Tag Archives: Google Pixel

Google Pixel phones join the cause to make phones repairable and sustainable

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Smartphones are one of the most ubiquitous consumer electronics we have today. That translates to millions of components produced each year, which, in turn, could translate to thousands or even millions of e-waste piling up in landfills. The way this market works, most smartphone owners upgrade to a new phone even when they don’t really have to yet, mostly because of how the industry rewards such mindsets. At the same time, that same industry almost penalizes people who do actually want to keep their phones for as long as they can by making it harder or more expensive for them to repair old phones. Times are changing, it seems, and the biggest players in the market are fixing their attitudes on self-repair methods, and Google is the latest to swing its doors wide open to both consumers and small businesses.

Designer: Google x iFixit

Google actually announced its new program to make it easier for those outside its hallowed halls to repair Pixel phones. It followed the lead of Apple and Samsung in finally acknowledging the self-repair movement, or at least as much as their businesses and legal teams would allow. Of course, promises can sometimes ring hollow, so it wasn’t until Google finally removed the remaining impediments that we could consider its more sustainable repair program to be good as gold.

It wouldn’t be much of a more open repair program, however, if Google became the bottleneck of the entire process. The problem with trying to repair your own Pixel phone, or starting a small business around third-party repairs, wasn’t really the just the know-how. The real deal-breaker was getting your hands on replacement parts, officially and legally, which was nearly impossible until today. Now almost anyone can buy Pixel screens, batteries, and even adhesives from iFixit, one of the biggest proponents of the right to self-repair your stuff, at least if you live in the few regions where the parts are made available.

Not only does this make it possible for anyone with the technical knowledge to repair their broken Google phone, but it also helps smaller shops make a living off providing that service to others. To some extent, it helps democratize the smartphone repair industry, even if iFixit still has to source those components from official suppliers only. Google is even providing some validation software tools for free, allaying fears of potential legal repercussions for using these replacement parts on your own.

Being able to repair phones easily, whether by yourself or through service providers, already goes a long way in increasing the sustainability of these devices and reducing their negative impact on the environment. It’s just the first step, of course; we still have to figure out a way to make use of more sustainable and more responsible materials in a way that won’t disrupt the economy too much. Given how the smartphone industry seems to almost be set up to make sustainability efforts fail, the ability to repair your own phone is still a massive win in the grand scheme of things.

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Pixel 6a and Pixel 7 cement Google’s design language

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The smartphone market is often characterized as fast-paced, frantic, and whimsical, with features and designs getting changed almost every year. While that helps keep products look fresh and allows companies to experiment with new ideas faster, it also makes it difficult for people to form familiarity and confidence in these products. Apple is the lone exception, as always, and sticks to its designs longer to build brand loyalty. Other manufacturers have started to realize the wisdom of staying put, even just for two generations or three, especially when they come across a design style that uniquely works for them. That seems to be the case with Google’s latest generation of Pixel devices, establishing what will hopefully be Google’s signature look until 2024 at least.

Designer: Google

Even before Google launched the Pixel 6 last year, the designs that were leaked already sparked interest and praise across the Interwebs. The form was unique, non-conformist, and quirky, traits that could be used to describe Google or at least Google in its youth. Just like the first Google Pixel phone, the new Pixel 6 design exuded a more humane and approachable appearance that belied that hard power that is crammed inside the phone.

The Pixel 6 continues this aesthetic with almost no modification. It has the exact same visor-like camera bump and dual-tone color split. The only difference, which most people might not know, is that the camera bump is always black, no matter the colorway you pick. More importantly, however, the Pixel 6a also partakes in most of the same hardware, particularly the Tensor processor, that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro use at a more approachable $449 price tag.

Perhaps trying to beach leaks to the punch, Google uncharacteristically also revealed the design of the Pixel 7, which looks a lot like the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, too. There are more visible differences now, with the camera lenses visibly separate from the rest of the camera bump and a more uniform color scheme. Despite those modifications, it’s not hard to pick out the Pixel 7 from a lineup, at least if it’s face down and showing its unique back.

The Pixel Buds Pro does deviate a bit from Google’s earbuds design for the past year or so. Whereas the Pixel Buds 2 and Pixel Buds A both sport “wings” to aid in fitting the buds into ears, the Pixel Buds Pro’s shell is more streamlined and more refined. Just like their predecessors, the buds come with a vertically oriented charging case, and just like their predecessors, it carries a dual-tone color scheme. All color options have a black body and differ only in the outer touch surface.

Google is clearly aiming for a more consistent and more identifiable branding with its latest products, and hopefully, that will continue to be the case even after the Pixel 7 launches later this year. The one outlier, however, seems to be the still-unnamed Pixel tablet that will launch in 2023, though there’s hope that Google will change directions before then. A bit more interesting will be the Pixel Watch, Google’s first-ever first-party smartwatch, with a design that some have already mocked as a “round Apple Watch.” It does fit in with Google’s use of smooth, curved surfaces and the duality of colors and materials, but we’ll have to wait until Fall to see who it plays in practice.

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Google and Samsung are making phone repairs a lot more accessible

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They’re still not making easily repairable phones, but Google and Samsung are at least taking big steps in making these devices a little bit more sustainable.

Smartphones are no longer just novelties that only the affluent can afford, although there are definitely a few out there that fit the bill. These mobile devices, some of which have become as powerful as our computers, have become ingrained in modern life and almost indispensable tools in our pockets. While most tools, including PCs and laptops, seem to be built to last for as long as they can, smartphones, unfortunately, seem to be intentionally designed to be replaced when they break. Sure, they can be repaired, but the cost of repairs sometimes means that a new phone would actually be cheaper. That’s not even mentioning the rather laborious process of sending a device for repairs, which may sometimes end in violations of privacy. Smartphone repairs can add to the stress of a broken phone, but two of the world’s most famous tech companies are trying to change the status quo and make these devices easier and more affordable to fix than ever before.

Designer: Google

Google and iFixit team-up

Smartphones today are built in a way that prevents them from falling apart easily. They’re also sealed tight against dust and liquid that would otherwise destroy the phone from the inside. The side effect of making it more difficult to open up these phones for repairs. Gone are the days when you could simply pop off the phone’s back to change the battery. These days, you risk cracking the glass rear right at the start of the repair process.

That’s not the only consideration when repairing a phone, though. First-party repair services are often expensive and limited, especially for phones with limited availability like Google’s Pixels. There are quite a few third-party services and advanced consumers that are able to repair their phones on their own, but that practice is heavily frowned upon. There’s also the problem of getting genuine replacement parts, which most companies don’t sell to outsiders and unauthorized shops.

Google is trying to challenge that business model and has partnered with iFixit to sell those replacement parts, ranging from batteries to displays to cameras and more. This, of course, means that Google is giving blanket permission for anyone to repair their own Pixel phone, a trend that is thankfully gaining traction among the big smartphone makers. Apple kicked it off last year, and Samsung followed suit earlier this month, teaming up with iFixit as well.

Images: iFixit

Of course, this presumes that the phones are designed to be easily repaired, which isn’t generally the case. The Google Pixel 6 Pro, however, does diverge from the path that most phones take and have a few places where it does help facilitate self-repairs. We’re still far from the ideal, but at least some companies will no longer punish you if you repair your own phone yourself.

Samsung Recycled Replacemnts

Samsung is already ahead of the self-repair game, but it might be doing something extra special to really drive the sustainability message home. Making replacement parts easily accessible is definitely a good thing, but that also comes with the risks of increasing e-waste even more. With electronics getting thrown out and replaced easily, this new program might do more damage than it is meant to fix.

According to industry reports, however, Samsung might have a simple solution to that as well. The company has been making a lot of noise about its recycling and upcycling efforts, and it might apply those same processes to replacement parts. In other words, Samsung might introduce a program where it will provide certified recycled parts to be used for repairs and replacements.

Designer: Samsung

In addition to the environmental benefits of such a program, using recycled parts could also be advantageous to consumers. It is projected that costs of repairs could almost be halved by using these parts. Not only does it make self-repairs more accessible and affordable, it also encourages such a culture of repair in opposition to current business models. Hopefully, both Google’s and Samsung’s efforts will bear good fruit so that they become role models on how to make smartphones more sustainable in the long run.

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Pixel 7 renders suggest nothing much has changed, and that’s actually great

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Google’s quirky Pixel phone design hasn’t had much time in the public’s eye, so it’s reassuring that it might not be going away just yet.

The Pixel 6 and its bigger sibling was a game-changing phone for Google in more ways than one. It was the first Google phone to use a custom-made processor designed by Google itself, for one, and it’s also the first time that Google truly embraced making experiences more personal. The Pixel 6, however, might be best remembered for introducing a rather unique and perhaps polarizing design, one that might be sticking around for the Pixel 7 later this year. Given the fast turnover when it comes to phone designs, this consistency is actually critical in cementing Google’s Pixel brand.

Designer: Google

The Pixel 6 isn’t the first to bear a “visor” design that has its cameras lined up in a row. That distinction belongs to the Nexus 6P from 2015, made by Huawei and also branded by Google. The Pixel 6, however, pulls it off in a more visually tasteful way that seems to attract attention and its fair share of fans and detractors. You can’t please everyone, of course, but Google dared to do something that few probably would have had the audacity to try.

The design is unique, but not just for uniqueness’ sake. Having the somewhat tall camera bump across the entire width of the phone means that it wouldn’t be wobbling when laid down on a flat surface. It also means that the phone will be lying down at a bit of an incline, making it easier to view the phone’s contents without picking it up and without having to crane down your neck.

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have only been around for four months, and yet we’re already seeing the start of rumors about what will come next. Based on these early leaks, the Pixel 7 could be a dead ringer for the Pixel 6. On the one hand, that’s not exactly unexpected, but it also is surprising given how frequently companies change their designs year after year.

There will be very subtle differences, at least if you’re the type to pay very close attention to things that might not even be noticeable at first glance. Based on the earliest CAD 3D models of the non-Pro Pixel 7, the two cameras on the left side of the phone will be contained in a pill-shaped enclosure. It’s a visual flourish that probably does nothing to improve functionality, but it could also make some things more visually consistent with the Pro model.

Designer: @xleaks7 (via choosebesttech.com)

Actual renders of the Pixel 7 Pro show the same “two cameras in a pill,” but with a third camera that sets this model apart from its sibling. The render also suggests that the camera module will be visually integrated with the rest of the side frame compared to the Pixel 6’s “visor.” It’s a subtle change that few will probably even notice, but it makes the design look more coherent and unified.

The most striking revelation from these early leaks is that the Pixel 7 will look exactly like the Pixel 6 except for those minor details. The punch-hole cutout in the middle of its forehead is still there, for example. And so are all the missing hardware, like a traditional fingerprint scanner and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Given how those have been absent for years, there’s really no surprise there.

Some might consider this lack of major changes as a sign of design stagnation over at Google HQ, but that’s not exactly the case. Google could easily change or even tweak the Pixel 6 design for this year’s model and join its peers in a parade of phones that look so different every year yet also look like each other. Instead, Google may be deciding to focus on something that many people have either forgotten about or taken for granted, brand recognition.

Aside from the small “G” logo that few people will even see, especially while you’re holding your phone, there is little to distinguish a Pixel phone from other phones prior to the Pixel 6. The square camera module has been adopted by many other brands, including Apple, so it is no longer distinctive. Those brands have also started moving away from the design but have ended up resembling one another. In contrast, there is still nothing that looks like the Pixel 6 today.

Google has stumbled upon a distinctive design, and now it’s time to hunker down on that until it becomes the Pixel phone’s identity. Even Apple doesn’t change its designs drastically at a rapid pace. When it switched back to flat, chamfered edges, it still retained that bucket-style notch that almost no one other than Apple uses today.

Design consistency also inspires familiarity and confidence. You know you won’t have to relearn where certain features or, in this case, parts are just because you’re upgrading to a new model. It might even be possible to reuse some accessories like cases if the dimensions are exactly the same as well. This, in turn, could reduce the number of wasted materials in manufacturing and buying new accessories, which eventually end up in landfills.

Of course, we’re still at an early point where everything is still conjecture. Google could very well end up defying rationality and move away from what some already consider a winning design. That, however, could actually hurt the Pixel brand in the long run, especially at a time when there are already doubts whether Google can actually keep up with Samsung and Apple. The company might be famed for its Web services and its Android platform, but its track record when it comes to making and supporting phones has so far been less than stellar.

Designer: Steve Hemmerstoffer (via Smartprix)

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Google Pixel 6 leaked images show a smartphone with a ‘camera belt’ instead of a bump

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When John Prosser leaks or predicts something, one usually takes it with a grain of salt. He’s been right about a bunch of designs, including the colorful iMacs, the AirTags, and even the AirPods Max, but he missed it with the Pixel 5, and even made a pretty big bet about the date of Apple’s Spring Loaded event this year. A bet which he lost and had to shave his eyebrows on YouTube for. However, taking things in his stride, Prosser is back for yet another prediction/leak which he feels is right on point. It’s the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, which Google is slated to release this year… with Google’s first homemade silicone chip on the inside to rival Apple’s M1, and more noticeably, a whopper of a camera bump.

I wouldn’t really call this a bump because it’s so wide and protruding, it’s practically a shelf. Prosser claims these images are as legit as they come, because they’re based on actual leaked photos from his inside source. Deciding it was better to protect the source by creating fresh 3D renders rather than just circulating those leaked images, Prosser collaborated with Ian Zelbo to bring the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro to life. Now I’ll be much more critical of Google’s strategy when the phone actually drops (because Google did such a horribly half-assed job with the Pixel 5 last year, drawing the ire of many Android lovers… me included), so let’s just look at these renders for what they are. According to Prosser, Google’s working on two phones, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro (they ditched the XL name). The smaller 6 has a dual-camera setup on the back, while the slightly taller Pro opts for 3 cameras. The Pixel’s design language has been famous for its color-blocking design, with the upper half being glossy and black, and the lower half being a variety of colors and finishes. This concept develops on that original style, adding a band of black running between the upper and lower blocks.

Objectively speaking, the band protrudes at least 2-3 millimeters from the phone’s back, making it look almost like a belt or a shelf emerging from the phone. Subjectively, it kind of makes the phone look like a criminal – serves them right for stealing the ‘Pro’ nomenclature from Apple! However, that really isn’t an indictment on the phone’s design itself, it gives the Pixel a strong new character, which makes sense, because this is a new era for the Pixel.

Prosser further breaks down the renders, talking about how the two phones come in different colors too. The smaller Pixel 6 has an orange band on top and a pure white block at the bottom. The Pro version, however, ditches the white bottom for an orange-tinted white. Prosser also mentions the presence of a Champagne-Gold Pixel 6 Pro (the first image in this article) that I personally really love.

The renders are as close as possible to the leaked images Prosser has his hands on. In fact, it even exactly mimics the wallpaper and widget on the screen. The screen even comes with a centrally aligned hole-punch camera, and we still have no word on whether there’s an in-screen fingerprint reader, so the jury’s still out on that. Interestingly though, the final image in this piece has the Pixel 6 sitting beside a rather interesting-looking smartwatch. Could it be the highly anticipated Pixel smartwatch?? Let’s wait till Google’s product event to find out!

Image Credits: Jon Prosser & Ian Zelbo

Google-inspired designs that every techie would love to get their hands on!

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With Apple and Amazon continuing to surprise us with their inventions, we are waiting in anticipation of their September 30th event. While the company usually unveils the new Pixel sometime in mid-October, the virtual event is set to be where the company unveils the latest and greatest Pixel phones, along with a new Nest smart speaker and a new Chromecast. The rumors of these products have been floating around and while we wait, here is a list of designs that we surely hope to see come true, if not in this release, but in the next one at least!

The Pixel smartphone went onto redefine what a pure Android experience could look like, becoming the gold standard in the Android OS experience. James Tsai’s Google Pixel Smartwatch concept does the same for the Android Wear OS. Embodying Google’s playful-serious aesthetic, the Pixel Smartwatch concept comes in a traditional round format, and in a variety of quirkily named colors. The Android Wear OS logo displays clearly on the always-on display of the watch, transforming into a colorful set of watch hands every time you look at it to read the time. The watch comes with Google’s top-notch voice AI, all of Google’s native apps, and a heart-rate monitor on the back, which ties in well with Google’s plan of acquiring Fitbit and their entire fitness-tech ecosystem. I wouldn’t be surprised if this wearable concept were entirely waterproof too, just to fire shots at Apple!

The Chromecast 3 concept by Roel Heyninck isn’t a hockey-puck as much as it’s a hub. Designed with the stylings of the Apple TV box, Heyninck’s Chromecast 3 box looks pretty nifty, and in many ways follows Google’s product and CMF language. The box connects to a television via a single USB-C connection that has the ability to pull power as well as push media. Using the Chromecast 3 is as simple as pressing the ‘cast’ button on your phone or tablet and forgetting about it. If you want to interact with or navigate through media, the Chromecast 3 comes with a pretty slick remote control that features 4 buttons and a touchpad on the top, and a standby button on the bottom that you can use to switch the TV on or off.

Meet the Pixel Vector, a smartphone concept by Ferdinand Aichriedler that challenges the notion that phones need to have thick bezels, hole-punches, or notches to have front-facing cameras. The Pixel Vector cleverly uses the negative space between the phone and the screen’s corner to throw in not one, but two front-facing cameras. The phone’s sharp edges and display’s rounded corners provide the perfect triangular negative spacing for cameras, spacing them out too, so they can perform 3D scanning required for facial recognition.

ODD-ON’s cute silicone skin transforms your Google Nest Mini into an adorable tabletop cat that, for once, responds to commands instead of maintaining an air of feline attitude! Titled the Caat, the outer body for the Google Nest Mini props your speaker up so it’s pointing forwards, rather than upwards. This allows the Nest Mini to look rather adorable as it sits patiently on your mantelpiece, responding to all your questions and commands.

The partnership between Belkin and Devialet is interesting for a number of reasons. Belkin is famed for making some of the best charging cables, hubs, adapters, and extension boxes on the market, while Devialet still reigns as the most awarded audio company in the world. The companies announced their collaboration at CES this year, with the Soundform Elite, which happens to be Devialet’s second smart-speaker after its collab with Huawei. The Soundform Elite works just like any smart-speaker, albeit with a docking area for your phone. Equipped with a fast-charging 10W Qi charger, the Soundform Elite has the unique feature of being able to charge a wide variety of compatible Android phones as well as iPhones, making it a worthy pick for Apple enthusiasts too.

Google's Stadia Controller gets a radical redesign!

Google's Stadia Controller gets a radical redesign!

If Sundar Pichai walked up on stage and unveiled Daniel Cheung’s concept of the Stadia controller, I’d absolutely believe that it was completely meant to be. Stadia is a revolutionary concept that demands a revolutionary controller, and Daniel Cheung’s Playdream is that controller! Ergonomic, but non-organic, the Playdream comprises a tubular design that instantly stands apart as unique, and at the same time, comfortable. Designed for an absolutely robust grip, the Playdream has all the necessary controls, from the buttons to a redesigned D-Pad, to the triggers, Google button, and even two extra buttons on the inside of the grip.

The PixelBloc is comprised of multiple 2500mAh battery-units that connect together using a USB-C port system. The main bloc, which sits at its base, comes with a USB-C port and two USB-A ports, while subsequent blocs only house the USB-C ports. This means the modules need to be plugged into the main bloc to charge them, creating a foolproof system, and the charger is smart enough to recognize them when they’re plugged in together. The PixelBloc uses sequential charging and discharging, which means when the entire unit is assembled, the main bloc is always recharged first (so you always know which bloc to use when you’re low on power) after which subsequent bloc-units get recharged. When you’re using the entire power-bank to juice up your device, power is pulled from the last bloc first, discharging it from the back to the front and maintaining the system so you’re never left with arbitrarily charged individual bloc-units.

google_link_2

google_link_3

Designer Michio Papers created a bridge between the two faces of the tech industry- smart homes tech and laptops, to revive the laptop and the tablet while giving them the makeover they needed. The Google Link is everything you, your workspace, and your home needs. Made of multiple separate gadgets that come together, the Google Link serves all purposes. When assembled together, it’s your dedicated smart-home device capable of connecting via the internet to all other IoT gadgets in your house. Separate it and things get really interesting. You have a speaker dock that makes the Google Link your very own AI Assistant while being a wireless speaker too.

Google started a digital wellbeing initiative in an attempt to reduce the time we spend on our smart devices and to be honest, they’re pretty cool ideas! One of them is the Envelope cover. London-based design studio Special Projects came up with the Envelope cover, hoping we would break away from the digital world, and enter the real world…even for a while. Though it only works for the Pixed 3A at the moment, the cover is easily accessible! You download the app called Envelope on your Play Store App, print out the template for the envelope, and assemble it right at home! All you need is some glue to patch it up together. Once you slide your phone into the case, it transforms your phone into a much simpler one.

Designed to enhance the user’s lifestyle, the G flask by Yoonjae Song is a pure white cylinder with a rounded cap, ensuring a perfect hand grip. Shaped like a capsule, the clean aesthetics of the G flask instantly soothe you down. Devoid of any digital screens or lighting, sipping from it should be a pretty calm experience. Crafted from durable stainless steel, the flask guarantees to keep your water fresh at all times, as it is incapable of retaining any odors or flavors. Accompanied by an app, utilizing the flask couldn’t get any easier! It not only tracks your daily water intake, and how much water you’ve consumed so far, but you can also use it to set goals and compete with your friends, to see who reaches their intake for the day first!

For the people who don’t know what this game is about (basically Safari users), the game starts as a webpage that tells you that your browser is offline. Press any key, and the game initiates, and you’re tasked with getting the dinosaur to jump over cacti, and under flying pterodactyls. Your high score gets recorded on the top corner. Bell’s toy set captures the key elements of the game. While there are no pterodactyls in the box set (also because they make their appearance later on in the game), the set actually stays incredibly true to its inspiration. You’ve got the dinosaur, four different cacti, and the box is designed to serve as the backdrop too! The box comes with a reversible design, with the starting message on the face, and the game-over message on the back… and the jumping Dino is reversible too!

The Google Pixel 4a vs. the competition: The midrange heats up

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For years most of our attention has been focused on flagship handsets from companies like Apple, Google and Samsung. But since last year’s release of the excellent Pixel 3a, midrange devices have gotten a lot more interesting. Today Google finally an...