There’s something about the Pixel 3 range this year which has struck me as a little odd. You see, historically at least, Google doesn’t really leak; it’s unusual to get much vision of what Google is planning on doing more than a couple of weeks before the company launches something, and in 2018, this isn’t true anymore.
Let’s look at 2017. The Pixel range wasn’t new; we’d seen a launch in late 2016, and the first Pixel range kind of blew us all away. It was only reasonable to conclude that Pixel 2 would follow .. and yet, despite this, there wasn’t a lot to go on before Pixel 2 actually launched. Probably the most we had was that LG and HTC would be involved, that there would be squeezable sides, and some limited info from the FCC ahead of the launch.
Fast forward to 2018 .. about now, actually .. and it’s hard to believe we had so little information last year. In fact, Pixel 3 has been one of our hottest trends over the last week or two. It’s not unusual to have 40 – 50,000 people a day reading these stories, and in mid August – two months away from a launch – that’s huge.
There’s so much already known / rumoured about Pixel 3
Live pictures of the Pixel 3 XL in White was one of the biggest stories of the lot, and that we even had these pictures to share with you at the end of July is something astonishing to me.
Is it just the fact that the details have leaked which have people so excited? Is it the conversial aspects of the apparent design having people upset?
I mean, there is the notched design which so many people hate. I’m on the fence here; I don’t mind the notch, but at the same time, it is a lazy design. Yes, I love a fullscreen display, but at the same time, surely there’s a way to deliver a glorious display without having to break my status bar in twain.
From what we’ve seen, Pixel 3 XL’s notch is quite a bit bigger than many, and that’s definitely going to upset both hard-core notch haters, as well as those – like me – who sit on the fence.
It isn’t just phones that Google is rumoured to be launching, either
If Google was stopping at just a pair of phones this year, that’s where this story would stop. However, there’s not only rumours of a Pixel Watch, but also new Pixel Buds and a tablet/convertible device (or two) as well.
Last year’s Pixelbook was a bit of an odd case; a premium-priced laptop with modest internals, and also running ChromeOS. Yes, I got one, and no, I don’t really use it much (though I am using it today because my Windows laptop got left in the office), and no, I don’t really see a need to update it.
However, rumours suggest we’ll have a new Pixelbook this year with slim(mer) bezels, though what else is changed remains to be seen.
The most interesting rumour, for me at least, is the Pixel Watch. Android Wear (and now Wear OS) is one of Google’s more interesting product categories, and I can’t wait to see what Google do in 2018 with a first-party watch.
There’s a pile of rumours and suggestion, but little hard fact about Pixel Watch. This is the product area to watch (pardon the pun).
With all this Pixel rumour, news and more, what features and products are you most excited to see come October 4?
I’m still holding out hope this is all an elaborate plan to fake disappointing leaks and specs, then blow us away with something completely different and more impressive. Yeah, denial is not just a river in Egypt.
People were blown away by the first pixel?
Wasnt there some embarrassing video of the launch at telstra with 2 people in line?
Everyone was furious how expensive it was for what it was. Its only now that people have changed their opinion because its still being updated.
I think the notch has caused this.
The notch is the bad news. Google wanted to get that out of the way before release, to enable them to concentrate on other features of the phone. Otherwise, on release day, people would be saying… “Oh no, it’s got a notch!”
There’s not much left to know about the Pixel 3. On 4 October, all headlines will be about the watch.
I mean, assuming the Oct 4 date is legit, there’s still six weeks between now and then for the Watch to leak in just as much detail.
Might be because Foxxcon are manufacturing them, leaks have come out easier than before.
I’m just flabbergasted that a company with Google’s resources and capability (if the pic’s are true) could release such a poorly designed phone – that notch is just plain wrong, the chin is disproportionate and the edges of the screen look a bit 2015.
I know somebody will say that the lack of symmetry in the phone makes it interesting but it’s just wrong.
Let’s be honest. If they kept this design quiet till October, what would the rumours look like? They certainly wouldn’t be the “meh” design which we have seen ‘leaked’. People would be expecting much more, particularly since the price is likely to remain way north of a sane level.
Google *have* to leak, to manage expectations for what will once again be unedifying.
Probably the best analysis I’ve read anywhere Fred; what better way to “manage expectations” than leak images and designs so that people don’t expect a top-flight design… they might be a bit happe with a less-than-stellar design.
I’m excited to see the specs of the Pixel 3 (non-xl). Also I’m hoping the Google watch follows the idea of the ticwatch pro in regards to battery life as a key focus.
I’m hopinh so too Joel; I want to see something like what Samsung’s done with the new Galaxy Watch. 7 day battery life as a minimum.