Unlike Apple, which still keeps up the peek-a-boo pretence that we don’t know the iPhone 14 is just around the corner, Google has all but given up on keeping its upcoming products a secret. The Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch were announced all the way back in May at Google I/O, and now Google has given away its release date so you don’t need to bother tuning into its unveiling event either.
“Mark your calendar: On October 6, 2022 at 10AM ET, we will officially introduce the latest Google Pixel device portfolio during a live event,” the company announced.
As ever, that’s an enormously anti-social time for Kiwis, translating to 5AM in Auckland, but in Google’s defence past Pixels haven’t actually been sold in New Zealand. You can import a Pixel 6 to NZ if you like, though, so presumably the Pixel 7 will also work okay.
And make no mistake, the Pixel 7 is exactly what we’re getting. “The lineup will include the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and the Google Pixel Watch,” the announcement continued. “We’ll also announce additions to the Nest smart home portfolio,” the company said, adding that all devices will be “shoppable” (or ‘available to purchase’, to use a less awful phrase) the same day.
From the leaks so far, it looks like the Pixel 7 will be a fairly incremental update on the Pixel 6 with only minor design revisions such as an aluminium camera bar with two cutouts on the Pro version.
But the real advantage could be on the inside, with the second generation Tensor chip. While the first generation was no slouch, it still didn’t quite match alternatives from Qualcomm and Apple for raw speed, and it’ll be interesting to see how much Google has been able to close the gap in the intervening year.
The Pixel Watch is more interesting, as it’s Google’s first attempt at a wearable, despite introducing the Android Wear software (now Wear OS) to the world all the way back in summer 2014. Before Google formally announced the Pixel Watch back at Google I/O, the company managed to leave a prototype lying around in a restaurant, which may have triggered the decision to pre-announce it early.
The Nest devices are a bit of a mystery, and do give viewers a reason to tune in if they’re into doorbells, cameras and smart speakers. There’s also a chance that Google will show off something unexpected — like the long rumoured Pixel Fold (or Pixel Notepad, as it’ll supposedly be known).
If you don’t fancy staying up until 5AM to watch, we’ll have all the details ready to read at a more sociable hour. Here’s hoping Google officially expands to New Zealand this generation.
