Google’s newly updated Pixel lineup was revealed at Made by Google 2024 – the tech giant’s annual hardware launch.
The telephones, artificial intelligence, and the earbuds have been overhauled, but a smartwatch update is groundbreaking.
Loss of pulse detection
The Pixel watch, from Google smartwatch, has a new pulse loss detection feature that uses AI to detect when the user’s pulse disappears.
If this happens, it activates more sensors to see if it can detect any movement or pulse. If nothing is detected, the watch starts trying to check in with the user and then triggers an audible alarm and a 20-second countdown.
If these steps are completed without the user responding, a call to emergency services will automatically be made, sharing the user’s location and critical signals.
It’s the first time this type of technology has been put on a smartwatch, according to Google, and the feature has been worked on with cardiologists, healthcare leaders and emergency room staff.
It is approved for use in the United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
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Before these releases, Which? Technology expert Andrew Laughlin told Sky News that consumers only want AI “where it makes sense and is integrated in a sensible way”.
A life-saving device could be appropriate.
Pixel got a makeover
The Pixel 9 Pro. Photo: Google
In lighter news, almost the entire Pixel phone lineup is getting an update – everything except the recently released Pixel 8a.
“It’s the biggest update to the Pixel family,” said Pixel vice president of product management Brian Rakowski at the launch event.
The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Fold are all more powerful than their predecessors thanks to the Google Tensor G4 chip.
This should help devices handle Gemini’s new AI capabilities – Google’s AI – and provide better security.
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The standard phone, the Pixel 9, will cost between £799 and £899. It has a new feature that could put an end to the need to ask strangers to take your photo on holiday.
Add Me, which will be viewable on the Pixel 9, allows the user to take a photo of a group and then change the photographer. The phone will then merge the two photos.
Combine this with the Best Take feature, which allows users to combine photos so everyone looks their best, and this could be the end of the dubious group selfie.
The Pixel 9 Pro. Photo: Google
The Pixel 9 Pro now comes in two sizes and should be able to take better photos and videos. It will cost between £999 and £1,449 depending on the size you choose and the amount of storage you want.
It can also use Super Res Zoom for video for the first time and images can be captured in 8K, just like the Samsung Galaxy S20 line.
The Pixel Fold, Google’s flip phone, has also undergone an update, gaining brighter screens and better cameras.
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Consumers consistently want improved battery life, according to Laughlin, “but we see so little innovation.”
While all of these phones feature better battery life, none of them are groundbreaking.
“I would love to see a smartphone and watch that could last a week before I needed to charge it,” Laughlin said.
He’ll have to keep waiting – although the new Pixel 9 Pro can last 100 hours if left in Extreme Battery Saver mode.
The Pixel Fold Pro. Photo: Google
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Artificial intelligence plays an important role in these updates, with Gemini capable of retrieving your documents, summarizing your notes, and editing your photos.
“You can even take a photo and use Gemini to get answers – like saving a dying plant in your window,” says Google.
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The range will also continue to receive updates and support for the next seven years, meaning people will be able to keep their phones for longer.
Pixel Buds Pro 2 will know when you’re talking
Pixel Buds Pro 2, Google’s next-generation earbuds, are smaller and more powerful than before, with improved noise-cancelling capabilities.
They also use AI to detect when you start talking, so your music will automatically pause and noise cancellation will turn off until the conversation ends.
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