Google has announced a range of new Pixel mobile gadgets, including its first folding phone and an Android tablet that doubles as a smart display when docked and charging at home.
Unveiled as part of the company’s annual I/O developer conference, the Android devices are designed to compete with rivals from Apple and Samsung as Google continues its own-brand hardware push.
Pixel 7a
First to market will be the Pixel 7a, which is the latest in Google’s mid-range smartphones kitted out with top-end hardware. It features a 6.1in OLED screen with a fast 90Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling, face and fingerprint unlock and wireless charging.
It also has an upgraded dual-camera system with a 72% larger sensor for new long-exposure modes and faster low-light photography.
The Pixel 7a is made with 21% recycled material by weight. It will cost £449 in the UK or $449 in the US and has 128GB of storage, 8GB of RAM and the same Tensor G2 chip as the Google’s top Pixel 7 Pro from October last year.
Pixel Fold
The Pixel Fold is Google’s first device with a folding screen similar to Samsung’s Z Fold series. It has a 7.6in 120Hz OLED screen on the inside that opens like a book for a tablet experience. It works like a regular phone when closed with a 5.8in display on the outside and a fingerprint scanner in the power button.
The Pixel Fold is IPX8 water resistant to depths of 1.5m, 12mm thick when closed or 6mm thick when open. Its hinge can hold the screen at various angles for different viewing modes. It has a triple camera system on the back including a 5x optical zoom for the first time on a folding phone.
Google has made a series of software adaptations for the folding screen for its apps, including live translation displaying text on both internal and external screens at the same time.
The Pixel Fold will have a Tensor G2 chip and 256GB of storage costing from £1,749 in the UK shipping in June and launching in the US, Germany and Japan as well.
Pixel Tablet
Google announced its first Android tablet in seven years, after teasing it at I/O 2022. The Pixel Tablet aims to be “the first tablet that’s truly useful 24/7 in your home”, doubling as a Google smart display when placed on its included magnetic charging speaker dock.
The tablet has an 11in display, quad-speaker setup and a selfie camera optimised for video calling, including auto-framing. The device is made of recycled aluminium with a ceramic coating for grip. It works as an Android tablet when held for apps, games and video, including split-screen multitasking.
But when docked it turns on “hub mode” to be used like a smart display, including as a digital photo frame, smart home controller and Chromecast screen for video.
The Pixel Tablet costs £599 in the UK, shipping on 20 June and comes with the charging speaker dock.
