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Business News/ Technology / Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL launch tonight at 8.30 pm: Everything we know so far
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Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL launch tonight at 8.30 pm: Everything we know so far

Google will unveil the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL today at an event in New York City at 11 am ET (8.30 pm IST)

While major specifications of the processor and operating system are widely confirmed, others like the camera, design, display and colours are still under speculationPremium
While major specifications of the processor and operating system are widely confirmed, others like the camera, design, display and colours are still under speculation

As we inch towards the end of a smartphone year, we will witness one of the last few major launches of 2018 tonight. American tech giant Google will unveil the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL today at an event in New York City at 11 am ET (8.30 pm IST).

The Pixel 3 and 3 XL are touted to be one of the worst kept secrets of the smartphone industry, with new leaks and rumours surfacing nearly every week for the last few months. While major specifications of the processor and operating system are widely confirmed, others like the camera, design, display and colours are still under speculation. So here’s what we know about the new Pixel devices.

Design and display:

The Pixel 3 and 3 XL are expected to feature a similar design to the Pixel 2— dual-tone, half-glass, half-matte back with rounded corners everywhere—only with some subtle differences. A video by Engadget reveals that the glass shades at the back of the smartphones will now wrap around the frame of the phone in a more rounded fashion.

The front of the two phones will be drastically different from the Pixel 2, though. To walk toe-to-toe with other major flagships of 2018 (excluding the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Note9), the Pixel 3 and 3 XL will feature notched displays.

The notch, which provides a better screen-to-body ratio to the smartphone, seems more aggressive than other phones. The Pixel 3 XL is expected to come with a 6.7-inch display, an increase of 0.7-inches, while the smaller Pixel 3 will come with a 5.5-inch display, a difference of 0.5-inches. Since the displays are pushed further to the bezels and will have taller aspect ratios, the dimensions of the phones are expected to remain nearly the same.

There’s also rumours about two new colour variants—pink and aqua. It won’t surprising to see Google name the two names with a dash of pun. On the other hand, the black-and-white “panda" colour variant might see the door this year.

Under the hood:

Pixel’s end-of-the-year product cycle will again put it under a severe disadvantage over other flagships that featured earlier this year. That’s because Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line processor, the Snapdragon 845 will be replaced by its predecessor in a matter of less than three months.

While rumours largely suggest that the phones will have 4GB RAM, there’s very little talk about a 512GB variant. We might have to settle down with a 256GB variant.

The biggest change under the hood would be in the charging department, as the new Pixels are expected to be Google’s first devices to offer wireless charging solutions. Wireless charging support could also mean Google would announce its own wireless charging stand, or the “Pixel stand".

This might be received well by several fans, as Apple completely skipped on its AirPower charging mat during the launch of its new iPhone trio.

Software:

No surprise on this one. The new Pixels will run the newest Android operating system, the Android Pie 9.0, out of the box in typical Google tradition. You can click here to know all the new features of the Android Pie.

Camera:

Although there’s very little information on the megapixel count and sensor of the rear cameras, renders show that the front of the phones will feature dual cameras. The existing Pixel lineup is known for taking the best selfies in the business and it is no surprise that Google would like to take this further.

There are also talks of a design refresh of the camera app in an attempt to make the camera even smarter. The interface will make the selection of camera modes much simpler and will have Google Lens running in background when the camera is opening, constantly analysing everything in the frame to provide you relevant information.

Price

There’s no word out on the price either, but we are guessing it might be hitting the 50,000-60,000 price bracket. The Google Pixel 2 XL has received price cuts, with the base 4GB/64GB variant of it selling for 45,499—nearly 40% of its original asking price.

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Published: 09 Oct 2018, 09:06 AM IST
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