All of the rumors and every thing we wish to see

I used to be genuinely excited by the Google Pixel Pill when it was first revealed. A media consumption pill that additionally doubles as a Nest Hub? Signal me up.

Sadly, the fact wasn’t fairly the identical because the promise. Whereas it’s a superb first effort, there’s loads of room for enchancment. After all, we in all probability have a very long time to go earlier than the following Pixel Pill arrives, nevertheless it’s nonetheless enjoyable to take a position.

Will there be a Pixel Pill 2?

Google launched the Pixel Pill at I/O 2023 in Might final yr. Nevertheless, there have been many leaks, rumors, and even official confirmations that preceded its launch. Issues have been fairly quiet so far as the Pixel Pill 2 is worried.

That mentioned, new codenames noticed within the first beta of Android 14 QPR3 seem like placeholders for the Pixel Pill 2. These citrus-themes names — Kiyomi being a hybrid Japanese citrus fruit — match the codename for the unique Pixel Pill, which had the moniker “Tangor” whereas in growth. This leads us to consider that Google may certainly be engaged on the next-generation Pixel Pill. Nevertheless, that is all hypothesis as of now, with no concrete proof of the slate’s existence.

Google may inform us extra in regards to the Pixel Pill 2 at I/O 2024 or not. The corporate teased the unique Pixel Pill for an entire yr earlier than launching it, so it may need one thing related deliberate for the following one.

Pixel Pill 2 wishlist: What we wish to see

Listed below are just some issues we’d like to see from a Pixel Pill 2 if Google needs to take this concept to the following stage.

The Pixel Pill has the potential to exchange the Nest Hub sequence, however not in its present kind. I hope to see these points addressed sooner or later.

A few of the options at present lacking embody assist for continued conversations, the power to manually modify sensitivity for ‘Hey Google’ instructions, and movement gesture assist. I beloved the power to pause music by merely waving at my Google Nest Hub Max, however the obligatory know-how for this isn’t out there within the present Pixel Pill.

Whereas the Pixel Pill’s Hub mode can replicate a number of the Nest Hub’s dashboard options, it falls far in need of delivering an equally intuitive expertise. At current, it feels extra like a elaborate screensaver. To really create a tool able to changing a Nest Hub, Google must mirror the Nest Hub expertise extra intently.

Moreover, I’d wish to see the return of the Nest Hub Max’s Nest Cam options. Whereas these is probably not as strong as devoted safety cameras, they’re nonetheless a worthwhile function to have.

The Google Pixel Pill operates equally to an Android telephone, which signifies that in case you’re not totally logged in, Assistant performance will be considerably restricted. Some instructions could immediate you to unlock your telephone for safety causes. Whereas that is comprehensible from a safety standpoint, it may well considerably undermine the aim of getting the pill docked.

To deal with this, Google ought to higher differentiate its docked performance from its pill mode, offering a complete expertise that features like all good speaker or good hub when docked, with the choice to entry extra superior options by logging into the complete pill mode.

One method to reaching this might contain equipping the good speaker with its personal processing capabilities and offering it with the identical Fuchsia-based performance because the Nest Hub when docked. This brings us to our subsequent suggestion.

When purchased individually, the Pixel Pill Charging Dock prices $130, a $30 premium over the Nest Audio. You’d assume meaning it’s simply as succesful or much more so. Nope. The Charging Dock has one function: connecting your pill and offering a greater speaker expertise than you’d get on the pill instantly.

I really feel it is a large missed alternative. The Charging Dock ought to have been a real Nest Audio system with its personal SoC. For one, it may have probably dealt with the Fuschia OS and given us a real Nest Hub expertise, with the Pixel Pill appearing extra as a show when docked than a real Android system.

One other huge cause the dock wants extra performance is that it turns into a paperweight if somebody is utilizing the Pixel Pill. This may not matter a lot for single-person households however for households, it will have made all of the distinction.

In case your vital different is utilizing the pill and you’ll want to ask the Dock one thing it may have served up a full Nest Audio expertise. It may have additionally allowed you to effortlessly solid songs from the Pixel Pill to the dock by way of Bluetooth, even when it wasn’t instantly related.

The Pixel Pill has fairly respectable sound high quality for a pill, however I’d like to listen to extra from the dock. At the moment, there’s a 43.5mm driver, the identical dimension because the smaller Nest Hub. That’s rather a lot smaller than the 75mm drivers discovered within the Nest Audio and Nest Hub Max. These two units even have devoted tweeters, one thing the Dock lacks. Whereas the sound high quality isn’t horrible, for a tool that prices $500, you’d anticipate one thing extra akin to Google’s higher-end audio merchandise.

I’m not going to fault Google for going with an LCD show as that is in all probability a greater match for a tool that’s designed to remain actively out there on a dock. AMOLED is considerably susceptible to burn-in and different points, in spite of everything. Nonetheless, 60Hz is fairly unforgivable for a pill that prices $500. On the very least I’d wish to see 90Hz right here, although 120Hz could be even higher.

Whereas the dock serves as a big promoting level for the Pixel Pill, what in case you’re merely a Pixel fan searching for a bigger display expertise and never essentially enthusiastic in regards to the good dwelling hub idea? For that cause, I’d like to see Google provide the Pixel Pill 2 as a stand-alone buy. In truth, I’d additionally like to see the next-gen Dock billed as a stand-alone system as nicely — flip it right into a next-gen Nest Audio that additionally doubles as a magnetic stand for Pixel Pill 2 homeowners.

• Google Pixel Pill — June 20, 2023

Whereas I definitely hope to see a Google Pixel Pill 2 sooner or later, nothing is ready in stone. The Pixel Pill has acquired a blended reception, and Google has a considerably unpredictable historical past in relation to new merchandise that don’t instantly yield the specified outcomes. Google Stadia definitely involves thoughts, however Google’s graveyard is plagued by merchandise that by no means fairly made the dent many hoped they might. A few of these had been genuinely nice concepts; others had been a bit extra questionable.

For now, I stay hopeful {that a} Pixel Pill 2 will occur, particularly contemplating Google has been placing appreciable sources into optimizing its Android OS for bigger screens and foldables. They’ve additionally labored to include a few of Nest’s options into its hub mode, together with different code adjustments that point out they aren’t completed but.

Even when we do see it, it gained’t probably be till the Summer time of 2024 on the earliest.

Contemplating the Pixel Pill 2 is not less than a yr off, there’s no cause to attend. The extra vital query is whether or not it’s best to go for the Google Pixel Pill or discover different choices. In the event you’re searching for an distinctive high-end pill expertise or a strong Google Assistant-driven hub, we’d actually suggest trying elsewhere.

Nonetheless, the Google Pixel Pill could possibly be excellent if you’re on the lookout for a pill greatest fitted to watching films, YouTube, or posting to social whereas lounging about the home. Simply don’t anticipate it to be a gaming or productiveness powerhouse. It’s additionally a succesful sufficient hub, simply to not the identical diploma as Google’s devoted good shows.