The 2018 Google event: all the rumours

If you’ve been holding out for a new phone, the wait’s nearly over. A new Google phone is rumoured to be just around the corner and we’re super excited to find out what Google have in store for us this year.

To whet our appetites, we’ve been checking out the rumours online, from tech sites to Twitter to try and get a hint of what might be to come.

 

When will the Google Pixel 3 be released?

Both the Pixel and the Pixel 2 were announced on the 4th October 2016 and 2017 respectively, with a release date following around two weeks later. Most of the rumours online assume that Google will follow the same pattern this year, but we’ll have to wait ’til October to find out for certain.

 

Google Pixel 3 features

Now, let’s talk about the good stuff; what features with the new Google phone have?

Here are some of our favourite new feature rumours…

Is wireless charging coming?

It sounds like it could be. We’ve heard rumours that this year’s device will be the first Pixel to support wireless charging. It’s not clear if it’ll be available on both the Pixel 3 and the 3 XL though.

FCC documents for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL become public, confirm Band 12/71 support and wireless charging https://t.co/rxhDt0FNLE pic.twitter.com/HhMlBldkTL

— Android Police (@AndroidPolice) August 31, 2018

Latest Pixel 3 XL leak shows wireless charging in action https://t.co/wr97BxGKMH

— Engadget (@engadget) August 22, 2018

Will the headphone jack be making a come-back?

Last year, Google made the controversial decision to get rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack that we all knew and loved. Instead, they opted for a USB-C audio port.

Will Google bring back the much-loved 3.5mm headphone jack this year? Not according to the rumour mill online, anyway. This has been fuelled further by the hint that GOogle are planning on including a pair of wired, USB-C Pixel Bud headphones in the box with this year’s new device.

A picture of a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter could mean that the Pixel 3 XL may come with a wired version of Google’s Pixel Buds.https://t.co/3ZffSSSCGS

— CNET (@CNET) August 8, 2018

 

Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL cameras

It sounds as though both the Google Pixel 3 and the 3 XL are going to have a single-lens, rear camera. And, although this doesn’t follow the same, multiple-lens pattern as other new smartphones this year, the single lens camera on last year’s Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL have been widely reported as being phenomenal.

In fact, DxOMark (an independent benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of smartphones, lenses and cameras) had this to say about it:

“The Google Pixel 2 is the top-performing mobile device camera we’ve tested, with a record-setting overall score of 98. Impressively it manages this despite having “only” a single-lens camera design for it’s main camera.

You can check out their full Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review, you can give it a read here.

We’ve also heard that the new Google phone will have a dual-lens, front-facing camera with at least one 8.1M sensor. Will this be for more awesome selfies – a jazzed up portrait mode, maybe? Or, will it enable a facial-recognition-type feature?

We really can’t wait to find out what this year’s devices are going to bring.

Most Google Pixel 3 XL leaks so far have pointed towards a single sensor camera on the back. Now, a case appearing to be for the Pixel 3 XL adds further credence to the rumor that there will still be just one rear camera, as spotted in an image by PhoneA… https://t.co/nqvoT7ryB5 pic.twitter.com/53Cbv1ccKt

— Today Tech (@Today__Tech) June 19, 2018

New leak corroborates Pixel 3 XL single rear-facing camera rumour https://t.co/gyd15PgZre pic.twitter.com/t7q53z09CF

— MobileSyrup (@MobileSyrup) June 19, 2018

 

The new Google phone 2018 design: what’s it going to look like?

On the whole, the Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL are expected to look similar, other than the difference in size, of course. It’s been hinted that the Pixel 3 will sport a 5.4″ screen while the 3 XL will be bigger, with a whopping 6.71″ screen.

They’re both rumoured to have a new, curved, all-glass back (for wireless charging, perhaps?) and the two-tone design of previous Pixel devices has supposedly been ditched for a more uniform colour-scheme.

It’s also been suggested that the Google Pixel 3 XL will feature the “love it or hate it” notch. The notched display is apparently to house the front-facing camera and front-facing stereo speakers.

Google Pixel 3 XL may ship with dual front cameras and a glass back https://t.co/wQbLS8VaQB

— Gadgets 360 (@Gadgets360) June 9, 2018

Leaked photos of Google Pixel 3 XL show glass back and display notch, dual front-facing camera sensors, single rear camera, 4GB of RAM, Snapdragon 845 SoC (@mishaalrahman / XDA Developers)https://t.co/ImrdJZG544https://t.co/CjVkleD4PC

— Techmeme (@Techmeme) June 10, 2018

Pixel 3 XL leak: notch is real and big, back is fully glass https://t.co/JS7YySaZyX pic.twitter.com/ZvdU07429M

— Android Community (@Androids) June 8, 2018

 

The Google Pixel 3 price: how much is it going to cost?

There have been rumblings that this year’s new Google phone will be in a similar price range to last year’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL; however, the general feeling online is that the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL are going to be more expensive.

Google Pixel 3 release: How much will the new Google Pixel cost? – https://t.co/triHs5Ue7g https://t.co/vIlImf8eep pic.twitter.com/9SErPhvwtE

— Google Pixel News (@PixelPhoneNews) July 20, 2018

Google Pixel 3 Shows up Unexpectedly on Popular Chinese Retailer JD, Showing a $700+ Price Tag – Wccftech https://t.co/zfl4zmY13O pic.twitter.com/QsfQVKxoQT

— Google Pixel News (@PixelPhoneNews) September 20, 2018

 

Which operating system will the new Google phone run?

It sounds like Google’s flagship device is set to be the first phone to run the newly released Android Pie, straight out of the box.

Android Pie: everything you need to know

Android Pie is available as an over-the-air update for Google Pixels now and will be rolled-out for other Android devices later in the year.

This update brings users a smarter, faster experience that gets better and better over time.

Android Pie uses machine learning to adapt to you and how you use your phone. It learns what you like to do, as you do it. Adaptive Battery learns which apps you’re likely and not-so-likely to use, meaning your phone will only use power on the apps that you care about.

App Actions learn what you do and when so it can predict what you’re about to do, letting you get on with stuff more quickly. Soon, connecting your headphones will mean that your favourite or last played playlist will appear automatically so, there’ll be no need for endless scrolling.

“Great technology should help, not distract” – Android Pie is taking digital wellness seriously and has provided users with tools like the Dashboard to help get a better idea of their usage habits. This info can then be used with App Timers to set daily limits on the apps that you’re maybe using a little too much of.

 

Those are some of our favourite Google 2018 rumours so far, but stay tuned as we’ll be updating this article with more rumours as we hear them.

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Source: Three Mobile Hub