So, a lot happened in the last week and a half since I last did this. There are many things I haven’t talked about, some that I may get to another time. For today there are new Google products, the iPhone 14 Plus reviews hit, USB standards have slightly new names, And Elon Musk and Twitter has taken a turn. Generally the Pixel announcement would stand on it’s own, but today it gets folded into the rest of the news. Let’s dive in.
Google Unveils Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel Watch
Google’s fall event finally, officially announced the new Pixel phones and watch. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro build on last year’s overhaul of design that was the Pixel 6, The phones look similar to the 6 and 6 Pro. The camera housing has a different design, being aluminum with a cutout for the camera lenses instead of a glass bar across the whole phone with the Pixel 6. Other wise, the design is very much the same, with some minor refinements. As is always the case with the Pixel phones, Google pushes the software experience. Google focused once again on the camera capabilites with updated sensors and software processing powered by the new Tensor G2 chip. The Pixel 7 Pro also features a 5x optical zoom, an increase from the Pixel 6 Pro. Both phones also offer face unlock, something the Pixel 6 lacked. The Pixel 7 comes with 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage. The Pixel 7 Pro comes with 12GB of RAM and 128, 256, or 512GB of storage.
Perhaps the biggest feature of the Pixel 7 series is the price. The Pixel 7 starts at $800 in Canada. The comparable Samsung phone, the Galaxy S22 is $1100, though it can often be found on sale for less than $1000 since it is nearly a year old. The iPhone 14 is also $1100. So the Pixel 7 at $800 is a very good price compared to the leading phones from Samsung and Apple. The Pixel 7 Pro starts at $1180 in Canada, which is also significantly less expensive than the Galaxy S22+ and Ultra, as well as the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The Pixel 7 series offers good value.
What remains to be seen from me is if Google irons out the significant software and hardware issues found in the Pixel 6. Google released extremely buggy updates to the Pixel 6 for the first 6 months of its life, having to pull an update entirely in one case. For the company that actually makes Android, that is a bad look. If Google can prove it can actually build phones that don’t provide a buggy experience, these could be a no brainer at their prices.
https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-7-pixel-7-pro-hands-on/
Next up is the Pixel Watch. Somehow, this is the first time Google has made its own smartwatch, even though Wear OS has been around for 8 years. The Pixel watch comes in a single 41mm size, has a round casing and screen, a rotating crown, side button and a proprietary watch strap system. The display is covered by gorilla glass 5, which is a strange choice considering the design of the watch and leads to initial questions of durability. The Pixel watch seems aimed less as a fitness device and more as a general lifestyle device. While it’s fitness functionality is “powered by Fitbit” It does not look especially durable as mentioned, and the estimated maximum battery life of 24 hours leaves much to be desired.
This device is something I am very interested to read reviews on. I truly have no good read on if it will be good or not.
https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-watch-hands-on/
Elon Musk Wants To Buy Twitter Again, And Cancel the Trial
Elon Musk seems to want to buy Twitter again, sending a letter to the SEC that he intends to acquire Twitter for $54.20 per share, the same price that was originally offered in April. Musk has also filed to stay the trial that was scheduled to start on October 17 over Musk’s attempt to withdraw from the purchase. Musk says the trial is no longer necessary because he intends to complete the purchase. A judge has granted a delay until October 28th for Musk to complete the purchase before the trial begins.
I’m sure Musk’s offer to buy Twitter again has nothing to do with evidence uncovered as the trial gets closer, and the potential of what could be revealed to the public. Completely unrelated, right? I’m guessing discovery and depositions did not go well for the Musk side.
USB-IF Drops Superspeed Branding
The USB Iimplimenter’s forum, the people who brought us USB standards named USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, has decided that USB branding is terrible, and has half heartedly tried to fix that. You see, in 2008, when USB 3.0 debuted with a speed of up to 5 gigabits per second (gbps), it was so much faster than USB 2.0’s 480 megabit per second (mbps) speeds, it was branded as Superspeed USB. The USB-IF then folded the name into all versions of USB 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2, which was renamed versions of 3.0 and 3.1 using terms like Superspeed+. Now, in 2022 when USB 4 has a speed of up to 40gbps, and USB 4 version 2 will hit 80gbps. So calling USB 3 Superspeed USB seems silly. Now USB cables and ports should be labelled with their speed capability, instead of being called superspeed USB.
Now, this whole thing is silly. USB names and capabilities are still a mess, and this only marginally changes things. USB 2, three different versions of USB 3.2, and USB 4 all exist, and could all be found independently on the same device. But in the future, they should be labelled with how fast the ports are, which should help a little bit.
Until we talk about power delivery. That requires a separate label because you can have a USB 2.0 port or cable that can deliver 240W of power, or a USB 4 port or cable that can only deliver 30W of power? Simple, right?
I long for idea of one port, that does all the things. USB-C was supposed to be that, but somehow it is even more of a mess now than it used to be.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/09/usb-if-says-goodbye-to-confusing-superspeed-usb-branding/
iPhone 14 Plus Reviews
For some reason the iPhone 14 Plus is releasing a month after the rest of the lineup, and reviews of that phone are out. The iPhone 14 plus is an iPhone 14, but bigger. And with extremely long battery life. For those looking to get the maximum battery life out of an iPhone, this seems to be the winner.
https://www.engadget.com/i-phone-14-plus-review-bigger-screen-better-battery-life-040056936.html