Night Sight really helped establish the Pixel as a camera powerhouse early on. We’ve been waiting for a video version that takes things to the next level, and we’re almost — pending the rollout — there.

The number of announcements that Google made in the past week or so truly felt like I/O. Gemini 1.0 was, of course, the highlight and most consequential for Google.

Back in August, Google announced a big redesign of Chat that adds Duet AI and other smart features, as well as audio huddles, to the work-focused messaging service. A new homescreen is core to this revamp, with the straightforward web version announced first. Last week, the redesigned mobile client was introduced with a new take on navigation for Google apps.

I think we’ve all been here.

You’re diving into a huge list of notifications that arrived overnight or while you were away from your phone and, while doing so, a new notification arrived leading to you accidentally swiping it, or many others away by accident. It’s a frustrating situation, but one that Android solved years ago with notification history.

Though, if you’re on a Samsung or OnePlus phone, you might not realize that.

With the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, Assistant gained a new “Read aloud” feature that uses the “same text-to-speech model that Google uses in data centers.” It’s meant to be a showcase of Tensor G3 improving the Pixel’s speech capabilities.

Google did a pretty good job redesigning the Weather experience on Android. It’s modern and has a straightforward layout that shows what’s coming up in the next few hours and days all on one screen. 

Like a watch or the phone itself, a smartphone case is something that gives you a chance to get really personal about what you want, and there are so many options out there. So, when you’re looking to buy a smartphone case, what are you looking for specifically?

Android widgets are at a good place right now, thanks to Material You. Besides an uptick since Android 12, they look modern and provide functionality that complements the full app nicely. However, for the experience to really shine on the Pixel, Google needs to add the ability to stack and group widgets together so that you can access a lot more without taking up too much of your homescreen. Size is their one downside, and fitting in a widget often comes at the expense of app icons.

It’s still almost impossible to believe, but Apple is adopting RCS on the iPhone next year. While there’s a ton we don’t know, it’s a big deal that very much opens the door to big changes in the Android vs iPhone debate. However, my big question is if it will be enough to change the ongoing Android vs iPhone peer pressure that often turns into actual bullying.

With Apple’s RCS for iPhone announcement, Google is undoubtedly moving full steam ahead on Messages and RCS as its consumer messaging app. It is inherently aligned with Android, which bodes well for continued development, and consistently gets a slew of new features.

While I think the “Laser Ink Display” projector on the Humane Ai Pin is pretty cool and makes for a very interesting user experience, I do not think this product is anywhere close to replacing the smartphone. 

Google announced Bard as an “early experiment” in February and still prominently refers to it as such. I thought that qualifier applied to both the generative AI nature and its name, which would change when the product graduated.

Google’s Pixel Buds Pro debuted in 2022 largely to high praise, but as time has gone on, it’s become more and more clear where improvements can be made, including to ANC.

Especially after the last round of updates, YouTube decidedly does not feel like a first-party Google app.

Or, how I went all-in on info density. The Pixel Watch 2 introduces six new watch faces, and here’s how I would rank them from worst to best:

Since the addition of Gmail and Google Calendar, I’ve been using my Pixel Watch (2) so much more to triage and take other quick actions, such as marking off completed Tasks. I’m finding that my biggest entry point into the apps are their excellent Tiles. There are a good number of first-party apps available today, but I believe a few more should come over to Wear OS sooner than later.

Recently, I’ve been using Google News a bit more because of the customizable Following tab that feels like a cross between Google Reader of old and today’s Google Discover.

“Fast charging is better.” It’s the same response OnePlus has had for years now when it’s asked about the lack of wireless charging on its flagship Android smartphones. And, now that we’re hearing it yet again about the $1,700 OnePlus Open, I’m just so tired of it.

We reported earlier this week on signs in the Google app that “Iris” glass development is proceeding after reportedly being canceled earlier this year. I’m of the opinion that Google, since 2015, should have continued consumer development of Glass as a pre-AR wearable given that the display technology is far from ready.

Back in November, we reported that Google was working on Gmail and Calendar apps for Wear OS. They’re now available, and I’m finding that triaging email from your wrist is weirdly handy. 

Google this week debuted the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, which, on paper, look fantastic. But as we mentioned in our hands-on coverage, it all depends on Tensor G3, which literally just needs to pass the bar of being not terrible.

“Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?”

That question from Westworld, which had a phenomenal first season and then… went to Cold Storage, has been on my mind since seeing the Pixel’s editing capabilities in Google Photos. However, my hesitation dates back to the Camouflage feature announced at I/O 2022.  

Google announced its last Chromebook in 2019. The lack of a new Pixelbook since then has frankly made sense. The ChromeOS hardware space has greatly matured over the past several years with many premium and quality mid-range devices available. Simply put, there was no need for Google to build a halo device.

In just a few days, Google will host an event in New York City to unveil the Pixel 8 series and the Pixel Watch 2. Here’s everything you should expect to see from the event.