Google Announces Several New Devices at This Year's Google I/O
by Matthew Nudelman
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This week on May 10, 2023, Google held its annual Google I/O conference. The presentation brought several announcements for devices Google has been expected to reveal. Information was revealed about the Google Pixel Fold, Google’s first folding phone. There was also the announcement and surprise release of the midrange Pixel 7a, as well as more information on the new Google Pixel Tablet. 
The Google Pixel Fold is as many rumors suggested, with its price above $1700 as it stands at $1799, the same price as Samsung’s latest foldable. Preorders for the phone began the day of its announcement and it will be available in June. Google claims it is the thinnest foldable phone, achieved by a dual-battery setup. The outer display is 5.8 inches and the unfolded inner display is 7.6 inches, just as expected as these are the same display sizes as the Galaxy Z Fold 4. A feature Google claims is new to their foldable is called “Tabletop Mode,” allowing the phone to be set up on a flat surface and take “close-up shots.” The device also allows for selfies with the rear camera, as it is more powerful than the front camera on the outer display and the inner camera under the inner display. A mode for Google Translate allows for translated conversations with a back-and-forth setup between each side. A demonstration also showed how YouTube could be used in Tabletop Mode with video controls on the bottom half of the screen and the video itself on the top half. The phone will also allow a split screen view for using multiple apps at one time, much like a tablet. The Google Pixel Fold aims to compete directly with Samsung’s foldable devices, as well as devices from other manufacturers such as Oppo, Xiaomi, and Huawei. 
Google provided more information about its Pixel Tablet, which they announced during the 2022 Google I/O conference. As was reported at the time, the tablet would ship with a charging dock, allowing users to attach it to make it similar to the Nest Hub smart home device. It will function separately as a tablet, and can be placed in the dock to be used as a smart home device. It is also possible that it will feature stylus support, as it was certified by the Universal Stylus Initiative last year. It will have two storage options, either 128 GB or 256 GB. The price of the device starts at $499, with the dock included, though additional docks can be purchased for $129 each, meaning it will likely be possible to have multiple docks in different locations, though that would be much more expensive. 
Google also announced the Google Pixel 7a, as expected for this time of the year. Last year, the Pixel 6a was announced, and then released in July. This time, Google skipped the preorder stage and released it as soon as the announcement was made. As usual, its design is very similar to its flagship counterpart, the Pixel 7. Much of the features of the Pixel 7 are still intact and the device is still powered by the Tensor G2, but it is in the package of a much more affordable phone. Its display is 6.1 inches, a size many consider to be the definitive smartphone size. The display is also a slight downgrade from the flagship, with no HDR support. However, the display has also been upgraded as it now allows a refresh rate of up to 90 Hz, as last year’s Pixel 6a only went up to 60 Hz. The device also has a bigger battery capacity than the base model Pixel 7, and supports wireless charging but does not support battery sharing features like the other devices do. It still supports Face Unlock, and has a camera that is at least as good as the Pixel 7, with the main wide camera being 64 MP as opposed to the 50 MP wide camera on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. The front camera is also 13 MP on the Pixel 7a, unlike the 10.8 MP front cameras of the other Pixel 7 devices. Other than these differences, the Google Pixel 7a supports most of the features the original Pixel 7 devices do, in a much more affordable device. It has already been released, so many are already using it as their newest phone.
Google announced many new things at this year’s Google I/O conference, and it is clear that they will continue to develop their devices with the Pixel brand.