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Google is betting hard, all on its ecosystem of smartphones, smartwatches and earphones to provide a roof and develop the potential of its artificial intelligence. During an event in New York, the new generation of Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro phones was unveiled. There are many new features in terms of artificial intelligence applications related to photography. The new Google Pixel Watch smartwatch will also arrive in Italy for the first time. And for the first time it demonstrates that it truly believes in our market and presents itself with a retail and carrier partner, namely Unieuro and Vodafone.
What is he doing again?
Prices are higher than the previous generation: Pixel 8 costs 799 euros, Pixel 8 Pro 1099 euros, around 200 euros more. But there is a change of pace and it comes through the new artificial intelligence features. Any examples? Best Shot uses the photos you take to get the photo you thought you took. To do this, an algorithm on the device creates a blended image from a series of photos to get the best look of all. Magic Editor in Google Photos is a new experimental editing experience that uses generative artificial intelligence to help you bring your photos in line with the essence of the moment you were trying to capture. You can reposition and resize subjects or use one-touch presets to make the background pop, all with just a few taps. Audio Magic Eraser allows you to easily reduce distracting sounds from your video, such as howling wind or noisy crowds. This first-of-its-kind computational audio capability uses advanced machine learning models to sort sounds into distinct layers so you can control their levels. Do you want to learn more about a topic, but don’t have the time to read an entire article? With Summarize, the Pixel can generate a summary of a web page, so you can quickly understand the key points. Plus, Pixel can read aloud and translate web pages, so you can listen to articles on the go.
How hardware and design change
As for the design, no revolution: aluminum frame and matte glass rear; 18% of the materials it is made of are recycled. The real news is on the software which also demonstrates Google’s investment in the Pixel project: seven years of updates to the operating system and security patches. As for the hardware, the displays do not change in size: 6.2 inches for the Pixel 8 and 6.7 inches for the Pro, but with a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. It will be interesting to measure consumption which has been the Pixel’s weak point in the past. The Pixel 8 Pro’s 6.7-inch Super Actua display is the brightest yet. As for the camera, the main one is always confirmed as 50 MP. For the Pros, the wide angle reaches 48 MP and the front one (for both models) is 10.5 MP.
Spotlight on the processor, which is the real engine of computational photography. The Tensor G3 is made on a 4nm process and has a main Cortex-X3 core, capable of pushing up to 2.91GHz. Later in the year, the Pixel 8 Pro will get Video Boost, which matches the Tensor G3 to data centers. This feature applies cutting-edge processing to videos to adjust color, lighting, stabilization and grain. The result is extraordinary videos that are faithful to reality. Video Boost also enables Night Video on Pixels for better video quality in low light conditions. Colors? Black, Pastel White, Blue. Last thing, curious but interesting, Pixel 8 Pro will also have a built-in thermometer.
News for Italy
We are talking about the 260 Unieuro sales points, including 3 “shop in shops” in Milan and Rome. Furthermore, for the first time the Pixel can be purchased by subscription thanks to the collaboration with Vodafone. This means that the operator’s customers will be able to purchase Pixel products with convenient solutions. Through the Vodafone Smart Change program, the customer will also have the opportunity to deliver an old device to Vodafone stores – which can then have a second life through regeneration or recovery of materials – receiving a discount on the purchase of the new Google Pixel 8 device Furthermore, this year too the products are available on Amazon and the Google Store. The expansion with Unieuro and Vodafone Italia also includes the availability of smartphones and earphones from the A-Series family, Pixel 7a and Pixel Buds A-Series, previously present on online channels and now also available on physical channels.