The Pixel 7 series won’t hit stores for another eight months, but the first specs rumors for the next-gen Google flagship are already here. That’s not a surprising development, considering that Google’s Pixel secrets leak well in advance of the hardware’s release. Also, the actual details that have leaked aren’t major surprises, as they concern the kind of specs we expect to see upgraded on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro series.
The $599 Pixel 6 is a great choice for fans of Google hardware or smartphone buyers looking for affordable flagships. The phone features a bold new design that fits a flagship device and delivers Google’s first custom processor. The first-gen Tensor isn’t the best System-on-Chip in town, but it can certainly hold its own. And the Pixel 6 features the first under-display fingerprint sensor for a Google phone and improved camera specs.
Those looking to spend a little more for the larger Pixel 6 Pro will get a third camera lens, also a first for the Pixel series. They also get more RAM, a larger battery, and a selfie camera upgrade.
That’s to say the Pixel 6 specs are going to hold up until the Pixel 7 arrives, although the late 2021 Google phones will have to fend off the Galaxy S22 series and all the Android flagship featuring 2022 hardware.
The first Pixel 7 specs leak
The Pixel 6 phones aren’t perfect, however. A series of issues have plagued the Pixel 6 release, with Google still fixing some problems. Connectivity issues are on the list of Pixel 6 annoyances that buyers experience. The first Pixel 7 specs rumor suggests Google’s next-gen phones will feature a brand new Samsung modem.
Per 9to5Google, that’s a “g5300b” modem that might be the unreleased Exynos 5300 modem. The Pixel 6 series modem is listed as “g5123b” in code, which translates to Exynos Modem 5123 in real life.
The specs leak also indicates that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will feature a next-gen Tensor SoC. The new modem is part of the next-gen Tensor chip, identified in code as GS201. For reference, the Pixel 6’s Tensor SoC is codenamed GS101.
The report also indicates that Google will release at least two devices in the fall, likely the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Like their predecessors, the Pixel 7 will probably continue to have similar designs and share the bulk of the specs list.
9to5Google found three codenames in Google code that might refer to the upcoming Pixel 7 phones. First up are Cheetah and Panther, which probably represent the new Pixel 7 phones. Google will apparently use feline-based codenames for this year’s phones. Last year’s models were based on birds. Even the unreleased Pixel Notepad foldable is called Pipit internally. Previously, Google used fish-based internal names for all its smartphones.
Finally, there’s a third device that seems to be a mix of birds and cats. Ravenclaw might be a Pixel 6 Pro that rocks some of the Pixel 7 specs for testing purposes. Like the second-gen Tensor SoC. While Pixel leaks often come true, we’ll point out that they’re just rumors at this time.
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