by Google’s newly updated Pixel lineup was unveiled at Made by Google 2024 – the tech giant’s annual hardware launch.
The telephones, artificial intelligence, and earbuds have all been redesigned, but a smartwatch update is groundbreaking.
Loss of pulse detection
The Pixel Watch, Google’s Smartwatch, features a new pulse loss detection feature that uses artificial intelligence to detect when the wearer’s pulse disappears.
Pixel Watch 3. Image: Google
In this case, additional sensors are activated to check if any movement or pulse is detected. If nothing is detected, the watch tries to contact the user and then triggers an audible alarm and a 20-second countdown.
If these steps are completed without the wearer responding, a call is automatically made to emergency services, transmitting the wearer’s location and critical signs.
According to Google, this is the first time this type of technology has been integrated into a smartwatch and the feature was developed in collaboration with cardiologists, healthcare experts and emergency room staff.
It is approved for use in the UK, Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
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Ahead of these releases, Which? technology expert Andrew Laughlin told Sky News that consumers only want AI “where it makes sense and is meaningfully integrated”.
A life-saving device could be the solution.
Pixel has been redesigned
The Pixel 9 Pro. Image: Google
There’s not so bad news: Almost the entire Pixel phone line is getting an upgrade—everything except the recently released Pixel 8a.
“It’s the biggest update to the Pixel family,” said Brian Rakowski, vice president of product management at Pixel, at the launch event.
The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Fold are more powerful than their predecessors thanks to the Google Tensor G4 chip.
This is intended to help the devices cope with the new AI features of Gemini – Google’s AI – and ensure greater security.
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The standard phone, the Pixel 9, will cost between £799 and £899 and will have a new feature that may allow users to stop asking strangers to take their photo while on holiday.
With Add Me, previewed on the Pixel 9, the user can take a group photo and then swap the photographer. The phone will then stitch both photos together.
Combine that with the Best Take feature, which lets users combine photos so everyone looks their best, and that could be the end of the dodgy group selfie.
The Pixel 9 Pro. Image: Google
Now available in two sizes, the Pixel 9 Pro should be able to take better photos and videos. It costs between £999 and £1,449, depending on which size you go for and how much storage you need.
It can also use Super Res Zoom for videos for the first time and record footage in 8K, just like the Samsung Galaxy S20 series.
The Pixel Fold, Google’s clamshell phone, has also been improved and has brighter displays and better cameras.
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According to Laughlin, consumers constantly want longer battery life, “but we see so little innovation.”
While these phones all boast improved battery life, none of them are groundbreaking.
“I would like to see a smartphone and a watch that last a week before I have to charge them,” Mr. Laughlin said.
He’ll have to keep waiting – even though the new Pixel 9 Pro could last 100 hours if left in extreme battery saving mode.
The Pixel Fold Pro. Image: Google
Gemini, Google’s AI and potted plants
Artificial intelligence plays a big role in these upgrades: Gemini can retrieve your documents, summarize your notes, and edit your images.
“You can even take a photo and use Gemini to get answers — like how to save a dying plant in your window,” Google says.
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Additionally, the line will continue to be updated and supported over the next seven years, allowing people to keep their phones longer.
Pixel Buds Pro 2 know when you chat
The Pixel Buds Pro 2, Google’s high-end earbuds, are smaller and more powerful than before and feature improved noise cancellation capabilities.
They also use AI to detect when you start talking, so your music automatically pauses and noise cancellation turns off until your conversation is over.
