10 things you should know about the Made by Google event: Pixel 8 series, Pixel Watch 2, Pixel Buds, more

Now that the Made by Google event is over, know the 10 big announcements made during the show. The major highlights include launch of the Pixel 8 series.

Know the biggest announcements from the Made by Google 2023 event. (Google)

It took Google one hour and twenty minutes to go through its electric-paced Made by Google event that launched the new flagship smartphones Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2, new colorways for Pixel Buds, a host of new AI-powered features, Bard's integration with Google Assistant, and a small teaser for Android 14 that will soon rollout. Although Google CEO Sundar Pichai was nowhere to be seen during the event, Rick Osterloh, SVP, Devices & Services at Google, took charge and showcased everything new that's coming to consumers starting next week. And in case you missed it, don't worry. Check the 10 big announcements made during the event.

10 things announced at the Google event

1. The event started with a quick glance at the Pixel Buds, which will now be available in new color options. And then we moved to the first product launch of the day - Pixel Watch 2. 

The Pixel Watch 2 boasts an enhanced design featuring more durable cover glass and the company claims that it utilizes 100% recycled aluminum materials. Compatibility with last year's Pixel Watch bands is retained, ensuring versatility. It now boasts a new quad-core CPU to boost performance, along with an extended battery life of 24 hours on a single charge. Plus, you can recharge the Pixel Watch 2 to 12 hours of usage in just 30 minutes.

2. Pixel Watch 2 safety features: The Pixel Watch is gaining a new safety feature called Safety Check. This feature allows users to share their location with emergency contacts after a timer expires and they do not check in.

This feature can be useful for people who are going to be in potentially dangerous situations, such as walking alone at night or hiking in a remote area. If the user does not check in with the timer, their emergency contacts will be notified of their location.

3. Google Pixel 8 design: The Pixel 8 is described as an evolution of the design of the Pixel 7, with a smaller size and more contoured edges. The smaller size is a little frustrating. Also no curved display. But honestly, that is a good design decision.

The Pixel 8 Pro will have a matte glass back with an emphasis on higher-end colors. The Pixel Buds Pro will also come in new colors to match the new Pixel phones.

4. Google Pixel 8 display upgrade: The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are getting new displays that are significantly brighter than the Pixel 7's display. The Pixel 8's display is said to be 42 percent brighter, while the Pixel 8 Pro's display is said to be even brighter, with a peak brightness of 2400 nits. The refresh rate of both displays varies from 1 to 120Hz.

The Pixel 8 Pro is also getting a new temperature sensor on the back. This sensor can be used to measure the temperature of objects, and Google is seeking FDA clearance to use it to measure human body temperature as well.

5. Tensor G3 chipset: Google has unveiled the Tensor G3 chip, which features a number of significant upgrades over the previous Tensor chip. The most notable upgrade is to the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), which now runs twice as many machine learning modules as the first Tensor chip. This means that the Tensor G3 can perform machine learning tasks much faster and more efficiently than its predecessor.

In addition to the TPU upgrade, the Tensor G3 also has a number of other improvements, including a faster CPU and GPU, and more efficient power management. This makes the Tensor G3 a more powerful and efficient chip overall.

6. AI features on Pixel 8 series: The Pixel 8 is getting a number of new language recognition and Call Assist features, powered by the Tensor G3 chip.

• Language recognition for dictation: The Pixel 8 can now recognize what language you're speaking when dictating and switch back and forth between languages automatically. This is a useful feature for people who speak multiple languages.
• Read web pages aloud: The Pixel 8 can now read web pages aloud to you with the press of a button.
• Natural voice for Call Screen: The Pixel 8's Call Screen feature now has a more natural voice to answer calls. This makes the call sound more human and less robotic.
• Faster spam call detection: The Pixel 8's Call Screen feature can now more quickly separate spam calls from important calls.
• Call Assist transcripts: The Pixel 8's Call Assist feature can now transcribe calls in real-time. It can even respond to calls and show you in real-time what the response was to still let you pick up the call if you want.

7. Google Pixel 8 Best Take camera feature: Best Take uses AI to mix and match expressions from different photos to create the perfect group photo. So, you can take 5 different shots where different members of the group look good, and then it combines them all.

8. Assistant with Bard: Meet Assistant with Bard, a new personal assistant that combines personalized help with generative capabilities to see, hear, and suggest things based on your life.

It can generate things for you based on your natural language requests. For example, you could ask Assistant with Bard to create a grocery list in Google Docs for a gathering or to suggest the best route for a hike when walking with a small dog.

Assistant with Bard is being rolled out to selected testers soon and will be available to everyone on an opt-in basis over the next few months.

9. Google Pixel 8: It gets a 6.2-inch Actua display that wows with its 120Hz refresh rate, 1,400 nits and up to 2,000 of peak brightness. Under the hood, the Google Pixel 8 packs a photographic punch with its 50 MP PD wide primary camera, complemented by a 12MP ultrawide shooter and a 10.5MP selfie camera. It gets a 4,575mAh battery and supports fast charging.

The Pixel 8 is driven by the Tensor G3 processor, which promises not only speed but also enhanced efficiency compared to its predecessor, the Tensor G2, found in the Pixel 7 series. With 8GB of RAM and storage options that go up to a capacious 256GB, the Pixel 8 promises a smooth and lag-free experience.

The Google Pixel 8 starts at $699 (Rs. 75,999 in India). It is available in 128GB, and 256GB storage variants. Google is offering the Pixel 8 in Hazel, Obsidian, and Rose.

10. Google Pixel 8 Pro: It sports a 6.7-inch Super Actua display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display can now support 2400 nits of peak brightness. Under the hood, the Pixel 8 Pro gets the new Tensor G3 SoC with the Titan M2 Security Coprocessor and 12GB RAM. Google has promised up to 7 years of OS and security updates with the smartphone.

It features a triple camera setup at the back with a primary 50MP Octa PD wide camera, 48MP Quad PD ultrawide camera, and 48MP Quad PD telephoto camera. The latter camera supports Super Res zoom up to 30X, as well as 5x telephoto optical zoom. On the front, you get a 10.5MP selfie shooter.

The Google Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999 in the US, and Rs. 1,06,999 in India. It is available in three storage variants - 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. Google is offering the Pixel 8 Pro in Obsidian, Porcelain, and Bay Blue.

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