Finally, after months of leaks and teases from Google, the search engine giant is holding an event to showcase the next-gen Pixel 6 device.
The event, which will be live-streamed on YouTube, takes place on October 19 and we expect a number of exciting announcements.
Pixel 6
The headline act of the Google event will surely be the duo of Pixel 6 phones. These will signal the return to the flagship market for Google, after a year of focussing on more affordable devices with the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a.
Google actually announced its next flagship phone a few months ago, shocking everyone and getting ahead of the leaks. However, it didn’t delve too much into specifics regarding the camera.
We do know that the Pixel 6 will have two cameras on the back, be powered by the Google-designed Tensor chipset and have a design that very different to previous Pixels.
It’ll also launch with Android 12, a big visual overhaul for the software that introduces a number of new features, including updated widgets and Material You for deeper customisations.
This launch should be where we hear about what’s new with the camera array, how well that Tensor chip actually performs and, of course, pricing. M. Brandon Lee of the This is Tech Today YouTube channel has claimed that Pixel 6 pricing will start from just €649, while the Google Pixel 6 Pro will start from €899.
Other rumours have claimed the Pixel 6 will be sold alongside a new version of the Pixel Stand, which would enable wireless charging up to 23W – far quicker than the current 10w.
Pixel 6 Pro
The Pro version of the Pixel 6 will pack the same quirky design as the regular model, just in a larger body. It’ll also have an extra camera on the back and likely a bigger battery and faster screen.
We’ve already seen some leaked sample images from the camera on the Pixel 6 Pro, however these were taken on pre-production hardware.
The leaked snaps appear to confirm that the Pixel 6 Pro will shoot 50MP shots, but that pixel-binning will take 12.5MP snaps by default. It will also capture four different zoom levels: 0.7x (ultra-wide), 1x, 2x, and 4x. It switches into a 2.8x zoom for portrait shots.
Right now, other unconfirmed specs include, for the Pixel 6 Pro, a 5,000mAh battery, 12GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB/512GB of storage.
Finally, the display on the Pixel 6 Pro could pack a 120Hz refresh rate with LTPO tech similar to the iPhone 13 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
At least a tease of the foldable Pixel
Samsung released the first good foldables this year with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 and some have suggested Google will be aiming to rival them with a foldable Pixel.
Rumours have claimed we’ll be seeing the foldable before the end of the year, and it would certainly make a splash if it was the ‘one more thing’ at the event.
Still, we’re a little unsure as there have been few actual leaks about what the device would look like – and that’s not usually the case with Google phones.
One little nugget of information did come from the Android 12.1 beta, with XDA Developers finding new foldable APIs, new dual-pane layouts for the the notification panel and Settings screens, along with a size-adjustable lock screen.
Google is adding an iPadOS/Chrome OS-inspired taskbar function that opens up easy multitasking, app switching, and split-screen access. Very interesting.
If we don’t get a full Pixel folddable, a small tease would be very much welcome.
Android 12
Android 12 was announced at Google I/O earlier in the year, and it’s been in beta ever since. Earlier this week, the company published the source code to the Android Open Source Project (ASOP) without making it properly available to Pixel owners.
We’d expect Google to speak about Android 12 during the Pixel event, possibly confirming a firm date for when Pixel owners can update.
