Google Watch 2 arriving in India with Pixel 8 series on Oct 5: Details here

Google India in a post on X (formerly Twitter) announced that the Pixel 8 series smartphone and Pixel Watch 2 will be made available in India on October 5, exclusively on Flipkart

Google India has announced that the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones, along with the Pixel Watch 2, are set to arrive in India on October 5. These devices will be exclusively available on the e-commerce platform Flipkart. Pre-orders for the Pixel 8 series smartphones will commence on October 5, while the Pixel Watch 2 will be available for purchase on the same day.

Pixel 8 Series and Watch 2: Launch details

Google will host an in-person launch event for the Pixel 8 series and the Pixel Watch 2 in New York City on October 4 at 10 AM ET (7:30 PM IST). The launch event will also be livestreamed on YouTube for a global audience.

Pixel 8 Series: What to expect

According to reports, the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will be powered by the Google Tensor G3 chipset. The Pixel 8 is expected to feature a 6.17-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400, while the high-end Pro model is rumoured to sport a larger 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3120. The Pro model is also anticipated to include a triple-camera setup with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 48MP telephoto lens, and a 64MP ultra-wide-angle camera. In contrast, the Pixel 8 might come with only a dual-camera setup on the rear, consisting of a 50MP primary lens and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera. Additionally, the Pixel 8 Pro is expected to house a larger capacity battery, boasting 4950mAh compared to the 4485mAh battery of the baseline model.

Pixel Watch 2: What to expect

Based on a recent teaser, the Pixel Watch 2 is expected to retain the same bezel-less round dial design as the first-generation model. Google has showcased the watch in Porcelain colour, but more colour options are anticipated.

Reports suggest that the Pixel Watch 2 will feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen1 chip instead of the Samsung Exynos chip that powered its predecessor. Additionally, the flagship smartwatch is expected to be equipped with a 306mAh battery. The Pixel Watch 2 might also come with Android 13-based Wear OS 4.

What else

In addition to the next-gen Pixel models, Google is set to launch its major OS update, Android 14, on October 4. Initially scheduled for release on September 5, the launch was rescheduled to coincide with the Pixel 8 series launch.

Android 14 will bring the Google Camera 9.0 update with a refreshed UI design. Notably, this update will rearrange the location of the 'open Gallery' and 'switch camera' options. Users will also have a dedicated photo and video mode toggle. The Quick Settings panel will be accessible by swiping up rather than pulling down in this latest update, and it will offer multiple video stabilization options, as reported by AndroidCentral.