After Google rolled out the Android Oreo operating system on Monday, the search engine titan is said to be working on three new hardware. Aside from the fact that Google will soon announce its next-gen Pixel smartphones, the company is also working on smart headphones, a Home Mini speaker, and a new Chromebook.
9to5 Google reported that the search engine giant might be working on new smart headphones, which is capable of running its virtual personal assistant, Google Assistant. The information was discovered in Google app’s 7.10 Beta, which codenamed the hardware as Bisto.
The code indicated that the headphones will arrive with the Google Assistant. Users can ask questions of it and it’s always ready to help.
Smart headphone with Google Assistant
The smart headphones will allow its users to respond to notifications through voice commands. The device will arrive with physical buttons, such as the Google Assistant top button. Interestingly, the headphones will be capable of acquiring over-the-air (OTA) software updates. However, while the tech giant has yet to announce the official details on these headphones, it appears that it is designed to rival Apple’s AirPods wireless earphones.
Chromebook Pixel specs
Meanwhile, the tech company also appears to have new versions of its existing hardware, the Google Home Mini as well as the Chromebook Pixel.
The new Pixel-branded laptop seems to change the image of the Chromebook brand. The Chromebook Pixel is expected to arrive with a 12.3-inch display, an 8 or 16GB of RAM, a 32 or 128GB of internal storage, Business Insider reported. The Pixel-branded laptop is also anticipated to come along with an optional Wacom stylus, and the device might cost $799 and up.
Google Home Mini, on the other hand, is anticipated to compete with Amazon’s voice-controlled device, Echo Dot. The miniaturized version of Google’s Home smart speaker is expected to be more affordable compared to the original Google Home and Echo Dot. The new Home Mini speaker will be powered by Google Assistant.
Release date of the new devices
All the aforementioned hardware are expected to be announced at the tech company’s Fall event. The timeline makes sense, especially for the highly anticipated Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones. Considering the company recently announced the Android 8.0 Oreo, the company might discuss the operating system further during the event.
