What to Expect at Google’s Massive Hardware Event Tomorrow

Google’s big hardware event is happening tomorrow. At the event, the company is expected to introduce a bunch of new products, ranging from new Pixel phones to laptops. And if you have been following any kinds of tech news lately, you are probably aware of all the leaks that have been happening around Google’s new products. We essentially know everything the company is planning to unveil tomorrow. So here’s a quick breakdown.

Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL

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At the event, Google’s main focus will be on the new Pixel phones. The company’s Pixel branded premium flagships have been a huge success from the beginning, and the third iteration to the line is expected to carry the same trend.

As for the new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Google is expected to introduce upgraded internals as per usual, which will likely lead to some improvements in performance. There are some changes in design, including a bigger display and of course, a notch. Google has gotten a ton of flack for the introduction of the notch, mainly because the Pixel 3’s notch is unusually larger when compared to other devices.

Google will likely also include upgraded cameras on the new Pixel devices — after all, Google’s Pixel phones are known for their industry-leading cameras, so this year shouldn’t be any different. Google is still sticking to a single camera on the back unlike almost every other OEM in the industry, so it will be interesting to see exactly what improvements are coming to the Pixel cameras this year. For all we know, the camera app is getting a redesigned interface this year.

Specs wise, the Pixel 3 XL will sport a Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB RAM, a 12.2MP camera on the back, two 8MP front cameras (yes, two), and a 2960×1440 OLED screen. The regular Pixel 3 hardware will likely be similar.

With the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Google is introducing a new charging stand called the Pixel Stand as well. The charging stand will work through wireless charging, and when your device is on the stand, it will turn into a smart display mode kind of like Google Assistant’s Smart Displays to display information at a glance.

Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL should introduce some decent upgrades to the Pixel line, though I am not expecting any major innovations from Google this year.

Pixel Slate and Pixelbook 2

Image by MySmartPrice

Along with new Pixel phones, Google is expected to unveil new Chromebooks with the Pixel branding as well.

The company is expected to unveil a new Chromebook tablet, dubbed the Pixel Slate, to compete with the likes of the Surface Pro and iPad Pro. The device will include a display with a resolution of 3000×2000 pixels, Type-C ports, and no headphone jack. Google seems to be getting rid of the headphone jack on the Pixel Slate, which is an interesting move for sure, as users will be forced to use Bluetooth or Type-C headphones. After all, the Pixel Slate is only a tablet with a detachable keyboard, so it might not be too much of a big deal. As for the specs, the Pixel Slate is going to be quite a powerful tablet with Intel’s Core i7 processors and up to 16GB of RAM. But more importantly, the device will include a fingerprint scanner, which would be a first for a Chromebook.

Google is planning to also introduce an updated Pixelbook at the event tomorrow. Although we are not quite sure exactly what to expect on the updated Pixelbook, rumours point to updated internals, including Intel’s 8th gen processors and increased RAM. Google is reportedly planning to upgrade the display of the device with a new 4K option, so if you ever wanted a Chromebook with a 4K display, you won’t have to wait too long.

Home Hub, Chromecast, Pixel Buds

And then, there are the little things. Google is expected to introduce three other hardware: a new smart display, an improved Chromecast, and new headphones at the event.

The company’s new Home Hub is a smart display powered by the Google Assistant. Google’s Smart Displays platform launched earlier this year, and we have only seen third-party smart displays from Google’s partners so far. All of that will change with the launch of the Home Hub, a 7-inch smart display powered by the Assistant from Google itself. The device will have a speaker on the back but don’t expect it to produce high-quality sound at all. It will be available in a charcoal and a white variant, much like Google’s other Home speakers. Priced at $149, the device is expected to compete with the likes of the Amazon Echo Show. Oddly enough, it doesn’t feature a camera for video calls, so you won’t be able to make video calls using Google Duo or anything similar.

Image from Reddit

We are also expecting a new and improved Chromecast from Google this year. The updated Chromecast will sport an enhanced design on the outside, as well as improved WiFi and support for Bluetooth. It’s not clear whether Google is including other improvements in the updated Chromecast, so we will just have to wait till tomorrow to find out.

And lastly, there’s the new Pixel Buds — Google’s new wired Type-C earbuds. It’s not clear whether the new Pixel Buds include any improvement over the original wireless Pixel Buds Google introduced last year, so it will be interesting to see exactly what they are all about. One thing we do know is that the Pixel Buds will come bundled with the new Pixel 3 phones, and likely even the Pixel Slate considering the lack of the headphone jack.

Windows 10

Yep, we might hear something about Windows 10 at Google’s hardware event. We have previously reported that Google is working on bringing Windows 10 to the Pixelbook as it works to add dual-boot support to the device, so there’s a small chance of the company making things official at the event. The project is internally called “Campfire” and it will essentially allow users to run Windows 10 on their Pixelbook.

Of course, announcing something to do with Windows 10 could undermine its own Chrome OS, and that means there’s a small chance of Google staying tightlipped about the upcoming feature for the time being.


There you have it. That’s just about all for Google’s big hardware event tomorrow, which starts at 11 a.m. ET (15:00 GMT). The event will be live streamed, and we will be covering all the announcements live on Thurrott.com, so stay tuned.

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Conversation 9 comments

  • MikeGalos

    08 October, 2018 - 11:23 am

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> I am not expecting any major innovations from Google this year."</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Clearly. Looks like little more than minor revisions to existing products. Were it not for trying to get the press to give them free ad space this would all be better covered in a few press releases. Hard to see why this is labeled as "Google’s Massive Hardware Event" and worth live coverage.</span></p>

    • MikeGalos

      10 October, 2018 - 10:53 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#351104">In reply to MikeGalos:</a></em></blockquote><p>And now 10 articles on the home page for a show without "any major innovations".</p>

  • bmal1

    08 October, 2018 - 1:59 pm

    <p>"The company’s Pixel branded premium flagships have been a huge success from the beginning." </p><p><br></p><p>Mehedi Really???&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>What about Paul's article – Google Pixel and Essential were 2017’s High-Profile Flagship Failures?</p><p><br></p><p>It states – "Google sold just 3.9 million Pixel smartphones in 2017. In a market of about 1.5&nbsp;<em>billion</em>&nbsp;smartphones, however, that works out to just .26 percent market share. Not 2.6 percent.&nbsp;<em>Point two six</em>&nbsp;percent."</p><p><br></p><p>Is that what's considered a huge success from the beginning?</p><p><br></p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      09 October, 2018 - 5:01 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#351200">In reply to bmal1:</a></em></blockquote><p>My thoughts as well, when I read the article.</p><p>Also, on the Slate, how can they remove the headphone jack, when this is a first generation device, which therefore never had a headphone jack to remove in the first place!</p>

  • Daekar

    08 October, 2018 - 2:33 pm

    <p>I'm curious about the Bluetooth capability on the Chromecast. All the other stuff is kind of meh. They better price those homely looking phones pretty low, or they're going to have a hard time shifting them.</p>

  • skane2600

    08 October, 2018 - 4:05 pm

    <p>Here's my advice pre-review. Keep the price and specs aligned. Don't have a headline mentioning the Pixel Slate's 4 GB price and then talk about 16 GB performance.</p>

    • MikeGalos

      08 October, 2018 - 6:58 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#351282">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>Please. It's Google products. Of course they'll talk about the price of the base and the performance of the top unit. That's how you know it's a company the site "likes". Otherwise they'd use words like "finally announce" in the headline and talk about the price of the top end model and complain about the performance of the entry model.</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    09 October, 2018 - 2:45 am

    <p><em>The company’s Pixel branded premium flagships have been a huge success from the beginning</em></p><p>I thought sales of the first generation were disappointing. I certainly remember people saying the first generation wasn't a finished product and that the sales were very poor, because it was too expensive.</p><p><em>Google seems to be getting rid of the headphone jack on the Pixel Slate, which is an interesting move for sure</em></p><p>The Pixel Slate is a new device, so they can't be getting rid of the headphone jack, because it was never there. Saying that "they designed it without a headphone jack" is accurate, that they are getting rid of it is not.</p><p>I know you are no fan of USB-C headphones and I don't have a problem with that, but the wording is poorly chosen, in this case.</p>

  • chrisrut

    Premium Member
    09 October, 2018 - 12:29 pm

    <p><em>"</em><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Of course, announcing something to do with Windows 10 could undermine its own Chrome OS…"</em></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Or, more likely, legitimize it as a serious player in the business market.</span></p>

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