Google will unveil the Pixel and Pixel XL phones on October 4th and during this day, a number of things about the company’s smartphones will be shown the door.
For starters, the Nexus brand will be no more. The word on the street is that the search engine giant has settled for Google Pixel and Pixel XL as the names of the upcoming handsets. Another thing that is set to disappear with the new Pixel and Pixel XL phones is the vanilla Android experience that has been seen on previous Nexus handsets. Instead, Google is planning on giving users a new taste of its own software that only features on the company’s units.
There have been reports of a price hike for the Pixel and Pixel XL phones, something that could also mean we say goodbye to the low-cost Nexus handsets that have been here before 2016. While a lot is already out there when it comes to the specs and features of the Pixel phones, the latest leaks have some interesting findings.
Google Assistant
Apparently, the end of Google Now and the new Google Now on Tap is near. The latest version of the Google Search app has dropped the use of Google Now in all possible cases, highlighted by the replacement of Google Now cards with Feed. As for Google Now on Tap, you will now come across a “Screen search” option instead. This move comes at a time when Google Assistant has just been launched, a smarter version of Google Now. This assistant is set to make an official appearance on the Pixel and Pixel XL phones when they arrive early next month.
In addition, Google will be rolling out Android 7.1 Nougat preinstalled on these two handsets.
Reboot button
In essence, smartphones of today are trying to emulate computers or rather, they are pocket PCs. If a PC has a reset button, why can’t the same happen with a smartphone? Well, this is about to happen with the Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones. Apparently, the phones will include a reboot button the power menu for restarting the handset.
Overhauled apps’ design
The new Pixel Launcher has already been spotted in the wild with changes to the launcher icons. The new icons are rounded, but the latest leak shows that this change will affect all apps. Other than the software changes, you will also come across a missing “Nexus” logo in favor of a “G” logo on the back of the Pixel and Pixel XL phones. The screen sizes of the two handsets are also reduced when compared to last year, but they should still be roomy enough.