CNN
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Google on Wednesday unveiled its latest line of hardware products, including its first foldable phone and a new tablet, as well as plans to roll out new AI capabilities to its search engine and productivity tools.
Announced at the annual Google I/O developer conference, the update sees the company move beyond its core advertising business with new devices while also defending the search engine against threats posed by the new wave of AI. It was done in the midst of a struggle for Electric tool.
In a sign of where Google is currently focusing, the company spent over 90 minutes teasing a long list of new AI features before mentioning a hardware update.
Here’s what Google announced at the event:
Google has become the latest technology company to unveil a foldable smartphone. Like other foldable devices, the $1799 Pixel Fold has a vertical hinge that opens to reveal a tablet-like display. But Google calls the Fold the thinnest foldable on the market.
“Redesigning components such as speakers, batteries and haptics required some clever engineering work,” Google product manager George Huang said in a call ahead of the announcement. The company has packed his Pixel smartphone into his sub-6mm body. That’s about two-thirds the thickness of his other Pixel smartphones.
The Pixel Fold is truly mobile first. Unfolds to reveal a 7.6-inch screen, powered by Google’s custom 180-degree hinge. According to the company, the hinge mechanism has been moved completely out from under the display, improving dust resistance and reducing the overall thickness of the device.
Google Fold includes Pixel features such as long exposure, deblurring, and a magic eraser that removes unwanted or disturbing objects. It also features his Pixel Fold-specific tools like dual-screen live translation, allowing users to communicate in another language with fast voice and text translation on the outer screen.
Google said it had optimized its top apps to take advantage of the larger screen, but fans said there was “more work to do” as “optimizing for the new foldable form factor will take time.” said Mr. “This is a process we are working on that requires significant investment with our development partners across Android,” Huang added.
Google wasn’t the first to adopt foldable devices, but it’s possible that it waited until the technology was more advanced to launch its own version. For example, early versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold had screen issues and most apps weren’t properly optimized for the design.
However, the future of foldable devices is still uncertain. Most apps are not yet optimized for foldable devices. Prices are still very high. And Google’s biggest rival, Apple, has yet to embrace that option.
Despite significant consumer interest in foldable phones, and the resurgence of 90s-style foldable phones among celebrities and TikTok influencers, the foldable market remains relatively small. , Samsung dominates the category, followed by Motorola, Lenovo, Oppo, Huawei and others. According to ABI Research, foldable and flexible displays accounted for about 0.7% of the smartphone market in 2021, but he is expected to drop to just under 2% in 2022.
Pixel Fold will be available in the US, UK, Germany and Japan. The company said the device will start shipping next month.
On the surface, the 7a looks similar to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, with the same Pixel camera bar on the back. It comes with the typical advancements you’d expect from a smartphone upgrade, such as a better display, advanced cameras, and a long-lasting battery. But the 7a is powered by the Tensor G2 processor and TItan M2 security chip, bringing advanced processing and new artificial intelligence capabilities. It also offers wireless charging for the first time in the A model.
Pixel’s lineup has long been known for its cameras, and the 7a is no exception. It’s packed with upgrades, including a 64-megapixel main camera, the largest sensor in the Pixel A series to date, which helps improve image quality, low-light performance, and other features. It also offers a new 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera for capturing even wider shots, and a new 13-megapixel front camera. For the first time each camera allowed him 4K video.
The 7a also supports a number of key Pixel features, including deblurring, magic eraser, and an improved Nightscape mode that’s twice as sharp as its predecessor. You can also shoot long exposures and enhanced zoom.
The Pixel comes in several colors, including Charcoal, Snow, Sea and Coral, and starts at $499 in the Google Store on May 10th.
The Pixel Series A line has long targeted cost-conscious users who want great features at an affordable price, but their reach is limited. According to ABI Research, Google sells 8 million to 10 million of his Pixel devices each year.
ABI Research analyst David McQueen said: “Smartphones in general will showcase how Google has effectively optimized its software, and now AI capabilities, on hardware to improve the Android user experience. That was the original purpose,” he said. “Google deliberately limits sales volume because it also has to keep in mind its relationships with other smartphone makers that use the Android OS.”
Mobile phones were the main focus at the event, but Google also revamped other parts of its hardware lineup.
Google has announced the Pixel Tablet, which is intended for use throughout the home, allowing you to turn off the lights in your home and set the thermostat without getting off the couch.
The tablets have rounded edges and corners and come in three colors: porcelain, hazel, and rose, with prices starting at $499. It will be released from June 20th.
Inside this 11-inch tablet is Google’s Tensor G2 chip, which brings long-lasting battery life and AI capabilities to the device. It also has a front-facing camera, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a charging dock.
Google is also planning to introduce an AI chat feature to its core search engine as Silicon Valley’s technology arms race resumes.
The company announced that it is introducing the next evolution of Google Search. It says it will use AI-powered chatbots to answer questions “you never thought search could answer” and help users get the information they need faster than ever before.
The update significantly changes the appearance of Google search results. When a user types a query into the main search bar, it automatically pops up AI-generated responses in addition to traditional results.
Users can now sign up for the new Google Search, launching first in the US, via the Google app or Chrome desktop browser. The company says it will be accessible to a limited number of users in the coming weeks before scaling up.
Google is expanding access to its existing chatbot, Bard, which operates outside of its search engine, allowing users to outline and write essay drafts, plan baby showers for friends, and pick lunches from the fridge. It can help with tasks such as coming up with ideas.
The tool was previously only available to early users via a waitlist in the US, but will soon be available to all users in 120 countries and 40 languages.
Google will also release extensions for Bard from its own services such as Gmail, Sheets and Docs, allowing users to ask questions and collaborate with chatbots within the apps they use.
Google also announced PaLM 2, the latest large-scale language model to compete with ChatGPT creator OpenAI’s GPT-4.
The move is a major step forward for the technology powering the company’s AI products, which are expected to improve logic, common sense reasoning, and math abilities. You can also generate specialized code in various programming languages.
