Google Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL
Google Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL are more affordable variants of the Pixel 3 series of smartphones. The two phones will come with a 5.6-inch and 6-inch display respectively with a single rear and front camera, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 or 710 processor coupled with 4GB RAM. The phones will run Android Pie out of the box.
Android Q: Key features
Android Q beta is already out, and Google is expected to elaborate more on the features. The focus will be on privacy with Android Q, where users will have more control over location data. Google will also be adding support for foldable displays like we have seen from Samsung, Huawei, and other players like Xiaomi, Motorola are also planning. The Settings panel will also see improvements in Android Q, and there will be support for 64-bit apps on this version of Android.
Google's AI will be used for flood alerts in India. The area will be expanded this year. Google says it is working with the govt to give updates around the floods.
Google is now showing how its AI can be used to detect lung cancer early. According to Google, over 80 per cent cases are not diagnosed early. Google will be publishing a paper soon which can analys CT scans and predict lung malignancy. Google says its model can detect early signs, which radiologists might miss.
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Yup they follow the design of the Pixel 3 phones. Except they have a plastic polycarbonate body. They come in Black, White and Purplish colour. Google is sticking with the OLED display on both the phones. They also come with a 3.5 mm headphone jack, which is not there on the Pixel 3 or Pixel 2. Pixel 3a will come with the same premium camera as the original premium phones. The Night Sight mode, Super Res Zoom and Portrait mode will also be present on Pixel 3a phones.
Finally, the Google Pixel 3a series is announced. We have seen so many leaks, and they are mostly accurate. Yes, the new Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are supposed to be more affordable. 'Premium features', promises Google. They are starting at $399 in the US. That's Rs 27,000. But let's wait for India price confirmation.
Nest Hub Max has been announced, this has a bigger 10-inch display, and a camera. This has a homeview dashboard to see all cameras, thermostats, door locks, etc. The camera in the Hub Max can be used as a NestCam. It also supports video calling via Google Duo. Users will always know when the camera is as the green light will be on. There will also be physical controls to disable the microphone and camera. And Google is adding a Face Match feature to the Hub Max, which will rely on facial recognition. Google says the data does not leave the device.
Google is bringing the Android Q beta to 21 devices this time. Google has partnered with over 12 OEMS this time.
Android Q is finally getting a Dark Theme. That gets a lot of cheers from the audience. Once again Google is talking about privacy. Google also says the Live Captions feature will work entirely on the device, and will not even need the internet to create these.
In Android Q, all privacy settings will be in one place. In Location data, Android Q will let users choose from a number of options, including sharing location only for a limited time. Google in Android Q will also give reminders that an app is accessing location.
Google says the Live Captions can be done offline as well. All of these are done entirely on the device and one does not even need to be connected to the internet. These Live Caption for video can be done even in the airplane mode. Google insists this will be better for user privacy. Another feature on Androdi Q is Smart Reply where it will predict the text you will type. This will work for all messaging apps. It will be even predict the actions you will take, the Emoji you might want to send.
Android Q is now here. One it will support foldable displays. A new feature is screen continuity for these foldable phones on Android Q. And we here about 5G as well. Android Q will support 5G natively.
Google's Project Euphonia is for helping those who cannot speak and wants to give them their voice back. The idea here is to make the device understand those who cannot speak due to any health condition. For example, those who have ALS and have lost the ability to speak. Google is working on these voice recognition models, though the company says it will need more sample models in order to accelerate this effort.
Google is adding a new Live Captions feature, which can add captions to a Live Video. Pichai says this is only possible due to their breakthroughs in voice recognition technology. This is aimed at helping those who are hearing disabled and those who prefer not to speak. Pichai says they are also exploring how this technology can be used to help with calls. Voice calls could be live captioned with this feature.
Google's Sundar Pichai is talking about Federated Learning which is a new model of machine learning, which will not send all data to the cloud. Instead the data is used to update the machine learning model on the phone, which is then uploaded, rather than individual data from the phones. Google says it is exploring the full potential of Federated Learning.
Pichai says users will be able to quickly able to access privacy controls from their account settings and easily change these. He also mentions the Auto Delete control, which was feature rolled out last week. It will let users ensure that their old data can be automatically deleted. Google says all data will be automatically deleted after 18 months. One tap search for privacy settings will come to all major Google products like Maps, News, Search, Assistant, YouTube. Also Google Maps is getting an Incognito mode, along with YouTube and Chrome. Google says it will bring Incognito mode to search as well this year.
Pichai says they are working on reducing bias in machine learning models. This has been one of the concerns of artificial intelligence. Pichai says Google researchers are working with a new methodology TCAV, which will help understand the classifiers used to train the model. For example a model designed to detect skin care will need to detect a lot more variety of skin tones in order to work accurately.
Google users will have the option of sharing some personal information with the Assistant and the new 'Picks for you' feature will be able to carry out tasks, give personalised suggestions based on these. Google says users will be able to delete this shared information at any time they feel like. There's also a new driving mode in Assistant. Driving Mode will come to Assistant soon.
We are getting a demo for the new version of Google Assistant, which is supposed to be super fast and will answer a number of queries in real-time, without stopping. It's basically like a super-charged version of the Assistant. In the demo, they were able to make a number of requests in a row, without using the Hey Google keyword. Google Assistant's next-gen version will be able to compose and send an email as well, which is a much more complex task. At least that's what Google is demoing for us.
It will come to the Pixel phones later this year.
Google is showing how the camera feature can be used to read text. It already works in a dozen languages. The tech is over a 100KB, explains Google and it will work on phones, which cost under $35 as well.
For one, Google Lens when used in a restaurant will point out which dishes are popular, when you point the camera at the menu. And you can point the camera at the receipt to calculate the tip, and how to split the bill. Soon a user will be able to point the Google Lens camera at a recipe and they will see the dish come alive. Further Google Go is getting the camera app as well. This is Google's search app for entry level disable. Now on Google Go, users will be able to point the camera to a text, and it will speak out the text to them. This will help those who cannot read a particular language well. There is also the option of translating to their own language.
So now when a user searches for something, they will be able to see 3D results and be able to place it in their own space as well. For medical students, this could be game-changing based on what Google is showing. Users will be able to look at shoes up close, directly from search. Basically if you search for a shark in Google, there is an option saying see in 3D. And now the Shark is on the stage, thanks to the AR/3D feature.
Pichai talks about how their goal is to build a more helpful Google for everyone. He also talked about how Google will focus on privacy, which is expected on Android. Google is bringing 'Better Coverage' to search results. Full coverage shows a breadth of content. Google will also bring Podcast to search and will start indexing them. Users will be able to tap and be able to listen to the podcast straight from search results.
The Google I/O 2019 keynote has started. The keynote opens with a video, which is talking about computers and their evolution into smartphones, followed by virtual reality. Google CEO Sundar Pichai is now on stage now that the video is over. 'Today's about our developer community,' he says.
We're at Google's Shoreline Amphitheatre for I/O 2019 and the keynote by Sundar Pichai is about to begin in another half an hour. The theatre is almost full with several thousand people attending the keynote session, not to mention the many more watching the livestream.
For Google, the Assistant has emerged as one of the most important feature, and last year we saw just how far this could evolve with the Duplex demonstration. Duplex showed how the Google Assistant could emulate a human's voice, mannerisms and carry out a task, passing off as a real human. Google has started rolling out Duplex in some cities in the US, and it is limited release. We will have to wait and see where Google picks up on the Assistant front.
The Google I/O keynote starts at 10.30 pm, which means there is just under an hour to go. We are already at the Shoreline Amphitheatre where the event will take place. Check out some pictures below.
Back in March, Google took to the stage at the Game Developer Conference (GDC) in San Francisco to announce Stadia, its cloud streaming game service. While the company did talk about latency, speed, and resolution, Google didn't answer many burning questions. We still don't know how much it will cost, minimum user requirements for connection speed, and launch lineup of games. Hopefully, Google will provide answers to all these questions during I/O 2019 opening keynote.
Google will livestream the keynote on its official YouTube channel at 10 am PDT, which translates to 10:30 pm IST. Alternatively, Google has a dedicated I/O 2019 website as well. Google I/O 2019 is taking place at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. The annual developer conference starts today, May 7, and runs through Thursday, May 9.
Android Auto is getting a new default dark mode ahead of Google i/o 2019. In a blog post, Android Auto Product Manager Rod Lopez said that this new interface is"built to help you get on the road faster, show more useful information at a glance and simplify common tasks while driving." Google says it will rollout a new design to all Android Auto compatible cars later this summer.
According to a WSJ report, Google could introduce more privacy for Chrome browser by adding a dashboard-like function, which will let users keep an eye on which cookies are tracking them and also let them turn off tracking by these third-party website. The feature could improve privacy on the Chrome browser, though it does not look like Google is entirely doing away with Cookies. Other browsers like Safari and Firefox do offer that option to customers.
Pixel 3a might not be the only hardware on display during the keynote. Google could also reveal new hardware on the Home speakers front along with hardware from the Nest division. Google CFO Ruth Porat had said one should expect new hardware at I/O, and while Pixel 3a will generate the maximum excitement, other devices could also be revealed.
With Android Q, the focus will be on privacy, support for foldable displays, and a dark mode is also expected. Google will also reveal the date for when the official public beta will be released and the list of supported devices, though the Pixel phones are expected to be on the list. With Android Q, Google will also improve location privacy for users.
The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL leaks have revealed nearly all the key details about the upcoming phones, including the India price. The reports have claimed that the bigger Pixel 3a XL will cost Rs 44,999 in India, which is up there in terms of pricing. In terms of specifications, the duo are expected to continue with the same 12MP camera at the back as the Pixel 3 phones, with a single 8MP front camera. The Pixel 3a series is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 or 710 processor depeneding on the variant, according to reports. Read more
The Google I/O livestream will be played on YouTube and the Google I/O website will also have a link to the video. Users who are interested can tune in it at 10.30 pm IST and watch the video live. The I/O keynote usually starts bang on time, so don't expect any delays. The event is taking place in Mountain View, California, where Google's headquarter is located.