A pair of new Made by Google products launched this week, starting with the Pixel 6a powered by the same Tensor chip as the Pixel 6 Pro. In our review, we found that the mid-range phone should make a significant improvement for those who would need to upgrade from the Pixel 3a this year. In terms of size, the Pixel 6a is roughly the same size as the standard Pixel 3a, just with smaller bezels. It also comes with the addition of an ultra-wide camera, a much better screen and, most importantly, the major chip upgrade that is Google Tensor. Compared to the Snapdragon 670 found in this 2019 phone, the Tensor is a huge upgrade. It’s even a huge upgrade over what was found on the Pixel 4a and 5a, if you’re looking to upgrade from one of those devices. The Pixel Buds Pro — which we’ve shared our original review for — arrived on the same day and brought noise cancellation to Google’s line of headphones, a long-awaited addition. The Pixel Buds Pro are available in four colors, but it looks like Google was considering up to eight different options at one point. Google nailed it when it comes to audio quality, at least in my opinion. Everyone has different tastes when it comes to sound, but the Buds Pro really do a great job of creating an overall enjoyable listening experience. Just before the Pixel 6a arrives for customers, an update has arrived for the series’ Google Camera app. On the surface, the update brought “speech enhancement” for the rear camera and some UI tweaks. Digging a little deeper, our team also uncovered a new feature specifically designed for the foldable Pixel Notepad. The main visual change today is to the Features tab at the bottom of the carousel. The buttons for Panorama, Photo Sphere, and Lens are now placed in a rounded rectangular container instead of overlaying directly on the live preview. In other Google Camera news, a researcher has uncovered information about the camera hardware inside the Pixel 7 & 7 Pro, the Pixel tablet, and more. Where the Pixel 7 series is set to see some minor improvements, the Pixel tablet seems to be aimed at the low end of the market. These low-end camera sensors show the ways in which Google may be planning to make the Pixel tablet easily affordable, albeit at the cost of losing the top-notch photography that the Pixel series has become known for. Kuba’s findings confirm our reports that the Pixel tablet is likely missing several Google Camera features, such as 4K recording, audio zoom, and slow motion. The folks at OnePlus have unveiled their next flagship, the OnePlus 10T. The new phone is set to feature 150W fast charging, but will remove the series’ signature design element, the notification slider. OnePlus chief designer Hope Liu explains that the move was “necessary” for other key components of the device, including a larger battery, even faster charging and a better antenna. The Alert Slider takes up about 30mm² on the motherboard, which has a “relatively large impact” on the device’s construction. The alternative to removing the Alert Slider on the OnePlus 10T would be to stack the motherboard, making the phone thicker.
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