Google Pixel

Pixel and Pixel XL

 

Google announced the first generation Pixel smartphones, the Pixel and the Pixel XL, on October 4, 2016 during the #MadeByGoogle event. Google emphasized the camera on the two phones, which ranked as the best smartphone camera on DxOMarkMobile with 90 points until HTC released the U11, which also scored 90 points. This is largely due to software optimizations such as HDR+. The Pixel phones also include unlimited cloud storage for pictures on Google Photos and, for devices purchased directly from Google, an unlockable bootloader. In 2019, a class action lawsuit over faulty microphones in some devices enabled Pixel owners to claim up to $500 in compensation.

• Display: 5.0" 60 Hz AMOLED display with 1080×1920 pixel resolution (Pixel); 5.5" AMOLED 60 Hz display with 1440×2560 pixel resolution (Pixel XL)
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
• Storage: UFS 2.0 with 32 GB or 128 GB
• RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4
• Cameras: 12.3 MP rear camera Sony Exmore IMX378 sensor with f/2.0 lens and IR laser-assisted autofocus; 1.55 μm pixel size. 8 MP front camera with f/2.4 lens
• Battery: 2,770 mAh (Pixel); 3,450 mAh (Pixel XL); both are non-removable and have fast charging
• Materials: Aluminum unibody design with hybrid coating; IP53 water and dust resistance
• Colors: Very Silver   , Quite Black   or Really Blue   (Limited Edition)
• Operating system: Android 7.1 Nougat; upgradable to Android 10

Pixel 2 and 2 XL

 

Google announced the Pixel 2 series, consisting of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, on October 4, 2017.

• Display: 5.0" AMOLED 60 Hz display with 1080×1920 pixel resolution (Pixel 2); 6" P-OLED 60 Hz display with 1440×2880 pixel resolution (Pixel 2 XL); Both displays have Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• Storage: UFS 2.1 with 64 GB or 128 GB
• RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4X
• Cameras: 12.2 MP rear camera Sony Exmor IMX362 with f/1.8 lens, IR laser-assisted autofocus, optical and electronic image stabilization; 8 MP front camera with f/2.4 lens
• Battery: 2,700 mAh (Pixel 2); 3,520 mAh (Pixel 2 XL); both are non-removable and have fast charging
• Materials: Aluminum unibody design with hybrid coating; IP67 water and dust resistance
• Colors: Just Black   , Clearly White   or Kinda Blue   (Pixel 2); Just Black   or Black and White    (Pixel 2 XL)
• Operating system: Android 8.0 Oreo; upgradable to Android 11

Pixel 3 and 3 XL

 

Google announced the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL at an event on October 9, 2018, alongside several other products.

• Display: Pixel 3 5.5" OLED, 60 Hz, 2160×1080 (18:9> pixel resolution; Pixel 3 XL 6.3" OLED, 60 Hz, 2960×1440 (18.5:9) pixel resolution; both displays have Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
• Storage: UFS 2.1 with 64 GB or 128 GB
• RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4X
• Cameras: 12.2 MP rear camera Sony Exmor IMX363 with f/1.8 lens, IR laser-assisted autofocus, optical and electronic image stabilization; 8 MP front camera with f/1.8 lens and 75° lens, second front camera with 8 MP, f/2.2, fixed focus and 97° lens; stereo audio added to video recording
• Battery: 2,915 mAh (Pixel 3); 3,430 mAh (Pixel 3 XL); both are non-removable and have fast charging and wireless charging
• Materials: Aluminum frame, matte glass back, IP68 water and dust resistance
• Colors: Just Black   , Clearly White   , and Not Pink  
• Operating system: Android 9; upgradable to Android 12

Pixel 3a and 3a XL

On May 7, at I/O 2019, Google announced the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, budget alternatives to the original two Pixel 3 devices.

• Display: Pixel 3a 5.6" OLED, 60 Hz, 2220×1080 (18.5:9) pixel resolution; Pixel 3a XL 6" OLED, 60 Hz, 2160x1080 (18:9) pixel resolution; both displays have Asahi Dragontrail Glass
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 670
• Storage: 64 GB
• RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4X
• Cameras: 12.2 MP rear camera with f/1.8 lens, IR laser-assisted autofocus, optical and electronic image stabilization; 8 MP front camera with f/2.0 lens and 84° lens
• Battery: 3,000 mAh (Pixel 3a); 3700 mAh (Pixel 3a XL); both are non-removable and have fast charging, but no wireless charging
• Materials: Polycarbonate body
• Colors: Just Black   , Clearly White   and Purple-ish  
• Operating system: Android 9, upgradable to Android 12

Pixel 4 and 4 XL

Google announced the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL at an event on October 15, 2019, alongside several other products.

• Display: Pixel 4 5.7" OLED, 90 Hz, 2280×1080 (19:9) pixel resolution; Pixel 4 XL 6.3" OLED, 90 Hz, 3040×1440 (19:9) pixel resolution; both displays have Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• Storage: 64 GB or 128 GB
• RAM: 6 GB LPDDR4X
• Cameras: 12.2 MP sensor with f/1.8 lens and 16 MP telephoto sensor with f/2.4 lens, IR laser-assisted autofocus, optical and electronic image stabilization; 8 MP front camera with f/2.0 lens and 90° lens
• Battery: 2,800 mAh (Pixel 4); 3,700 mAh (Pixel 4 XL); both are non-removable and have fast charging and wireless charging
• Materials: Aluminum frame, matte or glossy glass back, IP68 water and dust resistance
• Colors: Just Black   , Clearly White   and Oh So Orange  
• Operating system: Android 10, upgradable to Android 13

In 2019, Google offered a bug bounty of up to $1.5 million for the Titan M security chip built into Pixel 3, Pixel 3a and Pixel 4.

Pixel 4a and 4a (5G)

Google announced the Pixel 4a on August 3, 2020 and the Pixel 4a (5G) on September 30, 2020, as budget alternatives to the original two Pixel 4 devices.

• Display: 5.8" OLED (4a) 6.2" OLED (4a 5G), 60 Hz, 2340×1080 (19.5:9) pixel resolution; the display uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Both have a hole punch for the front camera.
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G (4a); Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (4a 5G)
• Storage: 128 GB
• RAM: 6 GB LPDDR4X
• Camera: 12.2 MP dual-pixel sensor with f/1.7 lens, autofocus with dual-pixel phase detection, optical and electrical image stabilization. In addition, the 4a 5G has a 16 MP ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 lens. Both have an 8 MP front camera with f/2.0 lens.
• Battery: 3,140 mAh (4a); Typical - 3,885 mAh, Minimum - 3,800 mAh (4a 5G); both are non-removable and feature all day battery as well as fast charging
• Materials: Polycarbonate body
• Colors: Just Black   or Barely Blue   (Limited Edition) (Pixel 4a); Just Black   or Clearly White   (Pixel 4a 5G)
• Operating System: Android 10, upgradable to Android 13 (4a); Android 11 (4a 5G), upgradable to Android 14

Pixel 5

Google announced the Pixel 5 on September 30, 2020.

• Display: 6.0" OLED, 90 Hz, 2340×1080 (19.5:9) pixel resolution; the display uses Corning Gorilla Glass 6.
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
• Storage: 128 GB
• RAM: 8 GB LPDDR4X
• Camera: 12.2 MP sensor with f/1.7 lens and 16 MP ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 lens, autofocus with dual-pixel phase detection, optical and electrical image stabilization; 8 MP front camera with f/2.0 lens.
• Battery: 4,080 mAh; it is non-removable and features fast charging and wireless charging, all day battery, and Battery Share.
• Materials: Brushed aluminum body, IP68 water and dust resistance
• Colors: Just Black   and Sorta Sage  
• Operating System: Android 11, upgradable to Android 14

Pixel 5a

Google announced the Pixel 5a on August 17, 2021.

• Display: 6.34" OLED, 60 Hz, 2400×1080 (20:9) pixel resolution; the display uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It has a hole punch for the front camera.
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
• Storage: 128 GB
• RAM: 6 GB LPDDR4X
• Camera: 12.2 MP sensor with f/1.7 lens and 16 MP ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 lens, autofocus with dual-pixel phase detection, optical and electrical image stabilization; 8 MP front camera with f/2.0 lens.
• Battery: 4,680 mAh; non-removable and features all day battery as well as fast charging
• Materials: Brushed aluminum body, IP67 water and dust resistance
• Colors: Mostly Black  
• Operating System: Android 11, upgradable to Android 14

Pixel 6 and 6 Pro

Google announced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro on October 19, 2021.

• Display: Pixel 6 6.4" OLED, 90 Hz, 2400×1080 FHD+ pixel resolution; Pixel 6 Pro 6.7" LTPO OLED, 120 Hz, 3120×1440 QHD+ pixel resolution; both have Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
• Processor: Google Tensor
• Storage: Pixel 6 128 or 256 GB; Pixel 6 Pro 128, 256, or 512 GB
• RAM: 8 GB LPDDR5 (Pixel 6); 12 GB LPDDR5 (Pixel 6 Pro)
• Cameras:
  • Pixel 6: Rear 50 MP sensor with f/1.85 lens, laser detect autofocus, optical image stabilization; Rear 12 MP ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 lens; Front 8 MP sensor with f/2.0 lens and 84° field of view;
  • Pixel 6 Pro: Rear 50 MP sensor with f/1.85 lens, laser detect autofocus, optical image stabilization; Rear 12 MP ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 lens; Rear 48 MP telephoto sensor with f/3.5 lens; Front 11.1 MP front camera with f/2.2 lens and 94° field of view.
• Battery: 4,614 mAh (Pixel 6); 5,003 mAh (Pixel 6 Pro); both are non-removable and have fast charging, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging
• Materials: Aluminum frame, glass back, IP68 water and dust resistance
• Colors: Pixel 6 Stormy Black   , Kinda Coral   and Sorta Seafoam   ; Pixel 6 Pro Stormy Black   , Cloudy White   and Sorta Sunny  
• Operating system: Android 12, upgradable to Android 14, with minimum 3 years of major OS support and 5 years of security update support.

Pixel 6a

Google announced the Pixel 6a on May 11, 2022.

• Display: 6.1" OLED, 60 Hz, 2400×1080 (20:9) pixel resolution; the display uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It has a hole punch for the front camera.
• Processor: Google Tensor
• Storage: 128 GB
• RAM: 6 GB LPDDR5
• Camera: 12.2 MP sensor with f/1.7 lens and 12 MP ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 lens, autofocus with dual-pixel phase detection, optical and electrical image stabilization; 8 MP front camera with f/2.0 lens.
• Battery: 4,410 mAh; non-removable battery with 18 W charging
• Materials: Aluminum frame, plastic back, IP67 water and dust resistance
• Colors: Charcoal   , Chalk   and Sage  
• Operating System: Android 12, upgradable to Android 14, with minimum 3 years of major OS support and 5 years of security update support.

Pixel 7 and 7 Pro

Google announced the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro on October 6, 2022.

• Display: Pixel 7 6.3" OLED, 90 Hz, 2400×1080 FHD+ pixel resolution; Pixel 7 Pro 6.7" LTPO OLED, 120 Hz, 3120×1440 QHD+ pixel resolution; both have Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
• Processor: Google Tensor G2
• Storage: Pixel 7 128 or 256 GB; Pixel 7 Pro 128, 256, or 512 GB
• RAM: 8 GB LPDDR5 (Pixel 7); 12 GB LPDDR5 (Pixel 7 Pro)
• Cameras: Pixel 7 Rear 50 MP sensor with f/1.85 lens and 12 MP ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 lens, front 8 MP sensor with f/2.2 lens and 92.8° field of view; Pixel 7 Pro Rear 50 MP sensor with f/1.85 lens, 12 MP ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 lens and 48 MP telephoto sensor with f/3.5 lens, front 11.1 MP sensor with f/2.2 lens and 92.8° field of view; Laser detect autofocus, optical image stabilization.
• Battery: 4,355 mAh (Pixel 7); 5,000 mAh (Pixel 7 Pro); both are non-removable and have fast charging, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging
• Materials: Aluminum frame, glass back, IP68 water and dust resistance
• Colors: Pixel 7 Obsidian   , Snow   and Lemongrass   ; Pixel 7 Pro Obsidian   , Snow   and Hazel  
• Operating system: Android 13, with minimum 3 years of major OS support and 5 years of security update support.

Pixel 7a

Google announced the Pixel 7a at its annual Google I/O on May 10, 2023.

• Display: 6.1" FHD OLED (2400 x 1080, 429ppi) 90 Hz, and has Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Processor: Google Tensor G2
• Storage: 128 GB
• Memory: 8 GB
• Camera: Rear 64MP (f/1.89) main; 13MP (f/2.2) (ultrawide); Front 13MP (f/2.2)
• Battery: Non-removable 4385 mAh battery, and has fast charging and wireless charging
• Materials: Aluminium frame, plastic back, IP67 dust/water resistant
• Colors: Charcoal   , Sea   , Snow   and Coral  
• Operating System: Android 13

Pixel Fold

Google announced the Pixel Fold at its annual Google I/O on May 10, 2023.

• Display: 5.8" FHD OLED (1080 x 2092, 408ppi) 120 Hz with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus [External Cover Display]; 7.6" OLED (2208 x 1840, 380ppi) 120 Hz [Internal Folding Display]
• Processor: Google Tensor G2
• Storage: 256 or 512 GB
• RAM: 12 GB LPDDR5
• Camera: Rear 48MP (f/1.7) main, 10.8MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10.8MP (f/3.05) telephoto; Front 9.5MP (f/2.2); Inner 8MP (f/2.0)
• Battery: Non-removable 4821 mAh (typical) battery with Qi-certified wireless charging
• Materials: Aluminum frame, Stainless steel hinge, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Back, IPX8 water resistance
• Colors: Obsidian   and Porcelain  
• Operating System: Android 13

Pixel 8 and 8 Pro

Tablets

Pixel C

The Pixel C was announced by Google at an event on September 29, 2015, alongside the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P phones (among other products). The Pixel C includes a USB-C port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The device shipped with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, and later received Android 7.x Nougat and Android 8.x Oreo. Google stopped selling the Pixel C in December 2017.

• Display: 10.2" display with 2560×1800 pixel resolution
• Processor: NVIDIA Tegra X1
• Storage: 32 or 64 GB
• RAM: 3 GB
• Cameras: 8 MP rear camera; 2 MP front camera
• Battery: 9,000 mAh (non-removable)

Pixel Slate

The Pixel Slate, a 12.3 in (31 cm) 2-in-1 tablet and laptop, was announced by Google in New York City on October 9, 2018, alongside the Pixel 3 and 3 XL. The Pixel Slate includes two USB-C ports but omits the headphone jack. The device runs ChromeOS on Intel Kaby Lake processors, with options ranging from a Celeron on the low end to an i7 on the high end. In June 2019, Google announced it will not further develop the product line, and cancelled two models that were under development.

Pixel Tablet

The Pixel Tablet was announced by Google at I/O 2022. It comes with a stand, similar to that of a Home Hub; however, it is detachable. It was released on June 20, 2023.

• Display: 10.95" LCD (2,560 x 1,600, 16:10 aspect ratio), 60 Hz, 500 nits
• Processor: Google Tensor G2
• Storage: 128 GB or 256 GB; are non- expandable
• Memory: 8 GB LPDDR5 RAM
• Camera: Rear and front: 8MP ( ƒ /2.0, 1/4" sensor, 1.12 μm, 84° FoV) fixed-focus
• Battery: Non removable 7,020mAh; charges at 15W, both wired and through the dock; No wireless charging supported.
• Materials: Aluminium frame, nano ceramic back, no water/dust resistance
• Colors: Hazel   , Porcelain   and Rose   ; not available in certain areas.
• Operating system: Android 13 with Pixel UI, at least 3 years of software updates and 5 years of security updates

Laptops

Chromebook Pixel (2013)

 

Google announced the first-generation Chromebook Pixel in a blog post on February 21, 2013. The laptop includes an SD/multi-card reader, Mini DisplayPort, combination headphone/microphone jack, and two USB 2.0 ports. Some of the device's other features include a backlit keyboard, a "fully clickable etched glass touchpad," integrated stereo speakers, and two built-in microphones.

• Display: 12.85" display with 2560×1700 pixel resolution
• Processor: 3rd generation (Ivy Bridge) Intel Core i5 processor
• Storage: 32 GB internal storage and 1 TB Google Drive storage for 3 years
• RAM: 4 GB
• Battery: 59 Wh

Chromebook Pixel (2015)

On March 11, 2015, Google announced the second generation of the Chromebook Pixel in a blog post. The laptop includes two USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, and a combination headphone/microphone jack. The device also has a backlit keyboard, a "multi-touch, clickable glass touchpad," built-in stereo speakers, and two built-in microphones, among other features.

Google discontinued the 2015 Chromebook Pixel on August 29, 2016.

• Display: 12.85" display with 2560×1700 pixel resolution
• Processor: 5th generation (Broadwell) Intel Core i5 or i7 processor
• Storage: 32 or 64 GB internal storage and 1 TB Google Drive storage for 3 years
• RAM: 8 or 16 GB
• Battery: 72 Wh

Pixelbook

On October 4, 2017, Google launched the first generation of the Pixelbook at its Made by Google 2017 event.

• Display: 12.3" display with 2400×1600 pixel resolution (235 ppi)
• Processor: 7th generation (Kaby Lake) Intel Core i5 or i7 processor
• Storage: 128, 256, or 512 GB internal storage
• RAM: 8 or 16 GB

Pixelbook Go

On October 15, 2019, Google announced a mid-range version of the Pixelbook, named the Pixelbook Go, at its Made by Google 2019 event.

• Display: 13.3" display with 1920×1080 pixel resolution (166 ppi) or "Molecular Display" 3840×2160 pixel resolution (331 ppi)
• Processor: 8th generation (Amber Lake) Intel Core m3, i5 or i7 processor
• Storage: 64, 128, or 256 GB internal storage
• RAM: 8 or 16 GB
• Battery: 47 Wh, 56 Wh (Molecular Display)

Smartwatches

Pixel Watch

The Google Pixel Watch is a first-generation wearable made by Google that released in October, 2022. It features a circular display. Multiple wristbands for the watch are available on the Google Store for purchase.

Pixel Watch 2

The Pixel Watch 2 is a second-generation wearable made by Google that released in October, 2023. It features a similar design as the first-generation Pixel Watch's circular display. Multiple wristbands for the watch are available on the Google Store for purchase.

Accessories

Pixel Buds

At Google's October 2017 hardware event, a set of wireless earbuds were unveiled alongside the Pixel 2 smartphones. The earbuds are designed for phones running Android Marshmallow or higher, and work with Google Assistant. In addition to audio playback and answering calls, the earbuds support translation in 40 languages through Google Translate. The earbuds are able to auto pair with the Pixel 2 with the help of the Google Assistant and "Nearby". The Pixel Buds are available in the colors Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue. The earbuds have a battery capacity of 120 mAh while the charging case that comes with the Pixel Buds have a battery capacity of 620 mAh. The earbuds are priced at $159.

A second generation of Pixel Buds were released in 2020, omitting the cord between the two earbuds. In June 2021, a mid-range variant of the second-generation earbuds were released as the Pixel Buds A-Series.

At the 2022 Google I/O event, an enhanced version of the second-generation earbuds was announced and later released in May 2022, as the Pixel Buds Pro, which featured Active Noise Cancellation mode, transparency mode, and spatial audio (added in a subsequent software update). The "Pro" earbuds are priced at $199.

Pixelbook Pen

Alongside the launch of the Pixelbook in October 2017, Google announced the Pixelbook Pen, a stylus to be used with the Pixelbook. It has pressure sensitivity as well as support for Google Assistant. The Pen is powered by a replaceable AAAA battery and is priced at US$99.

Pixel Stand

In October 2018, Google announced the Pixel Stand alongside the Pixel 3 smartphones. In addition to standard 5 watt Qi wireless charging, the Pixel Stand has wireless 10 watt charging using a proprietary technology from Google. It also enables a software mode on the Pixel 3 that allows it to act as a smart display similar to the Google Home Hub. In October 2021, alongside the release of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones, a second-generation Pixel Stand was made to support the phones' new wireless charging speeds of 23 watts.

Software

Pixel UI (Pixel Launcher)

Pixel Launcher

Developer	Google
OS family	Unix-like (modified Linux kernel)
Working state	Current
Latest release	Android 14 / January 3, 2024; 3 months ago (2024-01-03)
Marketing target	Smartphones and tablet computers
Official website	pixel.google.com
Articles in the series
Android version history

Google Pixel UI is an Android skin used for the Pixel phones and the Pixel Tablet, and developed by Google. Starting from first generation of Google Pixel phones, Google had replaced the launcher for their smartphone with Pixel Launcher instead of Google Now Launcher which is the default launcher for Nexus series.

Unlike the Nexus phones, which Google shipped with "stock" Android (AOSP), the Pixel UI that came with the first generation Pixel phones were slightly modified compared to "stock" Android. Currently, Pixel UI and its home launcher are available on Pixel family devices only. (However, third-party modifications allow non-Pixel smartphones to install the Pixel Launcher with Google Now feed integration).

During the launch of Android 4.x "Ice Cream Sandwich", Google had started to replace some of the stock Android apps with Google apps, including the stock Android music apps with Google Play Music, and Android browser with Google Chrome. By the launch of Android 4.4.x "KitKat", most of the stock Android apps had been replaced with Google apps, such as the stock Android gallery being replaced with Google Photos, etc. This also includes the Android home launcher being replaced with the Google Now Launcher, allowing users to access to their Google Now feed more conveniently. However, the rest of the UI was still similar to stock Android, including the settings menu and toggles buttons colors.

Google officially launched the Pixel Launcher and Pixel UI together the Pixel phones; unlike the Google Now Launcher which allowed non Nexus phones to install, the Pixel Launcher was only available on the Pixel phones. Most Android smartphones including Nexus phones are not compatible with the launcher. Some of the modifications Google had done to differentiate Pixel UI with stock Android included the setting toggle's buttons colors, and 24/7 online support which allowed the user to get direct support from Google's customer support.

See also

• Android One
• Google Nexus
• Google Tensor
• List of Google Play edition devices
• List of Google products

References