5 Things To Expect At Google's Fall Event

The Future Of The Pixel

One thing is clear from Google's recent moves: The tech giant wants to be seen as a serious player in the premium smartphone market. In September, Google reached a $1.1 billion deal with HTC to bring more of the team working on its Pixel smartphones in-house. "We’re excited about the 2017 lineup, but even more inspired by what’s in store over the next five, 10, even 20 years," said Rick Osterloh, Google's senior vice president for hardware, in a blog post.

By all indications, that 2017 Pixel lineup will be unveiled Wednesday, during an event Google said it has scheduled to introduce "a few new things." The event comes one year after the debut of the Pixel, and is expected to see the reveal of Google's Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones. Rumors suggest that the Pixelbook laptop, additional Google Home devices and other products may also be on the way.

In the following slides, we've rounded up what you need to know about the announcements expected at Google's Oct. 4 event.

Pixel 2 XL

The larger version of the new Google smartphone line, the Pixel 2 XL, is rumored to be getting the most significant upgrades. The exact display size hasn't been reported, but the screen is expected to feature QHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution and a curved design. The display may also have a minimal bezel, similar to this year's "edge-to-edge" Samsung phones, the Galaxy S8 and Note8.

In addition, rumors suggest the Pixel 2 XL will include a dual-camera setup (with optical image stabilization); a large battery (3520mAh); water resistance (IP67 rating) and Gorilla Glass 5; and Qualcomm's top-of-the-line Snapdragon 835 processor. What the phone won't have, according to rumors, is a 3.5mm headphone jack. Pricing is expected to start at $849 for a model with 64 GB of storage, while a 128-GB model for $949 is also expected.

Pixel 2

Like with the Pixel 2 XL, details haven’t been reported about the exact size for the Pixel 2 display. And rumors suggest the display won't have some of the allure of the XL model, either -- it's expected to stick with FHD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution and bezels above and below the screen, like with the original Pixel. Features that it should have in common with the Pixel 2 XL include the Snapdragon 835 processor, Gorilla Glass 5, and IP67 water resistance -- but not the dual camera, curved screen or large battery (rumors suggest a more modest 2700mAh battery size). The Pixel 2 is also expected to forgo the headphone jack like the Pixel 2 XL. Rumored pricing for the Pixel 2 is $649 for the entry-level 64-GB model and $749 for a 128-GB model.

Pixelbook

Google last released its own notebook in 2015, with an update to the Chromebook Pixel. On Wednesday, rumors suggest Google will use its event to debut a new entrant in the notebook market, dubbed the Pixelbook. The Pixelbook is expected to be a 2-in-1 notebook, with a touch screen that can fold all the way back for use in tablet mode. A digital stylus, the Pixelbook Pen, will be sold separately, according to reports. It's unclear whether the Pixelbook will run Google's Chromebook operating system, Chrome OS; rumors point to the Pixelbook coming with options for a large amount of internal storage, which really isn't needed for web-only Chrome OS devices. That has prompted speculation that Google may have a different operating system in store for the Pixelbook.

Reports say the starting price for the Pixelbook will be $1,199 for a model with 128 GB of storage, while a 256-GB model will be offered for $1,399 and a 512-GB model for $1,749. The Pixelbook Pen is expected to be priced at $99.

New Google Home Models

Google introduced its voice-controlled smart speaker, the Google Home, at its event last October. And things have apparently gone well enough that Google is ready to expand the lineup, with rumors suggesting that one or two new models could be unveiled Wednesday. The most likely model is the Home Mini, a $49 model aimed at rivaling Amazon's Echo Dot. Rumors suggest the Mini will have the same basic features as the original Google Home -- with the Google Assistant running the show -- but will have a less-powerful speaker.

The other possible new model is the Home Max, which rumors suggest may go in the other direction and offer a larger speaker setup than the original Home. With the Home Max, Google may be looking to square off with the likes of Apple's HomePod, reports suggest.

Additional Products

Google may have more in store on Wednesday than just new Pixel phones, the Pixelbook and new Home speakers. Rumors suggest that an updated Daydream View virtual-reality headset is expected to be unveiled for $99, while headphones that connect to the Google Assistant -- potentially over-the-ear wireless headphones -- may be coming out as well. Few specifics have been reported on so far about the new Daydream or Google Assistant headphones,al though in the latter case, a wireless headphones offering from Google makes sense given the rumored elimination of the headphone jack in the Pixel 2 models.