All the Hardware Google Announced at I/O 2022

Google’s algorithms can tune out wind, traffic, and other background noise so that you sound clear when you’re speaking on audio and video calls. The earbuds will also support Multipoint Connectivity, a feature which enables them to seamlessly switch their connection from your laptop to your phone when a mobile call comes in, then back to your laptop when you hang up. You never need to tap on any Bluetooth settings; the switch happens automatically.

The Pixel Buds Pro are equipped with touch controls, a case with wireless charging support, and an IPX4 rating for water and sweat resistance. Google says they’ll last for 11 hours per charge, or seven hours with active noise canceling turned on. All of these features are bang on the money at this price. Spatial audio support is coming later this year. They go on preorder July 21 and hit store shelves July 28, and come in four colors: Charcoal, Fog, Coral, and Lemongrass. 

Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro 

Paired with the Pixel Watch launch this fall are the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. This news was expected, since Google tends to launch its flagship mobile phones in October. But rather than let rumors and leaks steal the thunder ahead of the fall debut, Google chose to show off what these devices look like. The black camera bar now has a recycled aluminum finish. The only other detail we know about the Pixel 7 is that it’ll be powered by the “next-gen Tensor” chip, which will add improvements to speech processing, photography, videography, and security. When these phones arrive, they will come with Android 13 pre-installed.  

Pixel Tablet

Photograph: Google

Finally, perhaps unexpectedly, Google is making a Pixel Tablet. It’s not the first Android-powered Pixel tablet—that’d be 2015’s poorly-received Pixel C—but it’s the first one to arrive since Google started paying serious attention to the Android tablet experience. The company has been making strides in optimizing the operating system for larger screens in Android 11, 12L, and the upcoming Android 13. 

All we know so far is that it looks somewhat like a Nest Hub without the base, and it’ll be powered by a Tensor chip. Osterloh says it’s designed to be “a perfect companion to your Pixel phone” and it will work “seamlessly with all your Pixel devices.” It’s a premium, larger-style tablet, though Google didn’t share any other specifics. Expect it to arrive in 2023. 

Why tease the Pixel Tablet, Pixel 7 series, and Pixel Watch so early? Google hasn’t been shy about teasing its hardware months before the actual release dates, but the Pixel Tablet sneak peek comes a full year before it arrives. “Users are thinking of an ecosystem and an [manufacturer] as someone that they want to invest in for the long term, and we wanted to show people where we’re headed,” Osterloh says. “They can make an informed decision about where we’re going as an organization for the next couple of years.”