Google addresses Pixel and Pixel XL microphone issue, suggests user to replace their units

By tech2 News Staff /  10 Mar 2017 , 12:45

Google’s in-house smartphones, the Pixel and the Pixel XL have been well received. The handsets not only provide the best Android experience but also come with one of the best smartphone cameras.

However, the smartphones have not been perfect. Back in January we heard about an issue where certain Pixel and Pixel XL owners had complained about bad speaker performance with crackling noise. The issue was thankfully resolved as it was a software issue, rather than a hardware issue, which was fixed via a software update.

Now a new issue has turned up which could be a more serious issue. Certain Google Pixel owners have shown concern on Reddit and Google’s support forums saying that their units are having trouble with the microphone. The unresponsive microphone is a rather serious issue as users are unable to make phone calls.

Following the numerous complaints, Brian Rakowski from Google joined the discussion and confirmed that there is an issue and is probably hardware related. It was likely caused by a crack in the solder connection on the audio codec.

Rakowski further said “It’s possible that some replacement phones were not properly qualified before we understood this issue, but that’s no longer the case, additional steps to reinforce the connection at time of manufacture on phones built since January.”

So basically a software update is not an option anymore. Google will replace the faulty units and is taking steps to make sure that replacement units don’t have any similar issues.

Google will announce two new high-end Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches early next year

By tech2 News Staff /  23 Dec 2016 , 17:31

The smartwatch market hasn’t quite paced up, but the good news is that Google is going to launch two new products next year. We’ve heard about them in the past where a report suggested that it will be fully made by Google just like the Pixel smartphones.

Android Wear product manager at Google, Jeff Chang, told the Verge that the new watches will be the flagship Android Wear 2.0 devices and will be the first ones to launch with the new platform. However he debunked the previous rumours around the manufacturing by confirming that the new models will not have Google or Pixel branding. Instead Google is working closely with a manufacturer which will have all the rights to use its name. We don’t quite know the company yet but Chang confirmed that brand has produced Android Wear devices in the past and has worked on the hardware, design and software integration for the watches.

The new watch announcement will also be the launchpad for the highly awaited Android Wear 2.0 update. Google had showcased the update at the annual Google I/O developer conference and had set a launch time-frame of fall. However the update has seen some delays and will most likely start rolling by next year.

The new Android Wear 2.0 will bring features including a whole new interface, standalone apps that don’t require a phone to work, support for Android Pay, and support for Google Assistant.  If you are waiting for the new update then let us tell you that not every Android Wear watch will be updated, but most of the recent models will. Some models might also miss out on certain features like Android Pay which requires a built-in NFC chip. While Google has been rolling developer previews of the Android Wear 2.0 platform, expect a final rollout in January.

There were rumours that two new Android Watches would be launched at the Google October hardware event, which saw the launch of the pixel. The watches were called Sailfish and Angelfish.

While we are on the subject of updates, here is a full list of all the devices that will get the new Android Wear 2.0 update:

-Moto 360 Gen 2
-Moto 360 Sport
-LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE
-LG Watch Urbane
-LG G Watch R
-Polar M600
-Casio Smart Outdoor Watch
-Nixon Mission
-Tag Heuer Connected
-Fossil Q Wander
-Fossil Q Marshal
-Fossil Q Founder
-Michael Kors Access Bradshaw Smartwatch
-Michael Kors Access Dylan Smartwatch
-Huawei Watch
-Huawei Watch Ladies
-Asus ZenWatch 2
-Asus ZenWatch 3

Google is going for Apple like profit margins with its Pixel phones

By tech2 News Staff /  26 Oct 2016 , 15:58

The Pixel smartphone is rivalling the iPhone in terms of pricing, but Google is also going for Apple like profit margins according to reports by Bloomberg and CNET. The reports are based on findings of IHS Markit, a leading company dealing in analytics, expertise and information.

IHS Markit has found out the detailed bill of materials for the iPhone 7, and not yet the iPhone 7 Plus. The bill of materials for the Google Pixel XL is comparable to that of the iPhone 7 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

Exploded Apple iPhone 7 view. Source: IHS Markit.

Andrew Rassweiler, senior director of cost benchmarking services for IHS Markit says “Total BOM costs for the Google Pixel XL are, not surprisingly, in line with those of other competitors, because the supply base and specs are very similar from

Many Android 7.1 Nougat features, including Google Assistant, are exclusive to the Pixel

By Rob Thubron on October 6, 2016, 8:30 AM



Google finally unveiled its long-rumored Pixel smartphones earlier this week. They will be the first to launch with Android 7.1 Nougat, but many of the Pixels’ best features, such as the new Google Assistant, won’t appear on other Android devices, including Google’s own Nexus series, when the OS arrives.

An Android 7.1 Nougat changelog leaked to Android Police shows which new features will appear in the upcoming operating system, as well as those that are Pixel-only. Google confirmed that the information is accurate is to TechCrunch.

The absence of the AI-powered helper will come as disappointment to those who expected to see the Siri/Cortana/Alexa rival on every handset receiving Android 7.1 Nougat. Google Assistant is essentially a more advanced version of Google Now, able to engage in two-way conversations with users, perform complex tasks, and learn and recall personal information from previous conversations for context.

Other Pixel exclusives include the free, unlimited photo and video (in their original quality) cloud backup service; the smart storage feature, which automatically removes old, backed up images/videos when the storage is full; and the Pixel Camera and Launcher apps. 24-hour phone/chat support and screen-share functionality will also be limited to the Pixel phones.

There are some interesting new features coming to all devices that receive Android 7.1, though. There’s the Night Light blue filter, which changes the color temperature of a display at night. A Daydream VR mode is also on its way, along with support for sliding down on the fingerprint sensor to open the notification bar.

Google did say that its Assistant would eventually be arriving on other Android devices, just don’t expect it soon. Ultimately, the company will likely replace Google Now with its more advanced version of the assistant.

"Our goal is to make the Google Assistant widely available to users, and we’ll continue to launch new surfaces over the course of the next year," a Google spokesperson told TechCrunch.

The developer preview of Android 7.1 arrives later this month. Google hasn’t said when it will come to phones other than the Pixel.

Google Event: You can expect hardware, AI and VR announcements today

By Aditya Madanapalle /  04 Oct 2016 , 11:28

Google’s big October event is just hours away, and there are expected to be a number of major announcements. We might be on the verge of an extraordinary push into Hardware by Google, especially considering the event url is called Made by Google. The biggest announcement is expected to be the launch of two new high end Android handsets, that will let Google compete directly with Apple. There are further announcements expected for Google Home, Allo, the Daydream platform, and Chromecast. This is going to be an exciting confluence of hardware, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

Pixel and Pixel XLThere were reports as far back as June that Google was in talks with hardware manufacturers to release in house devices. Two new smartphones from Google are expected to be launched at the event, and they seem to be positioned as the direct competition to the Apple iPhone 7 and the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. They are premium smartphones, with high end specifications, with custom software, and Google Assistant baked right in, to take on Siri. The Pixel phones are expected to come with unlimited cloud storage for photos and videos, that too in the original resolution. This is an attractive feature that will heavily convenience users, as they can easily forget about managing photos and let Google do all the hard work.

The Pixel Xl and the Pixel

The Pixel reportedly sports a 5.2-inch screen, whereas the slightly larger Pixel XL is expected to have a 5.5-inch  screen. Google finally stepping in to take on Apple products, comes towards the end of a year with a number of premium smartphones launches, including the OnePlus 3, LG G5, Huawei P9, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. While still a niche category in India, there is