Hidden Android code hints at another Google Pixel 7 upgrade
And more accessories
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TheGoogle Pixel 7got its initial unveiling back atGoogleIO in May, but we don’t yet know everything about this upcoming flagship phone. Now newly discovered references in debug documentation for Android give us another hint about what’s on the way.
As reported byAndroid Police, the documentation includes a mention of a Hall effect sensor: that’s a sensor that can detect the presence of a magnet, most often deployed to tell a phone when a case is closed over it.
When it comes to flip covers, a variety of useful functions can be enabled if the phone knows whether that cover is open or closed. Essentially, it expands the possibilities for Pixel 7 accessories – and it’s a feature that theGoogle Pixel 6range didn’t have.
Details, details, details
While it’s perhaps not the biggest upgrade that the Pixel 7 could possibly get over the Pixel 6, it does show that Google is thinking about the details when it comes to its next handset – and that it’s also considering accessories and the wider ecosystem.
There are actually drivers for a Hall effect sensor included in the software for theGoogle Pixel 6a, although there’s been no official confirmation from the manufacturer that the smartphone does indeed include such a sensor.
All will be revealed – probably – at some point in October, and we will of course bring you everything you need to know when the Pixel 7 goes on sale. In the meantime, expect a few more leaks and rumors to surface.
Analysis: all eyes on the Pixel 7
It’s been a tough few years for the Google Pixel phone series, but there is a general feeling that the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro were the best handsets that Google has put out yet – even if the sales figures haven’t really givenAppleorSamsunganything to worry about.
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That means that the Pixel 7 has something of a tough act to follow. We know that the main processor is going to get a significant upgrade, which should mean apps move along quicker and the AI response is even slicker.
There has been talk ofa few camera upgrades, though a lot of the improvement in terms of picture taking and video recording might be done on the software side, which is of course something that Google has been known for with its Pixel range in the past.
On the other hand, the smartphone displays are likely to bemore or less the sameas they were on their predecessors, if the rumors and leaks up to this point are to be believed. The real test will come when we’ve actually got these phones in our hands to test.
Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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