On October 4 at noon ET (9am Pacific, 5pm UK), Google is having a major hardware event in San Francisco.
Just like last year, the event will be headlined by a flagship smartphone launch—this year, it's the Google Pixel 2. This is an event for the whole Google Hardware division, though, so we should also see the launch of the Google Home Mini, a revision to the smartphone-powered Daydream VR goggles, and a new flagship Chromebook called the "Google Pixelbook."
The Pixel 2 is expected to have the usual 2017 flagship smartphone specs, with a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The Pixel 2 XL is getting a slim-bezel front design reminiscent of the LG V30 (because the phone is manufactured for Google by LG), while the smaller Pixel 2 (manufactured by HTC) is expected to look a lot like last year's model. Both get a metal back with a glass window that looks like an evolution of last year's design, along with squeezable sides. The Pixel line is all about Google software, though, and this year we're hoping to see the debut of Google Lens, a visual search app along the lines of Google Goggles.
Just as the Google Home was Google's answer to the Amazon Echo, the Google Home Mini is expected to be a Google version of an Amazon Echo Dot. It keeps all the smarts of a voice appliance while swapping the thumping speaker hardware for a smaller sound system designed less for music and more for voice output. The Google Home Mini is expected to be just $50, making it considerably cheaper to outfit a house with than the $129 Google Home.
The Pixelbook seems to be a new flagship Chromebook with a whopping $1,199 starting price. Chrome OS fansite ChromeUnboxed has been tracking the device under the codename "Eve" since 2016, and the site has a great rundown here. The TL;DR is that the new laptop should have an Intel Kaby Lake chipset, a 12.3-inch 2400x1600 display, and storage that seems like crazy overkill for a Chromebook, with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options. The device represents a new generation of Chromebooks, with a lot of "firsts" for Chrome OS, like a $99 Wacom Active Electrostatic (AES) stylus (think Surface Pen or Apple Pencil), a fingerprint reader, and Google Assistant support with a hardware "Assistant" button. It also has a backlit keyboard and some kind of "convertible form factor" (a fold-back hinge?).
There might be some other surprises, like more Pixel Phone-specific software changes and maybe some Google headphones.
No matter what happens, we'll be there to cover everything live, and we'll go hands-on with all the new gadgets. Be sure to tune in for the liveblog!
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