🛫 Good morning! I’ve been compiling this newsletter on the way to Barcelona and finished it in the airport and train. My Spanish is terrible, but una Cortado, por favor!

Pixel 7 leaks

Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 7 leaks are out already and, wow, it’s only February?

Significance:

• A bunch of Pixel 7 renders from well known leaker @Onleaks, aka Steve Hemmerstoffer, backed up by leaks from David Kowalski (xleaks7) tell us a bunch, even if they don’t really show very much that’s interesting.
• The leaks themselves are not interesting: they look just like the Pixel 6 line, with refinements.
• It would make sense that the designs are not a dramatic change: the Pixel 6 represented a whole new design language and ethos, a distinctive look that Google might want to stick with for a while, and a new approach.
• It’s a consistent phone approach which shows at least some evolution towards maturity.
• This also keeps with Samsung and its choices in retaining a familiar design from the S21 to the S22.
• By the way, the speculation is CAD files were sent around, possibly to case manufacturers to get ready.

What we’re actually seeing:

• The main differences that we’re seeing in these early leaks, which may still see changes as the devices get closer to launching, are around the camera lenses.
• Larger lenses, different orientation. Er, that’s about it?
• Steve Hemmerstoffer is a reliable leaker — but lenses are weird to guess this far out so there are allowances for some variation to come.
• There is some sizing info, and it’s almost not at all different.
• The reported Google Pixel 7 Pro dimensions are 163 x 76.6 x 8.7mm compared to the Pixel 6 Pro’s dimensions of 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9mm. Make what you will of changes of less than a millimeter.
• The leaks for the Pixel 7 have the same kind of minute adjustments, nothing that would make you believe Google might be trying a different form factor or going for a compact device.

Leaks this early? What it might mean…

• Ok so are the leaks early, or are the devices early?
• Could this mean that Google will change its release schedule and aim to release the Pixel 7 at Google I/O in May?
• There’s a case to be made as to why that could work.
• Google has been an outlier with flagships in October but now with its own silicon, maybe things will change?
• Hadlee Simons from our team explains: “Google’s late-year release of its flagships traditionally meant it was at the tail-end of the latest Qualcomm silicon. However, it’s now using its own Tensor processor using blueprints from Arm. So sticking with an October launch window means it theoretically could be first to adopt Arm’s new IP, beating Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Samsung to the punch.”
• Mind you: sticking with October in a relatively quiet period, and alongside Apple, might just be when Google likes it.
• The other factor is the expected Pixel 6a. Previously, the rumor mill pointed to that coming out sooner rather than later, likely set for release at Google I/O.
• I haven’t seen a firm date yet for Google I/O but it’s usually in May – May 18th in 2021.

Roundup

👉 The OPPO Find X5 series is dropping as I type this newsletter, including the Pro which is bursting with top-level specs. More to come here – wait, stop press, there’s a review of the OPPO Find X5 Pro! I haven’t even read it yet! (Android Authority).

🔨 The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a pixel problem and Samsung is fixing it (Android Authority).

🔧 Modding of Android games now possible thanks to BlueStacks (Android Authority).

🤔 Google will kill Chrome for Android’s data-saving Lite Mode soon (Android Authority).

💻 Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake chips for thinner and lighter laptops have arrived: Laptop P-series and U-series chips. Boy, I hope they’re good on battery (The Verge).

😢 Twitter accounts sharing video from Ukraine are being suspended when they’re needed most (The Verge).

🍎 Apple Car autopilot chip a step closer as Apple places test order with Korean company (9to5Mac).

🎮 Ok the Elden Ring reviews for the new game from the Dark Souls team are basically all 10/10 or 11/10. If you want a game that’s going to soak up 100 hours or more, and leave you feeling like you’re just getting started, I think you’re in luck. Also, why you should try it even if Dark Souls didn’t really appeal(Polygon).

⚽ EA CEO explains why company may ditch FIFA branding in leaked staff comments (The Verge).

⛓ 1Password now lets you easily store crypto wallet details (The Verge).

🔋 USPS rejects Biden’s plea to buy more electric mail trucks (The Verge).

🛰️ How to incinerate the International Space Station(Engadget).

▶️ “Inside PornHub: In the early days of the company, I was tasked with content moderation. I was not very good at it.” (The Verge).

⛏️ “ELI5: How did mankind discover metal?” (r/explainlikeimfive).

Throwback Thursday

Remember the services we’ve loved and lost? Tom Le French, an artist first featured in this very newsletter all the way back in 2018 for a mix of retro-cool devices – like a Spotify cassette tape player – has been working on something pretty cool and new.

It’s called Epitaphs, a series of gravestones devoted to the likes of BlackBerry, Napster, MySpace, and Flash Player, and more.

There’s a bunch more on Instagram too.

Cheers,

Tristan Rayner, Senior Editor.