Google’s new Pixels and hardware, Xiaomi’s new Mi 10T, and more tech news today

Your Tech News Digest via the DGiT Daily Tech Newsletter for Thursday, October 1st, 2020.

1. Started: Google’s new hardware

Google launched its Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, New Chromecast with Google TV, and new Nest Audio at his short and sharp event yesterday.

• We didn’t get many surprises, but that’s not a blow to Google given the times we live in.
• The fortunately quick 30-minute presentation from Google showed some unexpectedly good details from the Google TV and Pixel, and Mark Ronson praised the new Nest Audio.
• Google has a 90-second review This is all you need if you missed the full presentation because you lived your life in some way.

Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G::

The new Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G exactly matched what Google said beforehand and included all the details on pricing and availability:

• The Pixel 5 is priced at $ 699 and is available for pre-order now in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France and several other countries with a release date of October 15.
• The Pixel 4a 5G starts at $ 499, with a release date October 15 in Japan and November 9 elsewhere.

The differences between the two are quite small, but the Pixel 5 (above) is the device with the more complete features:

• Both share the same Snapdragon 765G processor and 5G features, the same camera setup, now with an ultra-wide secondary lens, and a very similar display size and battery.
• The top bonuses for Pixel 5 are a 90Hz refresh rate display, 8GB of RAM over 6GB, a larger battery, wireless charging, and an IP rating for water resistance.
• The Pixel 4a 5G has a slightly larger screen and a headphone jack.

Google also provided us with a nice table graphic to make comparisons easier:

• Google Pixel 4a 5G Buying Guide: Research Before You Buy
• For me, the only thing that drives me to a Pixel 5 about a Pixel 4a 5G is the 90Hz refresh rate screen. I’m not that big of a wireless charging type. I usually have a pocket on my phone, so I usually don’t think waterproofness is essential. I just wish it had the headphone jack!
• Also, how to get a free pair of Bose QC 35 IIs with your Pixel 5 or 4a 5G, pretty much.
• (Unfortunately, you know that this promotion is only available in certain countries and does not include the US.)
• Overall, I want to see some reviews and get my hands on the phone. Google’s pixel strategy was never really clear. It didn’t sell a lot, it didn’t really try to sell a lot. and now Google is playing it safe by offering decent mid-range phones well below the scary $ 1000 price tag.
• It’s possible that the Pixel 3a’s success has shown the company that it offers much better mix value without going for excessive premiums. Missing the solos radar here and reverting to the fingerprint is a sign of something.
• This could mean that in the likely Pixel 6, the next flagship will be given time to develop premium features as a flagship with all the tech. It is unclear. But these new devices are good enough if the reviews hold up.

New Chromecast:

• The new Chromecast with Google TV looks spectacular.
• It costs $ 50, it has a great remote, and by comparison, the Apple TV costs $ 180 with a bad remote.
• Early impressions are already wondering if it’s the best streaming device as it can seamlessly tie in with other services and aid in content discovery.
• The Google Assistant options are useful. You can press a button and tell the remote to “Play Mandalorian on Disney Plus”.
• It is a little painful to have to memorize what service you have and specify it (you can’t just say “The Mandalorian”), but hey, it might get there in time.
• And it offers a module to plug in ethernet, in case that’s important to you, for another $ 20.
• My Opinion: Would I Get One? Yes, if I don’t already have a Chromecast Ultra. It looks like it beats a lot of the competition when you need something new and may make your smart TV better than ever.
• More: Chromecast with Google TV: Everything You Need to Know About the New Streamer

And the Google Nest Audio:

• The new smart speaker is now completely covered with fabric and has some new, louder speakers, now with a 19 mm tweeter and a 75 mm midrange.
• Google says it gets 75% louder and has 50% more bass than the original Google Home.
• It is 6.89 cm tall, 4.8 cm wide and 3.07 cm thick.
• With that extra punch comes the weight: it also weighs just over 1kg, making it heavier than the 180g Nest Mini, but lighter than the 4kg Google Home Max.
• There are also some adaptive features via Media EQ that allow you to automatically adjust the speaker based on what you’re listening to (music, podcasts, etc) and the Ambient IQ which increases or decreases the volume depending on the ambient noise level.
• The new round of Amazon Echo (4th generation) will be a close contender for a similar price, but Google’s assistant is generally smarter.
• More: Google Nest Audio: Everything you need to know about the smart speaker

2. Xiaomi’s Mi 10T series was also announced yesterday, with some turbo functions such as: 144 Hz screen, large battery, Snapdragon 865 and from 500 euros (Android Authority). The Mi 9T series has been pretty solid so I hope the 10T will keep the barrel going.

3. Draft EU law allows you to remove the bloat from pre-installed phone apps. There is a lot of legitimate criticism of EU law, but this would be a huge win (Android Authority).

4. Windows on Arm will support many more Windows apps starting next month. The 64-bit app emulation will be available soon (Android Authority).

5. Google Says the Pixel’s Soli Radar and Motion Sense will return even if the Pixel 5 skipped them (The Verge).

6. Oppo Reno 4 Pro 5G at your fingertips: Premium at one price (Android Authority).

7. Microsoft will be announcing a Surface Laptop Go today, and it will be interesting to see where it fits in the Surface lineup and against the competition (notebookcheck.net).

8. Facebook takes a giant leap in linking Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, creating fascinating scenarios when Facebook is forced to tear apart at some point (CNN).

9. Google’s new machine learning tool will turn your terrible hum into a beautiful violin solo (The Next Web).

10. These robots use AI to learn how to clean (wired) your house.

11. “Why does” k “mean” thousand “?” (r / nostupidquestions).

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