown off.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date

The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event on July 26 in Seoul, South Korea is now happening. And during the event, we were given an official release date for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. It will be launching on August 11 in some countries, with pre-orders available now.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 price

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is launching for $1,799, which is consistent with the previous prices for the Z Fold 4. Featuring a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and more compact hinge gap, it's probably not worthwhile for users who already own the previous iteration, but it'll be an exciting entry point. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is built with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 12GB of RAM and options between 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of internal storage. It is pretty similar to the Fold 4, excluding the addition of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is set to be far more powerful than the predecessor.

We tested the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review and put it under the Geekbench 5.4 synthetic test, with its multi-core score coming out to 5,081. The Galaxy Z Fold 4's 8+ Gen 1 got a multi-core score of 3,831 comparatively.

Other specs include a 4,400mAh battery, 50MP wide-angle camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera, 10MP telephoto camera, 10MP selfie camera and 4MP under-display camera. The main screen offers a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display at 2176 x 1812-pixel resolution at 374 pixels-per inch and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Its cover screen is also 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display with a 2316 x 904-pixel resolution at 402 pixels per inch with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 design

Including a stronger hinge that lets the user be even more granular with their phone placements, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is also built with an even more compact hinge that minimalizes the gap to be nearly nonexistent, although it's certainly still present. Flex mode lets the user swap between various different viewing modes depending on how they're using it at the moment.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is also lighter than the previous iteration, with the official specs suggesting it'll be 8.92 ounces. The Z Fold 4 was 9.28 ounces, which makes it only slightly heavier, but it's still a notable change. Its dimensions folded are 6.1 x 2.65 x .53 inches, while its unfolded dimensions are 6.1 x 5.11 x .24 inches.

It also features IPX8 water resistance, which will be disappointing for those who hoped Samsung would finally figure out dust resistance with foldable devices this time around. Unfortunately, that's not the case, and the Flip series is facing the same issue. IPX8, at the very least, ensures water resistance of up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 will also be available in Phantom Black, Gray, Icy Blue, Cream and Blue. Blue and Gray are exclusive Samsung's website, so if you are particularly taken aback by those colors (for some reason), you should head over to Samsung's website. It also features a "wider variety of recyclable materials" included in its design.

Outlook

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is launching with a lot of similarities found in the previous entry, but if a more compact hinge gap and heightened performance excites you, you'll enjoy upgrading to the Z Fold 5. 

And if you are interested, you can finally get your hands on it on August 11 for $1,799, which is unsurprisingly considering this is the same price as the previous model.

The Google Pixel 6a is on sale for a measly $299 ahead of the Google Pixel 7a's imminent release date. This is good news if you're on the hunt for a cheap unlocked phone deal for yourself or a family member. 

Amazon currently offers the Google Pixel 6a for just $299. That's $150 cheaper than its normal price of $449. This is the lowest price we've seen for the unlocked Pixel 6a with no strings attached. By comparison, Best Buy offers the Pixel 6a for $249 (200 off) with activation. 

Google Pixel 6a deal

Google's Pixel 6a is one of the best smartphones to buy on a budget. It features a 6.1 inch FHD+ OLED display, Google Tensor 8-core processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This unlocked Pixel 6a works with Google Fi, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and just about every major U.S. prepaid carrier. 

In our Pixel 6a review, we liked its excellent software support, unique AI software features and bright, colorful display. We were also impressed by the phone's  performance and rated it 4 out of 5 stars. The Pixel 6a is the Editor's Choice budget smartphone. 

During real world tests, the Pixel 6a had no issues with multitasking. Our reviewer threw a few dozen Google Chrome tabs at it while running a Netflix video in the background, then swapping between several other apps including Twitter, YouTube Music, and Gmail. The Pixel 6a never stuttered. 

For documenting life's fleeting moments, it has a 12.2MP wide and 12MP ultrawide lens dual camera on the back. An 8MP front camera facilitates selfies and video calls. Google design engineers incorporated an under-display fingerprint sensor into the Pixel 6a for secure unlocking. No more having to memorize passwords and pin codes. 

Overall, the Pixel 6a is one of the best cheap phones you can get. Especially at this stellar price. 

More Google Pixel deals

One of the most life-changing Google Pixel features is one that may not sound that impressive at first: Automatic Call Screening. This is the Pixel exclusive that lets Google Assistant automatically take your calls for you to help you avoid the ever-increasing volume of spam calls.

Even in its current state, it was one of the big reasons our resident iPhone fan decided the Google Pixel 7 is better. However, Google isn't one to rest on its laurels, and according to a recent episode of the Made by Google Podcast the team behind the Phone by Google app has much more in store with an eye towards ensuring that you are never "annoyed at the thought of your phone ringing." That might be beyond their control, but the team believes that "multi-step, multi-turn conversational AI could open a lot of interesting doors in terms of creating this protective and helpful layer at the front of every incoming call." (via 9to5Google)

How is Google going to solve this problem?

If I hadn't already given it away in the headline I think I could have given you two guesses as to how Google would solve the dilemma of handling spam and you probably wouldn't have needed them. The answer is, of course, AI. Artificial Intelligence seems to be the answer to every problem in tech at the moment, and while we have some qualms with how Google Bard answered our iPhone vs. Android questions, it remains remarkable. 

I have little doubt that conversational AI has the potential even in the short term to help eliminate spam entirely from my life, again it's a rare thing for it to slip past the Phone app already. 

Jonathan Eccles, the group product manager for the Phone by Google app, sees much more for the app as well though. He believes that AI can make your calls more productive and effective in the future. Now how exactly it will achieve that appears to be where the magician refuses to reveal his secrets, but if we are going to get any more insight into what's next for Call Screen it will be at Google I/O 2023 starting on May 10. 

We'll bring you all of the latest from the event including hopefully the launch of the Pixel 7a in its cool new blue hue.

More from Laptop Mag

• We asked 5 phone experts: What CAN Android do that iPhone CAN’T?
• Google Pixel 7 review: Still worth it 6 months after launch?
• WWDC 2023 — Everything we know so far

Spring is finally here and oh boy are the deals springing today. If you're in the market for a new phone, here's a Pixel 6a discount that'll knock your socks off. 

For a limited time, you can get the Google Pixel 6a for just $299 at Amazon. It typically costs $449, so you're saving $100 and getting the Pixel 6a for an all-time low price. As an alternative, you can get the Pixel 6a for $249 ($200) at Best Buy with activation. 

So if you're on a tight budget, this is one of the best phone deals under $300.

Google's Pixel 6a is a cheaper Pixel 7 alternative and one of the best smartphones to buy if you're switching from iPhone. It packs a 6.1 inch FHD+ OLED display, Google Tensor 8-core processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This unlocked Pixel 6a works with Google Fi, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and just about every major U.S. pre-paid carrier. 

As we note in our Pixel 6a review, we love its excellent software support, unique AI software features and bright, colorful display. We gave the Pixel 6a an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars for its impressive performance. It's the Editor's Choice budget Android phone.

For documenting life's fleeting moments, it has a 12.2MP wide and 12MP ultrawide lens dual camera on the back. An 8MP front camera facilitates selfies and video calls. Google design engineers incorporated an under-display fingerprint sensor into the Pixel 6a for secure unlocking. No more having to memorize passwords and pin codes. 

In a nutshell, the Pixel 6a offers the best features of its premium siblings for less.

More Pixel phone deals

Two years ago, when I switched to the iPhone after a series of underwhelming experiences with Google Pixel phones, I didn’t think I’d be tempted to return any time soon. At the time, the state of Google hardware was in such disarray, I was almost certain that a shutdown was inevitable. 

Fast forward to today, however, and Google breathed new life into its Pixel ecosystem. After weeks of using the new Pixel 7, I’m having second thoughts about my less-than-optimistic perception of Google’s future trajectory. Is the search-engine giant finally becoming the formidable Apple opponent it initially set out to be?

Google’s Pixel as a response to Apple’s iPhone success and uncertainty in Samsung

When Google first introduced the Pixel, a premium flagship from the same company that makes the underlying Android OS, its intentions were obvious. Apple gained an unprecedented edge with the iPhone by developing both the software and hardware under its own roof. While Android has held a global market share lead over iOS since mid-2012, the iPhone reigns supreme in the U.S and Android’s success has always hinged on Samsung and others. With the threat that Android OEMs, particularly Samsung, could create competing operating systems, this was all a recipe for Google to feel vulnerable despite Android’s market dominance.

Google couldn’t afford to let Apple establish a dominant market share worldwide as Google depends on the revenue generated from search on Android and iOS. Apple could capitalize on that monopoly to dictate terms of any deals and ultimately build its own advertising and search platforms, biting into Google’s returns. And without its own hardware, Google would have no choice but to play by Apple’s rules. 

Though the original Pixel and Pixel XL were well received and proved Google could, thanks to its software prowess, build a true iPhone rival, it became clear there was one key piece missing from the puzzle: in-house hardware. Unlike Apple, Google was still outsourcing chips and that caught up to it in the following years with performance and battery life becoming hallmark critiques of the line. Without proper vertical integration, the Google Pixel faced an uphill battle, and all models flopped commercially, selling no more than a few million compared to the hundreds of millions Apple and Samsung sell each quarter. While Google’s in-house chip wouldn’t ultimately debut until 2021, the company recognized the need for it almost immediately with the project getting underway before the release of the Pixel 2 in 2017.

How Google can become a worthy Apple opponent

The Pixel 6, unveiled late last year, marked the beginning of a new chapter in Google’s hardware ambitions. It was powered by Google’s first native silicon, Tensor, and though it was by no means perfect, it provided promise and  momentum for Google to build upon. 

In 2022, Google went all in. It shuttered its experimental, underperforming hardware projects like the Pixelbook and announced a consistent, reliable ecosystem of devices from the ground up. Apart from the triumphant Pixel 7 series, which has been difficult to fault for me, Google unveiled its long-overdue smartwatch, the Pixel Watch, launched a competitive pair of earbuds in the Pixel Buds Pro, an incredible value-for-money mid-range phone in the Pixel 6a, and announced an entry-level Pixel Tablet slated to arrive next year. 

Per one report, Google CEO Sundar Pichai sees hardware as the best way to be “protected” against a changing mobile market. Pichai is reportedly concerned about Apple taking a significant share from key Android partners like Samsung, which, in the event antitrust regulators break off Google's long-standing deal to make its search engine the default on iPhones, could prove costly. 

For Google to lure buyers away from Apple’s ecosystem, hitting the reset button, and releasing a refined portfolio of products that share a common theme is critical to its success. Apple restricts many of its devices to only be compatible with its own devices and that’s a hurdle for someone who’s interested in the Pixel 7 and wants to, say, replicate the Apple Watch Series 8 experience on Android. Sure, one can buy a pair of AirPods and use them with an Android phone, but once they realize what they’re missing out on by not owning an iPhone, it’s an easy switch. Even Samsung, over the years, has built its ecosystem to work best with a Galaxy smartphone. 

Apple’s resting on its laurels — and Google is catching up

Google’s refreshed hardware push also couldn’t come at a better time. Apple appears to be running out of ideas for the iPhone as much of the iPhone 14’s pitch either relies on outdated features or extreme cases. Plus, the company’s expected to be busy complying with Europe’s decision to force it to use USB-C on the iPhone by 2024. 

Google’s already demonstrated the software feats it can accomplish with in-house silicon, and unlike Apple, which largely depends on hardware to innovate, with Tensor the search engine company can push the limits on its phones with software alone. On the Pixel 7, for example, you can unblur faces on your old polaroids, set the phone to automatically cut out background noises on a call when you’re in a noisy environment, and more. These features are not only handy, but they’re also difficult to replicate, which will matter increasingly more as the smartphone market continues to saturate. 

The success of the Pixel 6 already pushed Google into the top-five slot in North America, recording a 400% sales jump. Google told suppliers it expects double the sales next year, and on an earnings call recently, Pichai said the company had its “highest-selling week ever for Pixel.”

More importantly, Google’s doubling down on hardware will prevent Apple (and everyone else) from becoming too comfortable, which will force them to come up with new, creative ideas to sell products every year. 

Bottom line

Apple and its “walled garden” has never had a direct competitor and I’m glad Google’s finally in a position to be one. Of course, when it comes to any Google product, I wouldn’t recommend getting ahead of yourself just yet. However, Google does seem better equipped this time and is taking on the challenge with a more multi-year holistic approach instead of one-off launches and limiting its hardware strategy to just one distinct advantage like a smarter camera. I’m looking forward to seeing how the fresh Apple-Google rivalry pans out in 2023 now that it feels like they are on more equal footing and whether the latter does enough to threaten Apple’s ascendancy. 

The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro aren’t due to arrive until the fall of 2023. But Google is notoriously bad at keeping its hardware secret and there are already a number of leaks and rumors about the forthcoming flagships. 

The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro built upon the success and popularity of the Pixel 6 series with Google’s second-generation Tensor chip as the primary hardware upgrade, while software upgrades leveraging that new chipset are arguably the more attention-grabbing updates. 

Will we see Google be more ambitious with its hardware upgrades for the Pixel 8 in 2023? Can Google hold the line on its more affordable flagship pricing? 

These are just a couple of the questions that we’ll set out to answer based on everything we know about Google’s Pixel series along with the leaks and rumors we’ve gathered so far.

Latest news (Updated: 7/22)

• Tipster reveals Pixel 8 Pro specs and potential launch date
• Pixel 8 Pro leaked photos showcase new camera bar layout and sensors

Google Pixel 8 release date

Naturally, we don’t have a definitive release date for the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro this far out. However, Google sticks to a fairly narrow range of dates with its Pixel events, so we can make an educated guess that should prove accurate.

The Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro were officially unveiled on Oct. 6, 2022, which is in keeping with most previous Pixel releases. Here’s a look at all of the flagship Pixel release dates:

A Google Pixel roadmap leak indicates that the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are in the cards for 2023 — giving another sign that the next-gen flagship Pixel lineup is set to arrive.

Based on previous Pixel announcements, the front-runners for 2023 will be Oct. 3 or Oct. 10, with Oct. 4 or Oct. 11 as the next most likely options for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro release event.

The Pixel 8 Pro's potential October release date was further illuded to by tipster Yogesh Brar, who recently tweeted a series of leaked specs for Google's upcoming smartphone before claiming that it will arrive in October.

Google Pixel 8 price

We don’t have any compelling leaks regarding pricing yet. It's unfortunate as Google’s relatively unusual pricing structure for its flagship Pixel phones makes this an intriguing subject. 

When Google announced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro at $599 and $899, it was a bit of a shock. We’d grown accustomed to $799 as the starting price for a flagship phone with premium flagship models starting at $999. This is the case for Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series and Apple’s iPhone 14 models. 

There were murmurs of Google changing this up with the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, but they arrived at that exact same $599 and $899 price point. We’ve already seen a few deals on both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, so this pricing doesn’t seem to be a strain on Google. The most logical option is that history repeats itself and that the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are $599 and $899. 

The only thing that gives me pause is that the price disparity between these two phones has been a bit baffling. I called the Pixel 6 “the best Android value ever” and you can copy and print that again when it comes to the Pixel 7. However, the Pixel 6 Pro and the Pixel 7 Pro are a bit tougher to classify. There’s no arguing that Google’s Pro phones belong in the conversation with the iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Plus, which both start at $999, but the relative value compared to the standard Pixel just isn’t there. 

It’s pure speculation, but this could ultimately drive Google to either raise the price on the standard Pixel or lower the price on the Pixel Pro. If we hear that Google has a “Pixel 8 Ultra” or whatever it would call a higher-end flagship, that would lend more credibility to a pricing change for the two models, but for the time being, I still expect Google to stick to its status quo.

Google Pixel 8 hardware

Hardware leaks have been limited so far, but courtesy of GalaxyClub, we knew before the Pixel 7 was even released that Samsung was hard at work on Google’s custom Tensor 3 chip that is destined to power the Pixel 8.

Google’s Tensor and Tensor G2 chips both dramatically outperform the upper mid-tier Snapdragon chips that Google was using previously, particularly when it comes to the AI and machine-learning tasks that Google has optimized the chipset for, but we don’t know yet where the Tensor 3 will fall when compared to the recently announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which promises to bring ray tracing to mobile phones like the Galaxy S23 in 2023.

WinFuture allegedly found evidence of two potential Pixel 8 models in some publicly available code that refers to the devices as “Husky” and “Shiba.” Both featured 12GB of RAM (up from 8GB in the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro) and the same model found in the Pixel 7 models. 

The same leak contained display resolutions with “Shiba,” presumably the Pixel 8 coming in at 2268 x 1080 (a step down from the 2400 x 1080 resolution of the Pixel 7) and the “Husky” offering 2822 x 1344 (again a step down from the 3120 x 1440 resolution of the Pixel 7 Pro). Now it’s possible that Google determined that the extra resolution was wasted and potentially a battery and resource drain, but it would at least be unusual to see phones take a step back on resolution, so take this rumor with a grain of salt.

According to the leaked Pixel roadmap, the standard Pixel 8 will be even smaller than the Pixel 7, while the Pixel 8 Pro will keep the same display size (6.7 inches) and form factor measurements as the Pixel 7 Pro.

Leaked photos of a Pixel 8 Pro prototype have revealed that Google is highly unlikely to stray from its now, widely recognizable if not universally loved, Pixel design language. That prominent camera bar is allowing people to actually identify Pixel phones in the wild for the first time, and given the money Google is pouring into advertising, that isn’t something it likely wants to give up.

That camera bar will see some subtle changes on the Pro model at least, with the device compacting its camera array into one ovular cutout, and the flash shifted up to accommodate an all-new sensor directly below it.

The new mystery sensor is reportedly an infrared thermometer. A convincingly produced video of it in operation leaked online in May of 2023, showcasing a person using the new sensor to measure temperatures from their forehead to their temple.

A previously mentioned leak from Yogesh Brar may have given us our first full spec reveal of the Pixel 8 Pro after the tipster took to Twitter to reveal all. The Pixel 8 Pro will reportedly feature a 6.7-inch QHD+ LTPO OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, the Google Tensor G3 SoC and Titan chip, 12GB of RAM, 128/256GB of storage, a 50MP OIS main camera snapper, a 64MP ultra-wide lens, a 48MP telephoto sensor, an 11MP front-facing selfie camera, a 4,950mAh battery with 27W wired charging, the aforementioned temperature sensor, and an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro specifications (rumored)

Google Pixel 8 outlook and what we would like to see

Google has made enormous strides with the Pixel line over the last couple of years after it seemed like it could be on the brink of shuttering the phone division as it has so many other projects. Prior to the Pixel 6 lineup, you could comfortably say that the Pixel phones offered outstanding cameras and some compelling software features, but that battery life, performance, design, and video quality took a bit of a backseat. 

That’s far from the case today. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are among the best phones on the market and the Pixel 6a is far and away the best cheap phone available. So what then do we want to see from the Pixel 8?

Bring the Pixel 8 up to a 120Hz display. While 90Hz is a marked improvement over the 60Hz display on the iPhone 14, there are Samsung phones for under $300 that feature a 120Hz display; it’s time for the standard Pixel to make that jump. Thankfully we're already seeing reports of a 120Hz display on the Pixel 8 Pro, though there's no word on the standard model just yet.

That request is going to run counter to my next wishlist item and that’s improved battery life. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro can get me through a day, but they are below average, and particularly given that Google isn’t going to win the raw performance fight, I’d like to see the Pixel 8, or at least the Pixel 8 Pro, find a place among our phones with the best battery life.

Finally, if the Pixel 8 Pro is going to remain at its loftier $899 price compared to the $599 Pixel 8, I want to see Google introduce something else to differentiate the top-tier. This could be a 10x telephoto sensor like the Galaxy S22 Ultra or referring back to the previous item a much larger battery than the standard Pixel, but there needs to be something more to justify that price difference.

We have about 3 months until Google takes the stage and unveils the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, so bookmark this page if you want to keep up with all of the latest leaks and rumors over the course of the year.

Last week, security and bug expect David Schütz stumbled upon an alarming security flaw that affects Google Pixel phones, which allowed anyone with physical access to a phone to bypass the lock screen and gain access to the user's device — without needing a passcode.

As Schütz notes in his blog (via BleepingComputer), the cybersecurity researcher accidentally found the bug when trying to unlock his Pixel 6. After entering the wrong PIN three times, the SIM card locked, which he then recovered using the Personal Unblocking Key (PUK) code.

When unlocking the SIM and setting a new PIN, the Pixel simply showed the fingerprint icon without asking for a lock screen PIN or password. This isn't normal for Android phones, as they always ask for a passcode when rebooting to prevent attackers from accessing the phone.

After further investigation, Schütz discovered that he could bypass the lock screen and access the device, even without a fingerprint. This means that attackers that have access to the device, such as threat actors who steal phones, could use their own SIM card, put in a wrong PIN code three times, use a PUK number, and then access the device without even needing a fingerprint or PIN code.

The researcher demonstrates the process below:

Download Google's November 2022 security update

Schütz reached out to Google to patch the security flaw, which has now been fixed in the November 5 Google security update. It's worth noting that he reported the bug back in June, meaning the flaw has been around for a few months.

It's a good idea to update your Android device, with the report noting that it could affect all Pixel devices, including the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, along with Android phones running version 10 and later. To do this, head to Settings > Security > Security update > Check for update.

For more on the security flaw, check out the full blog post. We've seen a few security issues lately, including this malicious Chrome extension can track your keystrokes. To make sure you're protected, check out the best antivirus apps. 

Black Friday 2022 is inching closer, but just because the sale hasn't officially kicked off yet doesn't mean we're not seeing a wave of bargain deals come in. And now, we're seeing the Google Pixel 6a plummet to its lowest price yet.

Right now, you can pick up the Pixel 6a for $299 at Best Buy. That's a $150 saving on one of the best affordable smartphones on the market, and it also means you're getting the power of a Pixel 6 and a bright, colorful display in a comfortably small form factor.

This is one of the best early Black Friday deals we've seen, along with a bundle of other deals including this incredibly cheap RTX 3070 Ti laptop. If you're in need of an affordable yet reliable Android phone, however, this deal is right up your street. 

Google's Pixel 6a is among the more affordable Android phones out there. It's also one of the best smartphones to buy if you're switching from iPhone. It packs a 6.1 inch FHD+ OLED display, Google Tensor 8-core processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This unlocked Pixel 6a works with Google Fi, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and just about every major U.S. carrier. 

In our Pixel 6a review, we rave over its excellent software support, unique AI software features and bright, colorful display. We also praise its overall solid performance and rate the Pixel 6a 4 out of 5 stars. It's the Editor's Choice budget Android phone.

For documenting life's fleeting moments, it has a 12.2MP wide and 12MP ultrawide lens dual camera on the back. An 8MP front camera facilitates selfies and video calls. Google design engineers incorporated an under-display fingerprint sensor into the Pixel 6a for secure unlocking. No more having to memorize passwords and pin codes. 

In a nutshell, the Pixel 6a offers the best features of its premium siblings for less. Looking for more incredible early Black Friday 2022 sales? We've got you covered. 

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro come with a list of innovative features, including Photo Unblur and the upcoming Clear Calling, but they also come with one of the best Pixel perks: automatically identifying songs.

That's right. No more typing in random misheard lyrics in Google Search to try and figure out that tune you heard on a night out a few days ago. Instead of grasping at straws to finally listen to that song that goes "woo!", your Pixel phone will let you know the name of the song and the artist it's by as soon as it plays — right on the lock screen.

Thanks to Now Playing, your Pixel will even list a history of songs and the time and date it was heard, meaning all you have to do is remember when you jammed to a particular tune and it will show up. Tired of the turmoil remembering songs bring? Find out how to use Now Playing on your Pixel. 

How to use Now Playing on your Pixel

With Now Playing, your Pixel can identify the music you hear around you. It's important to note that this isn't available on the first Pixel (2016); only the Pixel 4 and later have music search, which allows users to search for a song if the phone can't identify it.

This does mean your Pixel device is essentially "always listening," which is a privacy concern for some. However, Google makes it clear that it recognizes music using a song database stored on your Pixel phone. The automatic recognition process never sends audio or background conversations to Google, as it uses "privacy-preserving analytics."  

In any case, follow these steps to start knowing every song as soon as they're played. 

• On your Pixel device, open the App Drawer and navigate to Settings.
• Scroll down to Sound and vibration. 
• Tap on Now Playing.
• In this menu, toggle the switch next to Identify songs playing nearby.

There you have it. For those that have a Pixel with an always-on display, including the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro, the name of the song and artist will pop up at the bottom of the lock screen. That means you can just glance at your phone without unlocking it to know what song is being played.

What's more, in the Now Playing menu, you can tap on Now Playing history to view all the songs your Pixel has picked up. Plus, you can tap the "heart" icon to add to your list of favorites.

You can also add the music search button on the lock screen, which lets you look up songs that are playing that your Pixel doesn't recognize. It's an incredibly handy feature to have, especially when someone asks "What's the name of that song?" and you always have the answer. 

Given that you probably clicked on this article thinking I could be referring to one of a handful of different trust problems for Google it seems that the answer is almost certainly yes. However, I’m not talking about concerns over Google looking at or selling your data or anti-trust problems with the government. Today I’m sticking to one specific potential trust problem for Google that reared its head again recently and may hang heavily over some of Google’s announcements from this week’s Made by Google October event.

I’m referring to Google’s shutdown of Stadia, the company’s cloud game streaming service that is going dark in January after roughly three years. While I don’t think anyone that was a Stadia subscriber or even a casual observer of the platform could suggest that they were shocked by the announcement, it did catch some off-guard. In the days and even hours before the announcement, there were promotional materials for upcoming game releases on the platform being sent out and Google clearly didn’t get the memo out company-wide as press materials featuring Stadia went out this week with some of the new Nest product announcements.

This isn’t a Stadia retrospective though, Stadia is merely the latest in a long line of products and services killed by Google. The very fact that a dedicated site exists for everything the search giant has canceled or shut down is probably enough of a sign that there is a problem. 

Welcome to the Google graveyard 

Now to some degree, this is part of Google’s DNA, the company throws everything at the wall and sees what sticks. However, while a “fail fast” mentality is to be expected with a small startup, it isn’t something you anticipate from one of the most valuable companies in the world. It’s bad enough to cancel software or services like the Google Inbox mail client or Google Reader, but killing hardware and ending support for it leaves an even worse taste in users’ mouths. A quick check of the Google graveyard reveals 253 apps and services and 21 hardware products shelved by the company. I’d argue that it should be 22 hardware products as Killed by Google doesn’t count Stadia. While the cloud gaming platform is the more important piece, the dedicated Stadia controller will be unusable wirelessly once the service is shut off.

While 22 over the course of Google’s roughly 20 years of offering any type of hardware may not sound too bad, the vast majority of these came in the last decade, meaning Google is killing roughly two hardware products a year. Most of them were 2-4 years old when Google pulled the plug. Some of these were big swings like Google Glass that aren’t hard to understand why they were abandoned, but others just feel like Google released the product and then gave up on it like the Google Clips camera, Google Daydream VR and yet another pair of smart glasses with Focals by North. 

As we are Laptop Mag I will also toss in that Google has a habit of just giving up on its laptops and pivoting to something slightly different. The Chromebook Pixel gave way to the Pixelbook and Pixelbook Go. Both were released in 2019 and while they can’t officially be added to the Google graveyard yet, it seems inevitable.

Other companies are certainly guilty of this as well, but no one comes even close to Google’s volume and what you will more often see is a product killed before it actually launches. See Samsung’s Galaxy Home speakers or Apple’s AirPower wireless charger.

Which products are next? 

This takes us to this week’s Google announcements. Don’t worry Pixel phone fans, I think you are on solid ground. According to Google, the Pixel 6a was the fastest-selling Pixel ever and as we arrive at the Pixel 7 we have made it outside of the typical danger zone for Google products. However, investing in a Pixel Watch or sometime next year the Pixel Tablet may give you pause. 

While Google has kept Wear OS going over the years it has certainly taken some big steps back from it at times. It kicked off a new era of Wear OS with Samsung last year and its ownership of Fitbit should certainly motivate it to take a more active hand in the wearables market, but the track record isn’t great.

The same can be said for Google’s handling of tablets. Until very recently it had been years since Google had paid any meaningful attention to Android on tablets. Android 12L finally marked some positive momentum for Android tablets and Google’s announcement that it would be returning to the tablet market with a Pixel Tablet served as further encouragement. Returning to the tablet market? In case you forgot, Google did once have its own line of tablets, the Nexus 7 was by far the most popular and was very positively reviewed. So naturally, Google killed it.

We don’t know the pricing on the Pixel Tablet just yet, but the Pixel Watch comes in at $349-$399. That’s competitive with the Apple Watch Series 8, but looking at the more relevant Android-compatible competition the Galaxy Watch 5 starts at $279 and the Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2 come in at $229 and $299, respectively. Given everything I’ve covered above it is hard to have faith that Google will stick with this if the Pixel Watch gets off to a rocky start with its sales and Google’s lack of a track record in wearables and relatively high price point a slow start seems almost inevitable. 

Outlook 

While I may have just painted a pretty bleak picture, I’ll end things on a less dystopian note. I’m not claiming that Google is done filling up its product graveyard, I think there is reason for hope with these products specifically. Google’s somewhat unprecedented pre-announcement of its Pixel product lineup for the next year at Google I/O 2022 made it clear that the company recognizes the importance of having a full ecosystem of products. While many individual Apple products are good — great even — users benefit the most when they are fully bought into the Apple ecosystem with a phone, watch, headphones, etc.

Whether Google is doing it to model good behavior for the rest of the Android manufacturers or it believes it can actually grab meaningful market share is still a bit unclear, but repeatedly throughout the Made By Google event you saw the entire Pixel ecosystem on a slide. If the ecosystem itself is a product then canceling any one piece of it is going to bring the whole thing down. With that in mind, even a rocky start for Pixel Watch or Pixel Tablet should be something that Google is willing to weather for the sake of the ecosystem as a whole.

Now where’s that Pixel Chromebook?

Google is leaving no stone unturned in the latest Tensor-powered chapter of its Pixel products. Not only has the company refreshed Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, but it’s also announced the Pixel Watch and more details about the Pixel Tablet. While  Google’s new flagship Pixel phones and its first-ever smartwatch house top-of-the-line specs, that’s not what it’s banking on to sell them. Instead, it’s taking on Apple’s iPhone 14’s unrivaled hardware by playing to its strength: software. 

The Made by Google event made one thing unequivocally clear: Google knows taking on the iPhone’s hardware is an uphill battle. Apple’s in-house silicon division has years on Google’s fairly nascent counterpart. Even though Google’s Tensor processor was a success on last year’s Pixel 6, it’s still far from catching up to Apple’s A-series chips. 

Google’s pitch for the Pixel 7 phones, therefore, was in clear contrast to the one Apple made for the iPhone 14 last month. Unlike Apple or any other phone maker, Google didn’t spend much time diving deep into the Pixel 7’s specs — it didn’t tell its audience what the contrast ratio was of the screen or the number of transistors inside its new Tensor G2 chipset. No, once it revealed a few essential bits of the phones, such as their display sizes and the addition of Face Unlock, Google quickly moved on to discuss the experiences these upgrades enable and why they matter. 

As opposed to putting up a chart pitting the Tensor G2 against the competition, for example, Google introduced a range of clever AI-backed features like the ability to see the extension options of a business call right on your screen instead of having to listen to them and cutting the noise out when you’re phoning someone in a noisy environment. 

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro’s cameras have been similarly uplifted through software thanks to the Tensor G2’s extra power. They offer a bunch of new options that will come in handy in day-to-day use. You can, for example, scan your old polaroids and the Pixel 7 will unblur any blurred faces on them and fix other blemishes like lighting issues. Plus, the Pixel 7 can smartly take advantage of its multiple cameras to prevent your shaking hands from affecting your zoomed-in pictures and videos. A new accessibility tool called Guided Frame can help visually impaired users to angle their phones correctly to capture selfies with audio cues and haptic feedback. 

“Every Pixel device is designed to deliver a level of personal intelligence that turns day-to-day problems into truly delightful experiences,” Google wrote in a blog post.

The Pixel 7 and the iPhone 14’s taglines reflect this stark difference in approaches. The former focuses on what its specs deliver at the end of the day: “Simply Powerful. Super Helpful,” while the latter is meant to plainly highlight the iterative jump in its display and battery sizes: “Big and Bigger.” 

Of course, Google’s software has been the cornerstone of the Pixel series since its inception. However, the arrival of the Tensor chip has allowed Google to fine-tune the experience for its in-house services. And since the Pixel 6 proved Google is no longer too far behind in performance — freeing up its silicon efforts from the endless scrutiny — the company can tuck the hardware in the background and let its software truly take center stage. 

Besides, hardware supremacy has a ceiling and as evident from the iPhone 14 keynote, Apple is also running out of ideas to sell its devices, turning to grand software tools like car crash detection to attract buyers. High-end specs are pretty much now the default across the industry, especially in the premium flagship range. No matter the phone you pick up, you’ll get a screen that’s bright and sharp enough, a sufficiently fast chipset, all-day battery life, and more. 

The only place where there’s room for competition, it appears, is in the software. Google is now capitalizing on this saturation as well as its machine-learning prowess to position the Pixel 7 as a constantly evolving smartphone. 

We’ve already witnessed this with previous Pixels. Since 2019, Google has regularly brought new abilities to its old phones — in addition to the latest model — through an initiative called “Feature Drops.” The most recent one in June of this year was rolled out to the three-year-old Pixel 4. Apple, in comparison, rarely announces backward-compatible features irrespective of whether they’re hardware-dependent. For someone spending $1,000 on a phone (the Pixel 7 Pro costs $899), Google’s software-first focus is not only more interesting but also practical as they would expect it to last a few years.  

Google, in a lot of ways, breathed new life into its Pixel series last year with the Tensor chip. The Pixel 7 is a more refined iteration of that, and on paper it offers an ideal balance of software and hardware at a highly competitive price. Whether that’s enough to make Apple nervous remains to be seen, but Google is surely going all-in as it sent its largest Pixel order to suppliers. It reiterated its commitment to the Pixel lineup by adding that Tensor “represents years of development across Google and a long-term investment in the Pixel portfolio.” 

The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro pre-orders are live, and customers can save up to $750 when trading in an iPhone — more than what Apple offers. Clearly, Google's higher trade-in value aims to entice iPhone owners to make the switch to Pixel.

After the Made by Google event, the tech giant announced that Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro pre-orders are now available, along with Pixel Watch pre-orders. To spice up the offers, Google has a "trade-in your phone" program to reduce the price of the $599/£599 Pixel 7 and $899/£850 Pixel 7 Pro. This includes phones from a selection of manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Honor, Oppo, and more.

This is similar to Apple Trade In, but you'll find that Google offers more trade-in value, along with a longer list of smartphones, than the Cupertino-based tech giant. What's more, customers can get more credit out of an iPhone in the Google Store than with Apple.

For example, you can trade in an iPhone 13 Pro Max and get up to $720 with Apple's trade-in program, whereas Google offers up to $750. This is based on the condition of the phone, however, meaning a damaged product could go for less. 

This extends to other iPhone models, too. Even the iPhone SE (2020), which goes for up to $100 on the Apple Store, has an estimated trade-in value of up to $300 for the 256GB model. That's quite the difference when looking to get the most value for your phone. 

Apple also doesn't offer nearly as much for Android phones. The Pixel 6 Pro on the Apple Store can get you up to $240 worth of credit, whereas Google's trade-in offers up to $600. These price differences are similar in other regions, including the U.K.

What's more, in a special offer, Google offers the Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro for free when buying the Pixel 7 Pro in the U.K., or £179 off the Pixel Watch or Pixel Buds Pro for free when picking up the Pixel 7.

Apple changes the trade-in value of its iPhones every once in a while, which usually sees a drop in prices. Google has a one-up on Apple when it comes to trade-ins, which appears to be another bid to get iPhone users to switch to Android.

We have high hopes for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, but we won't know how they perform until we get our hands on Google's next Pixel flagships for review (stay tuned for those). In the meantime, you can check out our face-offs: Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 6, Pixel 7 vs. iPhone 14, Pixel 7 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro, and Pixel 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22. 

The Google Pixel event on October 6 will finally showcase the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, but we already know quite a lot about the next set of Android flagships thanks to leaks and the tech giant itself revealing key details. But a new spec leak has revealed even more.

Notable tipster Yogesh Brar has disclosed rumored internal specs for the upcoming Pixel 7, revealing everything from the display to the battery. Some are previously known, including the next-gen Google Tensor G2 chip and Android 13 OS that will be used, while others back up previously leaked details.

According to the tweet, the Pixel 7 will come equipped with a 6.3-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Earlier this year, display analyst Ross Young also stated the display will shrink from 6.4 inches to 6.3 inches when compared to the Pixel 6. It seems the standard model won't make the jump to 120Hz.

The post also shows we can expect the same 8GB of RAM, along with 128GB and 256GB storage options. Retailer data spotted by WinFuture claims that both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro would come in these storage options, dropping the larger 512GB model. 

Interestingly, Brar reveals the Pixel 7 will sport a 4,700mAh battery capacity. That's a small gain over the 4,616mAh battery the Pixel 6 comes with, but it's a boost that's needed. The Pixel 6 has had wildly varied battery life claims, ranging from great to terrible, so a bigger battery should (hopefully) deliver more outcomes in the battery department.

The next Pixel flagship will also see the return of 30W fast charging, but we're hoping Google will include the necessary 30W USB-C charger in the box. The Pixel 6's charger isn't able to properly pull off these speeds, as mentioned in our review.

When it comes to cameras, the Pixel 7 is expected to offer 50MP main and 12MP ultra-wide lenses, which is what we have in the Pixel 6. The new Tensor chip is expected to bring software upgrades to the phone's camera capabilities, but at least we may see an 11MP front-facing camera upgrade over the 8MP on the pervious model.

Brar notes other expected features, including stereo speakers, Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) connectivity, wireless charging, and Titan security chip. 

Pixel 7 is a "refined version" of the Pixel 6

According to the leaked specs, the Pixel 7 appears to be only a minor spec bump over the Pixel 6. It includes the same 8GB of RAM, 128GB and 256GB storage options, and an FHD+ OLED display with 90Hz. It looks like we'll even get the same 50MP main and 12MP ultra-wide lens. 

However, Brar notes that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will be "refined versions" of the Pixel 6 series. We can expect improved internals and software, along with a slightly different design, but don't expect an overhaul. This is apparently to keep the price the same, meaning the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro could cost the same as the Pixel 6 series: $599 and $899, respectively.

Google states the Tensor G2 will "bring even more helpful, personalized features to photos, videos, security, and speech recognition." However, will these bring a major upgrade over the Pixel 6?

Whatever the case, it won't be much longer until we find out. The Made by Google event will take place on October 6, and the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel Watch will be in the spotlight. 

Choosing between Google’s mid-range phone, the Pixel 6a, and its flagship model, the Pixel 6, isn’t easy. There’s a trivial $150 price difference, they also look similar, house an identical chip and software, and even share the same ultra-wide and selfie cameras. However, when I used them back to back as my daily drivers, I came across a host of differences that can help you make the best decision. 

The Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 comparison boils down to whether you’re looking for value for your money or a high-end flagship experience. Though the former inherits several features from the latter, there are trade-offs and aspects where Google cut costs under the hood to bring the price to $450 from $600. The Pixel 6, therefore, offers an extra premium element in many areas that appear identical on the surface. They share a design, for example, but the Pixel 6 has a glass body, while the Pixel 6a has a plastic one. 

So which one should you invest in? After testing the Pixel 6a and the Pixel 6 for weeks, here’s what we think. 

Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6: Specs

Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6: Price

The Pixel 6a costs $449 unlocked for its one and only 128GB variant. 

The Pixel 6’s 128GB model is priced at $599; its 256GB option will set you back $699. 

Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6: Design and build

At first glance, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a are difficult to distinguish. Google has maintained a consistent design language across its latest Pixel phones. Both have a dual-tone backside with a black, glass strip housing the camera gear, dividing the two colors at the top. There’s also an edge-to-edge screen on the front. Another minor yet handy design feature they share is their sides are a bit textured for a better grip — something you’ll sorely need since they’re both gigantic in size. 

Due to the larger screen, though, the Pixel 6 is taller by 0.25 inches and thicker by 0.07 inches. More importantly, its back is made out of glass unlike the Pixel 6a, which sports a plastic one with a glass-like finish. 

As mentioned, it’s close to impossible to tell these two apart. However, when you pick them up, the Pixel 6a’s lighter (6.28 oz vs. 7.30 oz) and relatively smaller form factor is far easier to hold. Plus, the Pixel 6a doesn’t have the Pixel 6’s noticeably bulky camera bump, so your fingers don’t have to constantly fight gravity to prevent the device from falling out of your hand. All of it makes it possible for average-sized hands to use the Pixel 6a with one hand, which, in the Pixel 6’s case, is entirely out of the question. 

Another result of the Pixel 6a’s cutback is its front is protected by the outdated Gorilla Glass 3 technology, whereas the Pixel 6 is equipped with the stronger Gorilla Glass Victus that’s rated to survive 6-feet drops. Pixel 6 is also available in more fun colors: Sorta Seafoam, Kinda Coral, and Stormy Black compared to the Pixel 6a’s Chalk, Charcoal, and Sage.

Though the Pixel 6 is nicer to hold, I don’t find the usability trade-offs worth the effort, especially given the Pixel 6a looks and feels identical, to an extent.

Winner: Pixel 6a for one-hand use, Pixel 6 for high-end materials

Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6: Display

While both the Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 have an always-on 1080p HDR screen, the latter’s panel is 0.3 inches taller and features a 90Hz refresh rate as opposed to the former’s 60Hz. 

Unless you have previously owned a phone with a higher refresh rate, the Pixel 6a’s display performs great. If you have, you’ll see a difference. On the Pixel 6, activities like scrolling and navigating the UI are much smoother than on the Pixel 6a. 

Other than that, there’s not a lot to separate these two screens. They’re plenty bright, nearly bezel-less, vivid, and sharp for just about everything you’d want to do. 

Winner: Pixel 6

Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6: Hardware

The Pixel 6 can survive up to 1.5-meter deep water for 30 minutes thanks to its IP68 rating, whereas the Pixel 6a’s IP67 certification can go up to a meter for 30 minutes. Another hardware advantage of the Pixel 6 is that it supports the aptX HD Bluetooth standard that lets you stream high-quality music on wireless accessories.  

Apart from that, the Pixel 6a and the Pixel 6 have an identical set of stereo speakers, no headphone jack, and an in-screen fingerprint sensor. 

Winner: Pixel 6

Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6: Performance

The Pixel 6a and the Pixel 6 are powered by the same Tensor octa-core chip from Google. However, the Pixel 6 benefits from an extra 2GB of RAM (8GB vs 6GB). In addition to an entry-level 128GB storage variant, it also has a 256GB model, while the Pixel 6a is limited to 128GB. 

During my tests, both of them went toe-to-toe in performance and handling everyday tasks. Even when I was hopping between resource-intensive apps like video editors and high-end games, I didn’t encounter any stutters or lags on either device. Camera shutter speed in quick-fire bursts was snappy, but the 6a does take an additional second to process and save pictures. 

On the Geekbench benchmark app, the Pixel 6 scored higher in the multi-core test at 2,773 compared to the 6a’s 2,121. The single-core score for both devices was 1,045. 

Therefore, in the first year or two, that extra 2GB of memory won’t lead to markedly superior performance on the Pixel 6. But over time, as you install yearly updates, the Pixel 6 will most likely age better and remain smooth longer than the Pixel 6a. 

Winner: Pixel 6

Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6: Software

Though the Pixel 6a and 6 run on the same Android 12 software out of the box, the 6a is expected to receive updates for a year longer because it was launched about eight months later than the Pixel 6. As per Google’s website, the 6a will get major releases until July 2025 and security patches until July 2027. 

The Pixel 6, on the other hand, is guaranteed for major updates until October 2024 and security ones until October 2026. 

Winner: Pixel 6a

Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6: Battery life

The Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 sport similarly-sized batteries: 4410mAh and 4614mAh. But due to the Pixel 6’s more demanding high refresh rate and slightly larger display, I’ve found the 6a lasts a tad longer on a single charge. Both of them, on normal to heavy usage, can comfortably go on for 1.5 or even 2 days with a screen-on time ranging between 6-7 hours. 

However, the Pixel 6 makes up for the endurance difference with huge upsides in charging speeds and capabilities. For starters, you can top it up faster and completely in under 90 minutes over a cable thanks to its 30W brick compatibility. On the other hand, the Pixel 6a is limited to 18W and takes a little over 2 hours to go from 0% to 100%. 

On top of that, the Pixel 6 supports wireless charging (21W), which is entirely absent on the 6a. Not only that but it can also reverse-wireless charge other devices. You can place, for example, your wireless earbuds’ case over its back and top it up. 

Winner: Pixel 6

Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6: Cameras

The battle of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a cameras is an interesting one. On paper, the setup is about equal. They even share a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens and an 8-megapixel selfie camera. The difference is in the main wide lens on the back. 

The Pixel 6a carries an outdated 12.2-megapixel sensor, while the Pixel 6 swaps it out for a 50-megapixel camera. But don’t let the megapixel count fool you into believing one is superior to another. You see, the Pixel 6 is hard-coded to produce 12.5-megapixel shots through pixel-binning, a technique for capturing more light by essentially clicking and combining information from four 12MP photos (out of 50MP). But the thing is the 6a’s camera has a larger aperture (f/1.7 vs. f/1.9) and a bigger sensor (1.4µm vs 1.2µm) — both of which enable the Pixel 6a to naturally gather more light. 

In layman’s terms, this ultimately translates into a largely similar camera experience and performance. Since the Pixel 6a and the Pixel 6 depend on the same Google algorithms and chipset to process your shots, there’s hardly any difference in their final results. In both daylight and low-light scenarios, they both capture photos that are well-lit and detailed. They have that signature Pixel contrast-y look that features a sharp dynamic range and a balance between the scene’s shadows and highlights. 

The Pixel 6’s 50-megapixel lens does lead to a stronger bokeh (blur) effect between your subject and background, but whether that’s a good thing comes down to your preference. I’ve also found that the Pixel 6 focuses quicker in dimly-lit areas and during videos courtesy of its Laser auto-focus. 

They come with a slate of handy software tools as well, including Night Sight for capturing stars and skies at night and Magic Eraser for removing unwanted objects from your shots. There are two features exclusive to the Pixel 6: Long Exposure and Action Pan, which fixes the focus on a moving object and blurs the rest. 

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a are equally capable at recording videos. They can shoot 4K clips at up to 60 fps and 1080p ones at a maximum of 240 fps. 

Winner: Pixel 6

Bottom line

The Google Pixel 6a is an excellent value for your money. For $450, it offers a flagship processor and design, a capable set of cameras, an edge-to-edge screen, and a long-lasting battery. But for an extra $150, the Pixel 6 takes many of these qualities up a notch with a glass chassis, wireless charging, higher refresh rate, more memory, and greater storage ($699 variant). If those upgrades matter to you and you have the budget, the Pixel 6 is a no-brainer, but if they don’t, the Pixel 6a won’t let you down either. 

For a better breakdown of each phone, check out our Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a reviews.

Thanks to Google, we already know quite a lot about the upcoming Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, from the next-gen Tensor G2 chip to the color options we can expect. One thing still in question is the storage capacity of the tech giant's next flagship smartphones, but a new leak teases what we can expect — and it's disappointing.

Retailer data spotted by WinFuture (via Roland Quandt on Twitter) indicates both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will come in two storage capacities: 128GB and 256GB. That's great news for Pixel fans in Europe, who only had the 128GB option available in the Pixel 6. However, there's now no 512GB internal storage in sight, meaning Google may skimp on capacity in its new flagship phones. 

The Pixel 6 Pro, at least in the US, offered a 512GB option at $1,099. While many would prefer the cheaper 128GB or 256GB models, seeing as the casual smartphone user may not need the extra space for their photos, videos, and other files, it still provided users the option to go big. After all, there's a reason why the iPhone 14 Pro and previous models, along with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, offer up to 1TB of space.

Cameras are the main focus on a majority of "Pro" flagship phones, as they cater to photographers and content creators looking for the best video and detailed snaps. That can take up a lot of storage space, and fast. With this in mind, limiting the Pixel 7 Pro to 256GB of storage could be a turn-off for many photo and video enthusiasts. 

A problem for Pixel 7 Pro buyers

Of course, like any leak or rumor, it isn't certain whether or not Google will ditch the 512GB storage capacity on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Quandt even stated in a previous tweet that the Pixel 7 Pro storage limitation would be "in Europe at least," indicating the US will still get the 512GB capacity. That said, the later tweet suggests it will be for all models, regardless of the region.

If true, those looking to get the Pixel 7 Pro purely for its camera performance won't get an ideal storage capacity.  Sure, as stated in our Pixel 6 Pro review, the flagship still lags behind its competition despite the improvements to the camera sensors. Image stabilization options like Cinematic Pan and more unique options like the astrophotography timelapse aren't as accessible compared to Apple's camera features on the iPhone.

We're hoping to see major improvements in the Pixel 7 Pro thanks to the upgraded Tensor G2 chip, which Google specifically states that photos and videos will get a bump in performance. The Pixel 6 lineup is proven to be fantastic for pictures, but the rumored lack of 512GB doesn't sound promising for a flagship that focuses on photography.

We'll have to wait and see everything the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro offer once they arrive on October 6 at the Made by Google event. In fact, this writer thinks the Pixel 7 could be worth waiting for over the iPhone 14. 

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are on their way, set to arrive on October 6, but there's now another mysterious Pixel phone in the mix, and it's expected to be a "small-screen flagship machine," according to a new rumor.

A post on Weibo from Digital Chat Station (via 9to5Google) describes a small flagship Pixel phone codenamed "neila," which claims to have "a centered single-hole straight screen [and] family-style rear design." Google is no stranger to small form factors, with its Pixel 4 lineup and previous models being some of the smallest phones on the market.

When the Pixel 5 and Pixel 5a came about, Google started to adopt bigger form factors, and now we have the 6.4-inch Pixel 6 and 6.7-inch Pixel 6 Pro, and the Pixel 7 lineup is looking no different. Even the Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch display, but the post alludes to a flagship under 6 inches. The post talks about small-screen smartphones being popular on an international scale, with domestic sales for "super-large-screen product lines" being lower than expected. However, no statistics were given. 

The post doesn't state when the small-screen Pixel phone will arrive, leaving us to speculate where another Pixel phone could fit in. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are locked, and there doesn't seem to be any surprises in the pipeline (except for the long-rumored Pixel Fold and code spotted for a mysterious, high-end third model).

9to5Google points out that the codename "neila" doesn't fit Google's usual codenames, which are usually animal related, like "Cheetah" and "Panther" for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. With this in mind, it's a good idea to take this in with a pinch of salt. Plus, the market for large-screen phones is expected to be looking up, with Apple dropping the iPhone mini in favor of the new iPhone 14 Plus. Although, iPhone 14 Plus pre-orders have reportedly fallen below iPhone 13 mini’s poor sales.

Will the Pixel 7a be small? 

If a small Pixel flagship phone were to come out, a likely suspect would be the Pixel 7a. This year's smaller variant of Google's flagship came out in July, over half a year after the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. We know a Pixel Tablet is coming in 2023, but after this, it's uncertain what the tech giant will come out with.

It's likely Google will bring out a Pixel 7a, but this time it may come in two variants: one that sports a similar size to the Pixel 6a and another that's even smaller, like the one described in the rumor.

Of course, this is just speculation, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. Regardless, we have the Pixel 7 to look forward to, and we already know quite a bit about it, from the Pixel 7 color options to the Tensor G2 processor it will boast. 

Google's mysterious Pixel Fold is still in the works, as a new leak details a familiar look taking design cues from the upcoming Pixel 7 and Oppo Find N. But what's happening with the selfie camera?

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, who announced that Chinese manufacturer Foxconn will develop the Pixel Fold and rumored high-end Pixel 7, the Pixel Fold will have a folding screen similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. Display analyst Ross Young has stated that the foldable Pixel would have a smaller 5.8-inch cover display compared to the rumored Galaxy Fold 4's 6.19-inch display.

However, the post also reveals the Pixel Fold will have a similar back cover to the Pixel 7, while the front will look like Oppo's first foldable, the Find N. The internal screen, on the other hand, will be a full screen without a notch — no hole-punch hole camera in sight. 

“The inner screen has a full screen without a hole, and the ultra-micro-hole camera is on the frame,” the post states. The post is translated using Google Translate, so it's hard to know what this means exactly. Instead of an under-display camera, apparently, there could be an "ultra-micro-hole camera" somewhere on the frame, possibly in the bezel. That said, we may not see a camera when the foldable is open, meaning no selfie camera.

For now, it's clear the post indicates that Pixel Fold will be all-screen when unfolded, with no bezel in sight. Digital Chat Station has a track record of reliable leaks, but we won't know for sure what the Pixel Fold will look like until it is (finally) announced. 

Will the Google Pixel Fold launch? 

The heavily rumored Pixel Fold has been stuck in limbo for some time. A report from The Elec last year suggested the Fold would arrive by the end of 2021 or early 2022. What's more, other display industry insiders stated the Pixel 6 and Pixel Fold would fall in the same time period: the fourth quarter of 2021. That didn't happen.

However, the rumor mill is seeing more evidence of a foldable Pixel. Developer Kuba Wojciechowski revealed camera specs for upcoming Pixel phones, including the Pixel Fold. Apparently, it will offer a "standard GN1 for the main sensor, IMX363, IMX386 (Pixel 6's ultrawide) - listed as "FOLDED" and IMX355 (Pixel 6's front)."

What's more, Young stated that it may arrive in the fourth quarter of 2022, despite Google itself showcasing details of devices set to arrive at the end of 2022 and in early 2023 at I/O 2022. However, this has apparently been pushed back to spring 2023, as Google may want to use a next-gen Tensor chip in it.

Whatever the case, we still have the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro to look forward to next. In fact, a launch date leak suggests the Pixel 7 will arrive on October 13.

Google already announced its Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will arrive this fall, but a new leak has surfaced to reveal the precise pre-order and launch dates for Google's next flagship lineup.

According to notable tipster Jon Prosser on Front Page Tech, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will launch on October 13, with pre-orders available on October 6. This comes from "very reputable sources," with Prosser also stating we can expect an event on October 6.

These release dates are earlier than expected, seeing how the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro officially launched on October 28. Google has a reliable track record of phone releases, with the Pixel 4 and Pixel 6 launching in October and the Pixel 5 releasing on September 30. The tech giant changes the dates slightly, but its Pixel phones usually launch around the same time. 

To back up these claims, Prosser showcased previous reports about Google's previous Pixel launch dates — hitting the nail on the head by reporting the Pixel 6 lineup would launch on October 28 back in August last year. With this in mind, there's reason to believe the Pixel 7 will be available on October 13. 

Google Pixel 7 hype

There's a lot to look forward to about Google's next flagship Pixels. Not only do we expect the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro to have similar prices to the Pixel 6 lineup, starting at $599 and $899, respectively, but Google also confirmed that it will feature a second-generation Tensor chip.

Another leak exposed the Pixel 7's camera specs to expect, too. Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will use the same 50MP GN1 main sensor and 12MP IMX381 ultrawide sensor as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. We're big fans of the sensors, but the real change is likely to come in the software the next-gen Pixel phone will boast.

However, the Pixel 7 will apparently be getting one upgrade: an 11MP selfie camera. This is similar to the one found on the Pixel 6 Pro, and will also be used on the 7 Pro. What's more, the 7 Pro is also expected to use Samsung’s 48MP GM1 telephoto lens instead of Sony's 48MP IMX586 sensor.

There's also a third, higher-end Pixel phone rumored to arrive, which is expected to have a completely different display to the 7 and 7 Pro. However, there aren't as many details about this mystery model compared to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, which Google already announced during Google I/O 2022.

Only time will tell if Google's Pixel 7 lineup arrives on October 13. In the meantime, check out our Pixel 6a review.