Google I/O: $1,800 Google Pixel Fold, AI Updates and More

[MacRumors]

Google today hosted its 15th annual I/O developer conference in Mountain View, California, highlighting advances in artificial intelligence, changes to Google Photos, updates to search, and more.

Pixel Fold

The Pixel Fold is Google's first foldable smartphone, and it's set to launch in late June. In terms of design, it is similar to the Galaxy Z Fold, as it opens from a smartphone form factor into a tablet form factor.

The Pixel Fold features a 7.6-inch display when unfolded, with a resolution of 2208 x 1840 and a 120Hz refresh rate. When folded, the Pixel Fold has a 5.8-inch display with a 2092 x 1080 resolution. It is powered by the latest Google Tensor chip, and is equipped with a 4,821mAh battery.

There are three cameras, including a 48-megapixel main camera, an ultrawide camera, and a telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. Other features include a fingerprint scanner built into the power button, facial recognition, IPX8 water resistance, and a 180-degree hinge mechanism at the edges. Preorders for the Pixel Fold are available today, and it is priced at $1,800.

Pixel Tablet and Pixel 7a

Alongside the Pixel Fold, Google today also introduced a new 11-inch Pixel Tablet and the more affordable Pixel 7a smartphone. The Pixel Tablet includes a Charging Speaker Dock that turns it into a smart home control hub, and it is priced at $499.

The Pixel 7a is a low-cost smartphone at $499, and it offers an alternative to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.

Google Photos

A new "Magic Editor" in Google Photos adds AI editing features, with select Pixel phones to get early access later in 2023. Magic Editor can make complex edits automatically, tweaking specific parts of an image to remove unwanted objects, changing composition by repositioning the subject, and updating elements like the sky.

Magic Editor can also create new content when repositioning an image to change the way cropping and resizing works, and it is functionality that is likely to expand beyond Pixel phones in the future.

Google Maps

Maps is gaining an updated Immersive View feature that uses AI to fuse Street View and aerial images together to create a digital model of the world for route planning purposes. It will show bike lanes, sidewalks, intersections, and parking for an entire trip, along with information on weather changes throughout the day. The feature will roll out in the coming months in select cities like San Francisco, Tokyo, LA, London, and New York.

AI

Artificial intelligence is a major focus at this year's I/O event with Google announcing several new initiatives.... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: Google I/O: $1,800 Google Pixel Fold, AI Updates and More

 

[vertsix]

The intelligence features are impressive. Apple is so far behind its hilarious.

That being said, $1800 for a foldable is also equally hilarious.

 

[Kazgarth]

The Fold looks good, except it runs a year old, weak (worse than 2019's iPhone 11), "Exynos" in disguise, Tensor G2 SoC for $1800.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Pixel Fold for $1800 (not including tax). That is outrageous and overpriced! Also, the bezels on Pixel Fold are unacceptably thick for 2023.

 

[vertsix]

The Fold looks good, except it runs a year old, weak, "Exynos" in disguise, Tensor G2 SoC.

Not to mention it is a housefire.

 

[surfzen21]

Not for me but I do like the way they put translate to use on both screens.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

The intelligence features are impressive. Apple is so far behind its hilarious.

That being said, $1800 for a foldable is also equally hilarious.

AI was definitely a hot topic and you are correct. Google is well ahead compared to Apple.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1656376467301847043

 

[rgeneral]

Phones. Fold or not are just getting too expensive.

 

[Tim’s Weenie]

At least the Google Fold folds from a useful item (phone) to another useful item (tablet). Unlike the Samsung Fold that goes from useful phone to useless weird square brick. What was Samsung even thinking?

 

[L92]

That fold looks horrendous in the hands. The construction, design, plastic-screen reflections were just all over the place. I think this form factor is very far away from it's final stage and years and years out from Apple, because one thing for sure, they will not release anything like this.

I did like that their tablet ideas, with the dock and a clever case. The dock also comes with tablet at 499$ which seems like a great value. (Ui looked hideous though). And multi user support, hear that Apple?

 

[robd003]

Bard is beyond useless. If you ask it coding questions it will import fake libraries that don't exist.

 

[Bull 07]

Who could imagine Google reacting to Microsoft.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Missed opportunity! Google should have released Google Pixel Mini.

 

[TinyMito]

Please no, I hate the trend of phone going into $2000... I just need a phone to message, GPS and lookup. Nothing else and stop adding things for entertainment purposes I don't need!

I don't play games on phone, stop making more powerful to drain battery.
I don't watch movies on phone, stop making big phone.
I don't take photography with my phone, stop making it so expensive and huge camera bump.
Stop stop stop!

 

[mthomas184]

Those that think the Pixel Fold is expensive, just wait until Apple releases one. Wouldn't shock me to be over $2k

 

[kiensoy]

The Fold looks great. Too bad it doesn’t support a stylus. It would be perfect for notes or sketching.

 

[MacWiz_007]

Pixel Fold pre-ordered! It is going to be a brutal wait until end of June. 🤣 We will see how it stacks up to my Z Fold 4.

 

[NeonNights]

At least the Google Fold folds from a useful item (phone) to another useful item (tablet). Unlike the Samsung Fold that goes from useful phone to useless weird square brick. What was Samsung even thinking?

Are you confusing it with the Samsung Flip? The Fold 4 also opens up to an identical 7.6" screen like the Pixel Fold.

 

[robbietop]

Yet again, let's see how few they sell....

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Please no, I hate the trend of phone going into $2000... I just need a phone to message, GPS and lookup. Nothing else and stop adding things for entertainment purposes I don't need!

I don't play games on phone, stop making more powerful to drain battery.
I don't watch movies on phone, stop making big phone.
I don't take photography with my phone, stop making it so expensive and huge camera bump.
Stop stop stop!

Your post reminds me of the classic Nokia 3310.

 

[NeonNights]

Pixel Fold pre-ordered! It is going to be a brutal wait until end of June. 🤣 We will see how it stacks up to my Z Fold 4.

I look forward to the comparison. Fellow Fold 4 user here.

I am not seeing any huge selling points yet over the Fold 4, although the IPX8 rating and camera features of the Pixel Fold are intriguing. Pretty good first effort by Google. The design looks sleek and refined.

 

[Choco Taco]

Those are some heinous bezels.

 

[MacWiz_007]

The intelligence features are impressive. Apple is so far behind its hilarious.

That being said, $1800 for a foldable is also equally hilarious.

$1800 for what amounts to (the Android/Google version of...) an iPhone and an iPad Mini in one device, with cellular and 512GB of storage. $1800 is a steal.

 

[Mikep976]

I may be in the minority on the Apple Fan side...

Please Apple - release a foldable like this. I so desperately want to stay in the ecosystem, but for me, this type of foldable is so handy. Had the Fold 4 for a few months but could't justify one Android device in my see of Apple and it not integrating.

Doesn't mean all iPhones have to fold, but I would love them to offer it as an option.

 

[dustin_]

Speaker-dockable home-based tablet that lets me quick-switch into different user profiles? YES PLEASE, APPLE!
A/I wallpapers? Yes please, Apple!