Here’s everything that Google announced at its 2022 hardware event [Video]

Google just hosted its 2022 hardware event and revealed some of its long-awaited devices. As you’re probably already aware, several of these devices have leaked out early, and we’ve been covering them for quite a while. With an official reveal, however, we received a lot of extra information as well as release dates, pricing, and so on. Let’s take a look at what all was announced, and what you can expect as the company’s hardware division starts to really come together for the first time!

Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro

First, the main event, of course. The new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are Google’s latest generation of smartphones that take continue their reputation as the best phone camera on the market. It features the new G2 Tensor chip and touts significant improvements to its computational photography, including cinematic blur, super res zoom, macro focus, photo unblur, guided frame, 10-bit HDR and more.

Google made it a point to state, as always, that the latest Pixel is the most secure and personalized phone you can own and made several jabs at Apple during the presentation today regarding its features and RCS as well. You can learn more about the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro in our writeup. You can also preorder the device right now on the Google Store for $599 USD. The Pro model is available as well for $899 USD, and Google expects them to be on store shelves within a week of their launch.

Pixel Watch with Fitbit

In what is probably the most leaked device in a decade, the Google Pixel Watch features Fitbit, and has a gorgeous rounded display that was apparently designed after a water droplet. The bezel curves off to the sides and will not be as noticeable as earlier reports made it seem, according to Google.

For just $349 USD, the watch can be preordered right now and claims a 24-hour battery life. It comes in one of four different color combinations in conjunction with the watch band:

• Champagne Gold case / Hazel Active band
• Matte Black case / Obsidian Active band
• Polished Silver case / Charcoal Active band
• Polished Silver case / Chalk Active band

Six months of Fitbit Premijm and 3 months of YouTube Music Premium will come with your purchase (new subscribers only!) If you want to listen to your workout music on the go, you can do that as the Pixel Watch has onboard storage. This means there’s no need to stay connected to Wi-Fi in order to jam out.

Pixel Tablet

You may have a tablet for lounging around the house, and you may have a Nest Hub display for controlling your smart home devices, but what if you combined the two? Google’s brand new Pixel Tablet – not to be confused with 2016’s “Pixel C” – does just that!

Th display is literally an Android Tablet made with premium materials (with Material You theming) this time around so it easily fits into the Pixel family’s legacy of beautiful and high-quality devices. The magnetic dock makes it easy to attach and detach the screen at will without applying force. Oh, and it doubles as the tablet’s wireless charger too! It may look like a bigger Nest Hub, but it’s so much more versatile!

Nest Wifi Pro

I’m still rocking an original Google Wifi, and while many have gone on to use the Nest version, Google just announced a Pro model. The Nest Wifi Pro looks like a piece of Chiclet gum (you can’t unsee it!) and continue’s the company’s trend of creating items that fit in with their organic surroundings (They are made from recycled materials, after all). You can preorder it in Snow, Fog, Linen or Lemongrass color.

The Pro features Wifi 6E, so you can connect more devices simultaneously, get better range and signal quality, and more. This generation does not feature a Point device for extending your range because it’s just that good. It comes in a one pack, but you can buy three devices as well.

Nest Doorbell (Wired)

We covered the Nest Doorbell (Wired) yesterday, and though it wasn’t really shown off as much at the event, it’s still a key component to Google’s hardware ecosystem. With massive improvements to its HDR capabilities you’ll get clearer images of who or what is at your doorstep, even at night!

Google has spent a lot of time eliminating the bad picture quality and fish-eye lens effect of traditional video doorbells. The second generation Nest Doorbell with a battery now has a companion for those seeking out a wired solution. Take advantage of the “Talk and Listen” functionality to see and speak with your visitors from any device in your home, including your Pixel Watch, Chromecast with Google TV, or Pixel Tablet.

Assistant and other updates

Other things were covered both in the presentation today and in the days leading up to it. You may have already seen that the Google Home app is being redesigned from the ground up to comine all of your smart home devices into a single experience that can be controlled from any of your Pixel family of devices.

In addition to this, Google revealed that Assistant Voice Typing is now 2.5x faster than before, comes in more languages, and can even suggest emoji that are relevant to your message. You can search for emoji by voice as well, even if you don’t know the name of it!

Assistant is now more helpful than ever when it comes to calling people. Call Screen handled over 600 million calls for users last year, but it’s not done there. Direct my Call (powered by Duplex) will now show you menu options right away so you can power through automated systems before they even vocalize your choices. Voice Message Transcription will read audio calls to you on your screen via text when you’re not in a position to listen to them. Assistant will now let you say “Silence” to dismiss incoming calls.

Lastly, the ‘At a Glance’ widget on your Pixel phone will proactively show you if you should expect rain or snow in the next few hours, or whether you have Nest Doorbell alerts. It will also plug in flight or baggage claim information and even weather for your flight destination.

Exciting, but not at all surprising

Whew! that’s quite a bit, isn’t it? Google is really ramping up both its experience and its confidence as a hardware manufacturer, and today’s announcements were a long time coming. With so many leaks piling in before the event itself, there wasn’t much if anything to be surprised by today, but that doesn’t mean it’s not exciting. Let us know in the comments if you’re going to preorder any of the new Pixel devices, or if you’re waiting until the next generation to upgrade!