Google Pixel

A listing for a Google Pixel 4 device has turned up on Geekbench that shows some surprising details and unimpressive benchmark results. The smartphone, which has the codename “sargo” associated with it in the Geekbench post, will apparently offer 2 GB RAM and an octa-core processor with a base clock of 1.80 GHz.

Phones from the most recent Pixel generation (and the Essential PH-1) have been reported as having received notifications to download the latest security patch for Android. Essential has noted that this update also contains other necessary additions such as bug-fixes. This patch may roll out to other devices later on, depending on their OEMs and carriers.

MySmartPrice has discovered another Geekbench listing for the mysterious “Rammus” device. The latest appearance on Geekbench has thrown up some interesting information, such as the mention of an Intel Core i7-8500Y processor and Android 9 as the potential operating system. The page itself is specifically titled “Google Rammus.”

A new phone, apparently made by Google, has appeared on the Geekbench 4 database. It is called the Pixel 3a XL, suggesting that it could be of the long-anticipated 'Pixel 3 Lite' line. This phone runs Android 9.0 and is powered by an unnamed Qualcomm processor that has given it distinctly mid-range scores.

Although more images shot in various scenarios would be needed for a final decision, the image showing the same night scene as captured by the iPhone XS and the Pixel 3 that was posted on Twitter by Google's Marvin Chow has a clear winner. However, Apple still has to add a dedicated night mode to its handsets and, once that happens, things might change.

Further leaks of Android Q, which can be run on devices such as the Pixel 3 line, may have uncovered more detail on the coming OS upgrade. It appears that Google has prepared a new font, called Arvolato, for the update. In addition, users may be able to roll back apps after they update, as well as block them from reading the contents of a clipboard.

The next Google I/O event is scheduled for May 7 to 9 2019, at the Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, California. These details were uncovered as part of some code relating to a cryptic Tweet on the subject. This conference may focus on the release of Android 10 (Q).

A new Geekbench listing has revealed what appears to be Google's Pixel 4, running on Android Q and sporting both 6 GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 855.

In a world where some believe innovation in the smartphone industry to have plateaued, 2018 managed to give us a number of brilliant smartphones. Here we take a close look at the devices we just cannot wait to see in 2019, with a focus on what makes them so interesting.

The Mate 20 Pro was hyped to the high heavens at launch, with rumors claiming it would be by far the highest rated device on DxOMark. The device was benchmarked yesterday, however, and only managed to match the P20 Pro, with the older flagship having the advantage in several departments.

Project Ara had once been hotly anticipated as the future of mobile devices with enhanced future-proofing and general upgradeability. The prototype produced through this Google initiative was a basic frame to which various interchangeable modules could be attached. The project's public profile had dwindled since; however, it seems its makers haven't forgotten about it yet.

Fossil Group has issued a press release to announce a US$40 million deal with Google. The search engine giant will be purchasing intellectual property (IP) from the well-known American designer label in regard to smartwatch technology. There has been speculation that Google is preparing to mount a challenge to Apple’s current dominance of the smartwatch market.

The first benchmarks using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 reference device have started to roll in. This new processor has done impressively well compared to its predecessor in two separate tests. It has also outdone devices with the Kirin 980 and A12 Bionic chipsets, albeit mostly in terms of graphics performance

The possibility of mid-range counterparts for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL is the subject of much rumor and speculation at present. It is thought that these new Google phones may be powered by the Snapdragon 670 and 710 respectively. A new listing on Geekbench may have confirmed this in part.

Google has updated its Messages app to help identify and block spam. The new feature is starting to find its way to users, although it isn’t clear how far and wide the rollout is at this stage.

Google’s upcoming mid-range phones have leaked extensively over the past few months. A new report claims that the two devices, the Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite, are billed to be launched in spring 2019.

The new Google ad featuring Macauley Culkin reprising his role as Kevin McCallister has been a smash hit racking up over 31 million views on YouTube since it was published on December 19. However, it appears that there might be two versions of the clip circulating; one with the standard Pixel 3 XL as we know it with a notch, and one with what could be an Easter Egg showing a variation of the same device, but with the notch hidden (or absent altogether) but with an edge-to-edge screen.

Google’s relatively new Pixel 3 finally made the trip over to DxOMark and earned an overall score most would consider to be lacking. Here, we take a closer look at the Pixel 3’s review with a focus on elements that may have contributed to it being ranked below unassuming devices like Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 3.

The Galaxy S10 series may introduce Bright Night, Samsung's take on the super-low-light image-capturing feature. Hints to this effect were found in part of the code from a One UI beta for the Galaxy Note 9. This trend may be well-established by now, but may still be a valuable selling point for the Korean OEM.

A number of Pixel 3 and 3XL owners have reportedly taken to the Google Product Forums to complain about issues with voice-calls on their devices. These problems apparently include low-quality in-call audio, connection issues and more. On the other hand, there are claims that the December Android 9.0 software update is a solution in some cases.

The Pixel 3 Lite has leaked extensively over the last month, and it's almost surprising to learn that there's a bigger Pixel 3 Lite XL. The less is said about that name, the better.

Although Pixel owners will probably get some exclusive treats, as usual, the Google Sounds app should work with most modern Android handsets. This app — which should be included in the December Android Update — comes with more options for the sounds used for notifications, alarms, and ringtones.

More images of the Pixel 3 Lite "Sargo" have surfaced, showing the mid-range Google phone sitting right next to popular devices like the iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and Google Pixel 3 XL.

Google's newly launched Pixel 3 phones are mostly incremental upgrades over their predecessors. Google could very well make a comeback with some exciting devices next year, as word of two more devices surface in the wild.

Project Fi is offering some good sales for Black Friday on compatible LG, Moto, and Pixel smartphones. Buyers can nab a Pixel 3 for $599 with a $200 Fi service credit, an LG G7 ThinQ for $349, or a Moto G6 for $99 with a valid activation. There are a few other devices with discounts through the Project Fi shop, available now through November 27th.

A commit posted to Fuchsia's source code management hub last night showed that a Huawei engineer was able to boot the Fuchsia kernel (Zircon) on the Honor Play. This commit hints at many things, mainly that Fuchsia development is continuing strong and Google has partnered with Huawei to continue work on Fuchsia, perhaps to bring the OS to consumer smartphones.

Remember Duplex, the software that could make appointments by itself at Google I/O 2018? Well, it is to be seen in the wild soon on Pixel phones. The AI-powered feature will initially only be functional in some US cities; however, it may become more widespread in the future.

The Google Pixel 3 Lite looks increasingly probable with each passing day. A new leak showcases what it claims to be photos taken by the Pixel 3 Lite "Sargo". The shots themselves, while not bad, aren't mindblowing or anything of the sort.

Images of what is purported to be a Google Pixel 3 Lite device have been leaked online. The pictures show a smartphone that features a 3.5 mm jack and is not blighted with the presence of a notch. Specifications for the device are also listed with the leaked images, suggesting it will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 as SoC.

Huawei introduced a new feature known as reverse (or inverted) wireless charging with the Mate 20 Pro. It means that the new flagship can be used as a charging pad for other devices with compatible technology. However, Android Authority found it to work very slowly for a Pixel 3 in comparison with its own chargers.

The Pixel 3 series of phones is now linked to overheating, leading to complete shutdown. Numerous users claim that their units do this while charging, whereas one or two assert that it happens while doing tasks such as using the camera. Google has yet to act on this new issue with its latest smartphones.

Today marks the last official update for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, the last phones in Google's storied Nexus line. While the phones haven't seen a software update since getting Android 8.1 Oreo in February 2018, the Nexus handsets have been receiving security updates every month, the last of which was pushed out today.

A recent posting on Geekbench's benchmark site shows a Razer Phone 2 running Android 9.0 Pie. This could mean that Razer is testing Android 9 on their latest handset and may be releasing an update soon. This would put the Razer Phone 2 in an elite class, as only a handful of other phones are running Android 9.

Google launched a new grant initiative today, seeking to fund teams that want to develop "AI for social good." Dubbed the AI Impact Challenge, the initiative will award $25 million across multiple teams that qualify based on the scalability, feasibility, and impact their project can have.

Some Pixel 2 and 2XL units do not save the pictures taken using Google Camera properly, so that they do not show up in Photos or in the phones' storage. This is now apparently happening to some newer Pixels as well. This issue may be linked to the HDR modes and how it processes photos.

Google has detailed what is so special about the new Titan M custom silicon it has baked into the Pixel 3 to help secure the device. In its latest blog post since the official launch of the device, Google has identified four key areas where the new chip will protect users from attacks.

Long before the Pixel 3 devices were launched, rumors had it that the 3 XL would sport an OLED display made by LG. The device was released last week and reviews of its display have been extremely positive, all of which now makes sense as it's been revealed that the Pixel 3 XL sports a Samsung-made display, not an LG one as previously thought.

During the Made by Google event, the presenters of various new Pixel 3 and 3 XL features promised that at least some of them would also be ported to their predecessors through software updates. Now, however, the company has confirmed that new camera gimmicks such as Top Shot will not be among them.

A recent leak attributed to IceUniverse on Weibo shows a phone with a display showing a tiny camera pore in its upper edge in place of a sensor-bar or notch. This image appeared alongside the text "OPPO R19" and the date 2019.3. It may indicate how screen-to-body ratios may be improved in the phones of next year. .

Android is the most successful smartphone OS in the world. Despite this, Google did not mention the brand name during its recent hardware event. This sounds strange, but it might be part of a larger plan to eventually drop Android altogether.

The Pixel Slate is Google's latest tablet. It comes in one colour (Midnight Blue) and has an optional Pixelbook pen and keyboard with a dedicated Google Assistant button. The Pixel Slate runs Chrome OS and has its own Play Store apps.

The Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL have been released. Their appearance will surprise nobody, as both phones look exactly as described in all their leaks. The Pixel 3 XL has a notch, but may also have a lot of interesting new Google features behind it.

2018 is definitely the year of the at-least-three-camera phone. Some upcoming devices may have even more. However, Google seems content with the single rear shooter it has incorporated into the new Pixel 3 series.

There have been rumors swirling for a while that Google is planning on adding support for Windows 10 on Chrome OS devices. The inclusion of Intel silicon inside the new Pixel Slate instead of ARM hints that Google still has plans to support Windows dual-booting on Chrome OS.

As if having a notch on the Google Pixel 3 XL wasn’t bad enough, Google apparently wanted to include one on the smaller Pixel 3 as well. The only reason it didn’t also end up with a notch was that hardware restrictions got in the way.

Some new images of the Google Pixel Slate tablet have appeared online, just ahead of the company’s hardware event that is taking place in New York City on October 9. The new device is expected to utilize Chrome OS and features a detachable keyboard and a stylus. The Slate will offer fresh competition for Apple’s iPads and Microsoft’s Surfaces.

The iPhone XS Max was recently unveiled with one of the heftiest price tags we've ever seen on a production smartphone. Thankfully, it offers a matching camera performance, but one still a touch below the absolute best. According to DxOMark, anyway.