Google Pixel 7 Event: New Pixel 7, 7 Pro, Pixel Watch, Tensor G2 and More Reveals

CNET's Lisa Eadicicco was able to use the Pixel Watch at Google's New York event Thursday, which will start at $350 (£339, AU$549) and launch on Oct. 13. The watch includes Fitbit health metrics, a round design and a display with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The watch runs on Google's Wear OS 3.5 operating system, which appears to include a number of similarities to the menus seen on the Fitbit Sense 2.

The Pixel Watch also includes access to the Google Play Store, Google Wallet mobile payments and optional LTE connectivity in a more expensive $400 model.

CNET's Lisa Eadicicco is getting hands-on time with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro at Google's event. These photos show the two phones. The Pixel 7 Pro is the one with three cameras on the back. And you can also see the Pixel 7 alongside a Pixel 6 phone for comparison.

Rick Osterloh wraps up the event and tells people they can preorder the new Pixel products at Google's online store.

Interesting that the Nest camera, which was announced yesterday, had this stealth presence at the event, which was focused squarely on the Pixel family. Also, no smart speaker updates?

Here's everything we have from the Google event, including a handy everything announced piece.

Pixel 7

• Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 6: Comparing Google's Flagship Phones, Spec by Spec
  
• How Google's Pixel 7 Pro Uses New Camera Tech to Challenge the iPhone
• Pixel 7 Makes Taking Selfies Easier for Blind, Low-Vision Users
• Google Pixel 7 Pro Arrives With Better Camera Zoom and Macro Photography
• Google Pixel 7: New Tensor Chip, Better Camera for the Same Price

Pixel Watch

• Google's Pixel Watch Looks Like the Android Watch We've Been Waiting For

Pixel Tablet

• Google Once Again Teases Its New Pixel Tablet, New Charging Dock
  

Google says people can use more natural language to accomplish tasks. A person can say "coming home with coffee" and smart speakers at home will relay that information.

Note that you can already control your iPhone's camera with your Apple Watch. 

People can set up their Pixel 7 on a tripod and use their Pixel Watch to snap a photo.

Pairing AirPods to an iPhone is very easy: All you have to do is open your AirPods case and the iPhone will quickly detect it. Google is introducing Fast Pair, which allows products that opt in for this feature to also pair to Pixel devices quickly. Fast Pair isn't limited to Google-made devices. Let's see if other companies take advantage of this.

Google's Pixel Tablet won't be coming out until next year. Will Apple have something similar out around the same time? Google just telegraphed one of its tablet's killer apps.

The dock is a great idea, but we'll see how much Google will charge for the accessory. 

This is a smart move by Google -- making the tablet also a smart display when docked. I'm sure Google won't mind the extra money it'll make by selling that accessory, which seems like a must-have for anyone buying this product.

No exact release date is given for the new tablet.

The Pixel Tablet with the Speaker Dock will essentially turn it into a smart display. It can play music, turn lights off in the house and act as a photo frame.

The Google Pixel Tablet will also include the G2 chip. Google seems to have brought the Material You design to the Pixel Tablet, customizing the UI based on a person's preferences.

Google is integrating features from Fitbit, which it bought for more than $2.1 billion last year, into its Pixel Watch. That includes sleep tracking, health metrics dashboards and wellness reports.

The Pixel Watch will start at $349 for the Wi-Fi version. The LTE version will cost $399. Preorders start today. It will come with three months of YouTube Music, a $30 value.

Because the Pixel Watch can track a person's heart rate at all times, if something is wrong, emergency SOS can alert family. Fall detection is coming in 2023 for hard falls and can alert emergency services. Every Pixel Watch will come with six months of Fitbit Premium for workouts and meditation. 

The Pixel Watch can give users a detailed fitness report.

Seeing the round shape of the Pixel Watch makes me long for Apple to take a crack at a round smartwatch. 

Fitbit co-founder James Park talks about new features coming to Wear OS. This includes popular apps and fitness features. The Pixel Watch will be the first Android watch with Fitbit integrations. Park says the Pixel Watch will have all-day battery life and all-day heart-rate tracking.

Preorders for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro start today. The phones will launch next next week at $599 (£599, AU$999) and $899 (£849, AU$1,299), respectively.

Read more: Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro Preorder: Best Early Deals On the New Google Phones

The ultrawide lens is 21% wider. This can allow for its new Macro Focus mode, which can take photos of rain drops or grains of pollen on a flower.

Google says the Pixel 7 will have the highest quality zoom of any Pixel. It's possible Google didn't take the top spot in the smartphone industry because of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra's 3x optical zoom. 

Google introduces a re-engineered Super Res Zoom. It will crop the main 50-megapixel camera at 12.5 megapixels. Google will denoise those smaller pixels to produce a 12.5-megapixel shot that looks clear.

Google will take a photo from both the main and telephoto cameras and then fuse them, using machine learning to clear up the shot. The Pixel 7 can use this machine learning technique at up to 10x digital zoom.

Google says its "super-res" zoom uses computer smarts to create detailed photos even when they're zoomed. It can go up to 30x zoom now, Google says.

Google says its newest zoom is "like having the power of a DSLR and all the lenses you'd ever need. But it's easy enough for everyone to use. And it fits right in your pocket."

"Historically, packing professional quality in zoom into a smartphone hasn't been possible," Google says. "It was a physics challenge."

Google is touting its video stabilization and clear audio when taking video in 4K at 60 frames per second.

The Pixel camera will take more cinematic videos thanks to cinematic blur, giving that bokeh effect. It will also support 10-bit HDR.

Google says it's partnered with Snap, TikTok and YouTube to ensure videos look vibrant when shared.

Guided frame allows people to take better photos by telling them where to position their phone. This is especially helpful for those who are blind.

Google says it's also tackling blurry photos using Tensor's denoiser processing.

The Pixel 7 will also have a feature called Photo Unblur, only available on Google Photos on the Pixel 7. This can take older photos taken on other cameras and unblur photos. Those old photos can also be used with Magic Eraser to clean unwanted things in the background.

Google takes a direct shot at "that phone" for taking blurry photos in the past. Google demonstrates how the Pixel can fix those old photos. We assume "that phone" is an iPhone.

Google is touting its skin-tone processing that helps the Pixel phones' cameras take accurate photos of people of color. It says it's still leading in this. More details about the camera are incoming.

Machine learning is 60% faster and 20% more efficient on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. It lowers power consumption on video recording, streaming music and translating conversations. Google says it's the best phone for calling and photography. 

Assistant voice typing will get faster and can insert emojis voice. Google also calls out a certain company for not supporting RCS messaging. That company is obviously Apple. The Pixel 7 will support RCS.

Call screening can help people see who's calling and Direct My Call helps users get through automated messages when calling customer service. Clear calling will make calls more clear, Google says.

Google's transcript feature for its Pixel phones will have a new feature later this year that will include speaker labels. It's something that's helped transcription service Otter.ai stand out.

A triple rear camera system with upgraded telephoto and ultrawide camera. The front-facing camera will be used for face recognition using Google's machine learning. Google also touts its under-display fingerprint reader.

Has a polished aluminum finish around the camera bump. A 6.7-inch, QHD+ (3,200x1,800-pixel) display with 25% higher peak brightness. It has a variable refresh rate of between 10-120Hz, like last year's Pixel 6 Pro. Both the iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy S22 can go down to 1Hz.

The Pixel 7 will have a 6.3-inch FHD+ (2,220x1,080-pixel) display with 25% higher peak brightness. And it'll have 72 hours of battery when using Extreme Battery Saver mode.

Google touts the privacy aspects of its products, including a new privacy and security hub that will show users where their information is being shared. It'll show up on Pixels first before moving to other Android phones. 

Google takes another moment to remind everyone that it introduced many of the popular features that have shown up in Apple products lately, including always-on displays, lock screen widgets and low-light photography tech.

Google reminding everyone it introduced car-crash detection three years ago. Car-crash detection has been a big part of Apple's marketing in the iPhone 14 and new Apple Watches.

Google says sleep data will be processed on a person's Pixel 7 and will not be sent to Google. Pixel 7 will also include VPN services for online browsing.

Android 13 will also have a redesigned Security & Privacy section in the settings. It will come to Pixel first.

Google says its devices are made with "recycled materials," and cites some bits that are made with 100% recycled aluminum and 80% recycled stainless steel, but it doesn't say much more than that. Nothing about rare earth elements, for example, which Apple has touted in some of its recycling programs.

With Apple making privacy and security a big part of its marketing, it's no surprise Google is doing the same. Google says the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will be protected by the Titan M2 chip. Google says the Pixel 7 will get five years of security updates.

Google says everything the company builds is private by design. Google is still largely an advertising company that lets advertisers target users based on a person's online activity.

Google points out that its watch is designed to look much more seamless between the band and the watch, rather than "prominent" bits that connect Apple Watch bands to the device.

Google also said it doesn't "just copy paste one color we like across all of our products," another shot at Apple. Instead, the company said it designs each color separately.

It will have a nano-ceramic coating that feels like porcelain.

The Pixel Watch will come in black, silver and gold colors with a rounded face, unlike the Galaxy Watch series.

Google says its devices are designed to be used, down to the curved surfaces to make them easy to pull out of your pocket hundreds of times a day.

"Your phone and watch are designed to be personal, to be touched and worn," the company said.

Google is talking about watches, buds and tablets, hinting at the importance of an ecosystem. The phone is at the center of this. Either way, seems Google is about to give a lot of details about the Pixel Watch.

Here's the lineup of Google's "Pixel" family of products.

Google just announced its next-generation Tensor chip, called the G2. More details incoming.

Osterloh is talking about how Pixel is able to take advantage of its AI tech to translate text in real time and take great photos.

Rick Osterloh, Google's head of devices, has taken the stage at National Sawdust in Brooklyn.

Pixel 7 event has started! Violins playing on a video showing off the device.

Google appears to be optimistic about this latest Pixel launch. The company is reportedly preparing its largest order -- more than 8 million units -- for the Pixel 7 family, according to Nikkei Asia. We'll see if Google's optimism is justified.

The Google event stage as things are about to begin. Still about 20 minutes away.

Google kindly provided snacks and refreshments ahead of the event. But the CNET team is too busy setting up for this live blog to eat! 

"Designed by Apple in California"? Not this event.

CNET Editors Scott Stein and Ry Crist are at the event. Scott handles wearables, which makes sense given the Pixel Watch. Ry is our smart home devices expert, also another category that gets a big refresh at these events.

Here's the event space for the Google Pixel event. Time to grab a seat.

Google's holding its event in a trendy area of Brooklyn, a departure from the usual launches held in Manhattan. 

Here's CNET Editors Lisa Eadicicco and Scott Stein outside of the Google event venue, up bright and early for the Pixel launch. 

CNET is already at the Pixel 7 event, ready to bring you all the Google Pixel news as it happens. Here's CNET Editor Lisa Eadicicco fresh off of her grabbing her badge. 

I'd love to see Google's next Pixel phone find even more ways to improve phone calls and video calls. For instance, the Pixel's Tensor chip powers several live translate and transcribe features on the Pixel 6. Perhaps the Pixel 7 could take these features into even more conversations. The Pixel 6 can translate text messages in some chat apps, and maybe the Pixel 7 could find a way to offer the same translation for audio phone calls and video calls.

Google Assistant already offers an Interpreter Mode for in-person conversations. Taking that technology into video and audio calls may be the next step for assisting in conversations across different languages.

The Pixel's Hold for Me feature is a wonderful time saver. Instead of having to listen to hold music in the background when on the phone with a customer service agent, Google Assistant will listen to that terrible elevator music for you and ring when it's the time to return to the call. It also appears to be a good experience for the agent on the other end of the call, who receives an audio message that the assistant is connecting back to you.

I kept a Pixel 3 XL as my daily phone for just under three years, and mainly swapped over to an iPhone because the phone reached its end of life in late 2021. Now that I've had over a year on iOS, there are several features that are still Pixel-exclusive that I really wish I could still make use of.

The biggest of these features is Call Screen. That ability to send an unknown caller to a robotic assistant that transcribes a caller for me is so much better than just ignoring calls. If the call turns out to be from my doctor, I'll then happily pick up in the moment so I don't need to wait for a voicemail. Yet if the call is clearly spam, just as quickly I can dismiss it knowing that it wasn't worth my energy.

The iPhone 14 line might seem like the biggest competition to Google's upcoming Pixel 7 phones, but there's actually even more rival phones with prices that are cheaper than last year's $599 Pixel 6. Phones that cost $500 and less in the US are an increasingly fierce arena for Android phones, with a wide array of manufacturers offering solid everyday specs at much more affordable prices than their flagship cousins. 

Samsung's Galaxy A53, for example, packs a decent camera setup, 5G connectivity and comes with a very reasonable price tag. Then there's the Nothing Phone 1 with its flashy LED design and its similarly low price. It's these phones that people are increasingly looking towards as shopping budgets continue to tighten. Google knows this, of course, as its own Pixel 6A -- which only went on sale in July -- distils much of the 6 and 6 Pro's charms into a more affordable package. But it'll have to be smart with its pricing of its tech-packed flagships if it's not going to price itself out of people's budgets. 

The Pixel 6 Pro impressed me so much when I reviewed it last year that I gave it a coveted CNET Editors' Choice award, calling it "the best Android phone you can buy." Big words, sure, but the phone's combination of slick performance, great-looking design and powerful photography skills meant that it ticked every box I expected of a flagship phone in 2021.  

And it managed all that at a price that undercut its chief rivals from Apple and Samsung, and that's something Google is going to need to get right again with the 7 and 7 Pro. Apple's iPhone 14 series has already been impressing us, with superb performance and amazing photography skills, especially from the 14 Pro. Then of course we have Samsung's S23 range, expected in the new year, so Google will need to make sure its phones are capable of impressing months after their launch. 

Taking great images isn't just about the camera hardware; much of the image quality achieved from today's top phones is achieved through improved software and computational photography and it's likely that Google's new Tensor 2 chip will play a role here. 

The company's first Tensor chip in the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro was built with AI and machine learning in mind and while it's put to use in various ways across the phones and their Android 12 software, it's leveraged in the camera for better HDR, better image processing for night-time images and to allow for advanced features such as object removal and Google's Real Tone algorithm for improved capture of darker skin tones. 

Google hasn't been specific about what we can expect from the new Tensor 2 chip, but it's safe to assume that it'll boost its AI skills, which could result in better image processing for all cameras on the phones. 

We've seen from Google's imagery already that the Pixel 7 Pro will have three rear cameras. It's a safe bet that those will include an ultrawide, a standard zoom and a telephoto zoom, as we saw on the Pixel 6 Pro. But the camera specifications aren't known yet and I hope that Google has made some tweaks to the hardware to make its cameras even better.

I'd like to see larger image sensors for better dynamic range as well as a longer telephoto zoom to give some competition to Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra and its amazing 10x zoom lens. The 6 Pro's cameras were already excellent, but with stiff photography competition from Samsung and the iPhone 14 Pro, Google would be smart to bring some new photography excitement to its flagship phone.

Enlarge Image

Speaking of modern software superscience, I'm curious to see if the Pixel Watch gets injected with any. As someone who doesn't run, smart watches have always been devices I've wanted to want. With limited use for exercise tracking, however, they're devices I have to talk myself into. 

We know that the Pixel Watch will have a lot of that, since it's Fitbit integrated, but I wonder if Google's take on the smartwatch goes beyond the realms of health and fitness into something more. 

Enlarge Image

It's a bold move for Google to have shown us the Pixel 7 all the way back in May. I keep getting excited for Thursday, wondering what the new phones will look like, then somberly remembering that I've already seen them. 

It makes me think Google has an ace up its sleeve for the Pixel. I have no helpful predictions as to what that ace could be, but Google's phones are known for their cameras and their software. There's plenty of room for surprise and delight on that latter front. Perhaps some meaningful Stadia integration.

Too soon? Sorry. 

Apple on Tuesday announced a public preview of its new Google Home app, which lets you use your iPhone or Android phone to control more than 80,000 smart home devices like lamps, thermostats, security cameras and smart speakers. The app has been gradually absorbing the duties of previous special purpose apps, like one for Nest thermostats and another for Wi-Fi routers, and Google is trying to improve the interface. For example, you'll now be able to see video from security cameras and doorbells right when you open the app.

One big change is customization. The earlier Google Home app was organized with some categories at the top, like thermostats and cameras, with room-based groups below. The new interface lets you add favorites up top so it's faster to reach the device you want. It also offers "spaces" that group devices by category, and next year, Google plans to let Google Home users customize those spaces.

Google's hardware launch event will help launch the Matter standard for managing smart home devices. Smart home powers Google, Amazon and Apple are among the creators of the technology, and the allies released Matter 1.0 on Tuesday. Google touts Matter support in one of its new products, the Nest Wifi Pro mesh network router. Support is in Android, too, so if you install a new smart light bulb, your phone should be able to find it and control it without having to install a third party app and fool around trying to get the bulb to find your Wi-Fi network.

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, alongside the Pixel Watch, are expected to be the big focus at tomorrow's event. Google showed us what the phones will look like back in May and also revealed that they'll run on a next-generation Tensor processor. It even published videos about the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro's design, similar to the Pixel Watch video mentioned earlier. But we don't know much else just yet, although many of the specs are believed to have leaked (via Forbes). It'll be interesting to see how the new Pixels compare to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, which just launched a few weeks ago. The iPhone 14 Plus will also go on sale the day following Google's event.

Google teased the Pixel Watch back at Google I/O in May, but there's still a lot that we don't know about it. Google previewed the watch's design and software, but we still don't know when it will launch or how much it will cost. We've gotten a full video of the Watch, but details such as the battery life and processor are still a mystery. We're expecting to get these answers and more during tomorrow's event. 

Google isn't the first company to use a custom processor for its device -- Apple has famously employed its A and M lines to power its mobile devices and computers, respectively. The company claimed Tensor would make its Pixel 6 run smarter, better using AI, as well as be more power efficient. But do Pixel 6 owners feel any difference? It'll be interesting to see how Google advances things with its second-generation Tensor chip. 

Google has already confirmed changes like a new bar and camera cut out and a second-generation Tensor chip. But we're still waiting on prices and any other surprises. Last year's models cost $599 for the Pixel 6 and $899 for the Pixel 6 Pro. We'll see if inflation and supply chain issues affect the pricing this time around. 

Google has the unusual knack of spoiling its announcements weeks – sometimes months – in advance. As a result, we basically already know all the details of the upcoming Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. You can check out a round-up of everything we know here. 

Welcome to our live blog for Google's Fall devices event! Yes, the New York showcase actually kicks off tomorrow, but over the next 24 hours or so we'll be dropping in our thoughts about all of the products we're expecting, and what we want to see. Check back in tomorrow at 7 am PT/10 am ET for our real-time coverage of the event.