It's been speculated on. It's been rumored. It's been hoped for. And according to an interview with TechRadar, it's happening. Android ecosystem president Sameer Samat says Google plans to combine Chrome OS and Android “into a single platform.”
Google has kept its phone and tablet operating systems distinct from its laptop platform. There has been plenty of crossover over the years—the biggest being the introduction of Android apps to Chromebooks back in 2016—but they have always coexisted. With Samat's new statement, though, change is afoot.
In the interview, Samat also followed up on a comment made to WIRED's Julian Chokkattu at Google I/O this year, hinting at a future Google laptop, stating that “he's interested in how people are using their laptops these days.” The last Google laptop was the Pixelbook Go in 2019, which followed the ill-fated Pixel Slate 2-in-1 in 2017. If Google does plan to merge the new platforms, having flagship Google hardware on hand is a must. —Luke Larsen
Pixels Are on the Way
Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Alphabet Inc., during the Made By Google launch event in Mountain View, California, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. Alphabet Inc.'s Google is rolling out upgraded smartphones, watches and earbuds, aiming to take on Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. and offer more ways to use artificial intelligence. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg/Getty Images
In other Google news, the company has set a date for its Made by Google event, where it's expected to debut the Pixel 10 series smartphones, a new Pixel Watch, and new wireless earbuds. The keynote takes place on August 20 in Brooklyn, New York, and it kicks off at 1 pm ET (10 am Pacific). It'll be livestreamed as usual.
Google used to hold its big hardware event in October, but changed things up last year, putting the Pixel release date ahead of the iPhone, with more breathing room ahead of the holiday shopping season. The highlight of this year's release—other than marking 10 years of Pixel—is that Google is rumored to be moving to TSMC chips for its Tensor G5 chipset due to issues with Samsung's foundry.
Sony Surprises With a New Camera
Courtesy of Sony
Sony has dropped a new full-frame camera out of the blue, the RX1R III. The RX1R series was last updated nine years ago. Why now? If I had to guess, I'd say it has a lot to do with the success of compact fixed-lens cameras, like the Leica Q series, Fujifilm X100 series, and the Fujifilm GFX100RF. Sorry you had to wait almost 10 years, RX1 fans, but better late than never.
... continue reading