Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Today’s Made By Google event was announced with the tease of a new smartphone, and Google came through on that promise with the reveal of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro devices. Powered by a new processor and with an emphasis on AI, the Pixel 8 will be released next week.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were highlighted during the Made By Google 2023 event. The phones are powered by the new Tensor G3 chip, which powers the Pixel’s new AI features. This includes the Call Assistant, which will silently answer calls from unknown numbers. In one demonstration, the assistant answered a spam call, imitating the natural speaking voice of a person. After determining the call was spam, it ended the call. When the call is deemed to be important, the assistant will alert the owner.
Google also showed off improvements to the camera in the Pixel 8 smartphones. This includes the new Audio Smart Eraser feature, which can silence unwanted noise in the background of a video. In one video, the tool muted the sound of a dog barking in the background. There is also the Best Take feature, which will allow a user to select different expressions from a handful of images to craft the “best” group picture.
The Pixel 8 starts at $699 and the Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999 and are both available for pre-order now, with phones shipping on October 12. It wasn’t the only Pixel device announced today, as Google also revealed the Pixel Watch 2, which is also shipping next week.