Google I/O 2022: Pixel 6a, Pixel Watch, and everything else announced
Google I/O 2022 is here, with plenty of announcements for developers and consumers alike. While the company usually focuses on its dev community during the two-day event, the main keynote is always chock full of new hardware and software introductions guaranteed to change how you use your devices — current and future — for years to come.
This year’s conference is no different, with dozens of app updates, enhanced features, and a preview of the company’s upcoming slate of gadgets for the rest of 2022. Plus, with in-depth sessions on new and established development tools and tricks, there’ll be plenty more to learn in the days to come.
As usual, Google took to the stage to deliver its annual keynote, and it brought the heat when it came to announcements. Here’s everything the company showed off to its virtual audiences worldwide so far.
Google announces the Pixel 6a
The Pixel 6 was already a great value at $600, but thePixel 6amakes it an even better deal. It’s rocking the same Tensor chip as last year’s flagship phones, while matching the price of the Pixel 5a — just $449. It’ll be up for pre-order on July 21st, with availability in store on July 28th.
Google teases the Pixel 7
What’s that, a new A-series device not good enough? Google wasn’t content to just show off its next budget smartphone — it also gave us ourfirst official glimpse of this fall’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. There’s plenty more to learn in the coming months, and if history is any indication, you can expect dozens of leaks between now and then.
Google’s Pixel Buds Pro are coming this summer
you’re able to’t have a phone launch without some new earbuds. Google’s next set of TWEs are thePixel Buds Pro, and they go up for pre-order on July 21st — the same day as the Pixel 6a — but they’re by no means a budget set. At $200, the Buds Pro compete with high-end earbuds from Apple, Sony, and Samsung, offering ANC and, with the launch of Android 13 later this year, spatial audio.
Google’s Pixel Watch is real, and it’s coming this fall
After years of rumors and pent-up demand, Google finally announced thePixel Watch, set for a full launch later this fall. It features a round display, a fancy twisting band mechanism, and integration with Fitbit — a first on Wear OS. We’ll have to wait for a more in-depth reveal in a few months for complete details, but it might be enough to keep some potential Galaxy Watch5 buyers from picking up Samsung’s latest wearable when it arrives later this year.
Google Pay is now Google Wallet
Time is a flat circle. Not long after relaunching Google Pay in the US, the rest of the world is returning to an old-school name it ditched in 2018:Google Wallet. As a digital wallet service, it’s capable of storing payment cards, boarding passes, loyalty cards, student IDs, vaccine passes, and much more. It’s an even broader group of digital cards than the updated version of Google Pay, which is why users in the US and Singapore will have support for both services. Meanwhile, the rest of the world will be pushed from the legacy Google Pay app to the new Google Wallet when it launches this summer.
Android 13 Beta 2 is live
It’s only been a couple of weeks since Android 13’s first beta launched, but we’re already getting awhole new beta— and this time, it’s coming with third-party manufacturers. Nearly a dozen companies, including OnePlus, Lenovo, and more, are on board with this upgrade.
Google teases a set of AR glasses, complete with floating real-world subtitles
The company capped off its keynote with atease for AR glasses, bringing the dream of Google Glass back to life. We don’t know much about when they might come to market — Google described the project as a prototype — but it’s an exciting glimpse of the future nonetheless.
Google is making a Tensor-powered tablet for 2023
Ever since Android 12L was announced last year, you could almost sense Google’s eventual return to tablets in the air. As part of the hardware portion of the I/O keynote, the company teased abrand-new Tensor-powered tabletfor next year, and although we don’t know much about it just yet, it does seem to line up with those detachable Nest Hub rumors from the last couple of months. We’ll have to wait a little longer to learn more, but for now, you may find all of us arguing over those white bezels for the next 12 months.
Google is here to remind us that Matter matters
Despite a seemingly endless series of delays, Matter is still on track to launch before the end of 2022. It’s a new standard meant to build bridges between all of your smart home gear, allowing you to control everything through your choice of Assistant, Alexa, or Siri.Google is a big backer of Matter, and it’s still planning to update many of its Nest devices to become Matter controls when the standard finally goes live — something it first announced this time last year. And with Fast Pair, connecting Matter devices to your network should become easier than ever before.
Real Tone is coming to Google Photos — and the MST Scale is going open source
Real Tone was one of the coolest features to arrive with the Pixel 6, improving how non-white skin tones appeared on camera.Google is bringing this technologyto everyone later this month with Real Tone filters in Photos. It’s also open-sourcing the Monk Skin Tone Scale it uses to make color adjustments, so anyone can utilize it to make photography a whole lot better for everyone.
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