A visible journey down reminiscence lane

Google Pixel smartphones have solely been round since 2016, and in that point they’ve made their mark as a few of the best phones on the planet.

Pixel changed the Nexus lineup made up of a sequence of handsets created by Google in collaboration with different producers to run a pure type of the Android working system. Nexus was aimed largely at builders and early adopters and wasn’t notably common amongst common shoppers. So it made whole sense for Google to ditch the Nexus strategy and focus by itself premium line of gadgets that will compete in opposition to trade giants like Samsung and Apple.

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Over time, it turned clear that Google made a sensible transfer in leaving the Nexus behind as a result of it supposed to make use of the Pixel model to spearhead smartphone innovation for itself and the trade. Pixel instruments just like the Magic Eraser, Reside Translate, and Photograph Unblur have paved the way in which for the smartphone AI options we see in the present day within the likes of the Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24 series.

You may’t neglect concerning the Pixel’s design. It definitely stands out in opposition to a rising sea of Android gadgets. The highway to the newest handsets was a protracted one, however price taking a visit down reminiscence lane, so we have summarized the Pixel’s journey — right here is your complete Google Pixel timeline from its humble beginnings to the current day.

1 Pixel / Pixel XL

Google hit the bottom working with the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones — the primary ever ‘Made by Google’ gadgets. The common Pixel got here alongside an XL mannequin which did what it mentioned on the tin, providing a much bigger display screen and higher battery life than its sibling. Proper from the beginning, Pixel’s spectacular digital camera was at its core, standing alongside speedy efficiency and a stand-out design.

2 Pixel 2 / Pixel 2 XL

Launched in 2017, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL launched with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. They had been the primary Google gadgets that removed the headphone jack. The digital camera noticed some adjustments too, with the addition of optical picture stabilization and Pixel Visible Core which sped up Google’s HDR+ mode.

3 Pixel 3 / Pixel 3 XL

In 2018, Google lastly decreased the scale of the bezels on its telephones, and in doing so, boosted the scale of the display screen from 5 inches to five.5 inches on the Pixel 3 and from 6 inches to six.3 inches on the Pixel 3 XL. Extra design adjustments included a brand new glass again and a recent Not Pink colorway. The Google Pixel 3 additionally added options like wi-fi charging and display screen calling to search out out who is asking you. Google Lens was constructed into the digital camera system for the primary time too, permitting you to determine real-world objects together with your telephone’s digital camera.

4 Pixel 3a

In 2019, we noticed the primary of Google’s ‘a’ fashions — a extra stripped-back various to its flagship gadgets. The primary profit was to supply a extra reasonably priced choice to these on a tighter funds. At launch, the Google Pixel 3a value solely $399 compared to the Pixel 3 which began at $799.

5 Pixel 4 / Pixel 4 XL

The Google Pixel 4 and the Google Pixel 4 XL had a brand new sq. digital camera notch on the again of the handset, and it additionally began making waves when it got here to good options. Facial recognition secured the handset, astrophotography was added to the digital camera app, Reside Transcription was debuted, and the telephone may acknowledge whenever you had been close by with Movement Sense. Maybe most significantly, the revamped Google Assistant made its debut.

6 Pixel 4a

One other mid-range Pixel hit the market in 2020, providing an reasonably priced smartphone with top-notch digital camera capabilities. There have been some sacrifices to be made to the overall efficiency and show high quality, however this telephone managed to pack in quite a lot of the identical modern good options as its flagship counterpart.

7 Pixel 5

Google’s fifth Pixel was the primary to sport a hole-punch selfie digital camera, permitting for extra display screen actual property to play with. You bought a six-inch display screen for the primary time too, as a result of there was no XL mannequin to quench that thirst. One other distinction between the Google Pixel 5 and its predecessor was the battery — the two,800mAh cell was switched out for a a lot larger 4,080mAh cell.

8 Pixel 5a

The Pixel 5a stored issues easy when it comes to its design and {hardware}, however there was no skimping on the digital camera lenses or its software program, and the battery may additionally last as long as two days. You bought quite a lot of bang to your buck with the Pixel 5a.

9 Pixel 6 / Pixel 6 Professional

Google Pixels had been reinvented in 2021 and the newly subtle smartphones lastly began competing in opposition to high gamers, together with the iPhone. For the primary time, Pixels had been powered by Google’s own Tensor chip, which allowed for a few of the finest AI options in any smartphone so far. To call just some: the Magic Eraser deletes photobombers from photographs, Voice Typing takes away the necessity for the keyboard, and Reside Translate makes international languages accessible throughout internet content material and messages.

10 Pixel 6a

As a result of the Pixel 6 lineup was so targeted on software program and the brand new Google Tensor chipset, the Google Pixel 6a did not miss out on any of the most effective good options or the boosted efficiency. To save cash, the 6a had a smaller display screen with a 60Hz refresh charge (as a substitute of 90Hz), the principle digital camera was solely 12.2MP (compared to 50MP) and the charging velocity was restricted to 18W (down from 25W).

11 Pixel 7 / Pixel 7 Professional

Constructing on the strides made by the Pixel 6, the Pixel 7 sequence refined the design, sharpening the digital camera strip and including curved edges to the handset. The battery was made larger, new colours had been launched, and the Tensor chipset was upgraded. Extra good options got here with that, particularly for the digital camera, including Photograph Unblur to sharpen shaky photographs and a brand new Evening Sight to brighten photographs taken in low mild.

12 Pixel 7a

The Google Pixel 7a is not wildly totally different from the Pixel 7 — it is a little bit smaller and a little bit cheaper, nevertheless it appears very comparable and also you get the identical AI options. You make some sacrifices for the lower cost, like the general efficiency and the standard of the digital camera system. However the Pixel 7a is among the finest worth Pixels but.

13 Pixel Fold

With the Pixel Fold, Google dipped its toe into the world of foldable telephones for the primary time in 2023. It options an enormous 7.6-inch foldable display screen on the within and a 5.8-inch cowl show on the surface. Simply as you’d discover on Google’s flagship smartphones, it has a really succesful digital camera system, up-to-date AI options, and Google’s Tensor G2 processor.

14 Pixel 8 / Pixel 8 Professional

Most just lately, in late 2023, Google launched the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro. It is essentially the most convincing Pixel so far due to the newest Google Tensor G3 chipset, its light-weight design, and longer battery life. In traditional Google trend, there are some new options to mess around with too, just like the assistant’s potential to summarize internet pages, the digital camera’s Finest Take function to modify folks’s facial expressions between photographs, and the Magic Editor to resize and transfer objects in your photographs.