Technologies

The Pixel 7A Raises the Bar for the Pixel 8

Commentary: The Pixel 7A proves that Google needs to do more to separate its main Pixel phone from its more budget-friendly option.

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We didn’t hear about the Pixel 8 at Google’s I/O conference, but the company did launch the Pixel 7A — a more wallet-friendly alternative to the Pixel 7. It’s great news for Pixel fans, since the 7A offers many of the same benefits as the Pixel 7 — such as a great camera and the new Tensor G2 processor — for $100 less. But it also makes me wonder whether Google’s A-series phones are beginning to overshadow its flagship Pixels.

Now that Google has narrowed the gap between the Pixel 7 and 7A, it should think more carefully about its target audience for the Pixel 8. If the Pixel 7A is for those who want a basic Pixel experience without compromising on performance and camera quality, and the Pixel 7 Pro is for photography enthusiasts, then who’s the Pixel 7 for? That’s the question I’m hoping Google answers with the Pixel 8, along with some other routine improvements to software support and battery life.

Google typically releases new Pixel phones in the fall, so we’re expecting to learn more about the Pixel 8 in a few months.

The Pixel 8 needs to stand out from Google’s next A-series phone

With the Pixel 8, Google needs to do more to make its upcoming mainline Pixel phone stand out. The $499 Pixel 7A already has many of the features most people are looking for in a new phone, such as a great camera, smooth performance, easy-to-use software and decent battery life.

The main differences between the Pixel 7 and 7A come down to the former’s slightly more durable design, larger screen and battery share. That latter feature lets you charge compatible accessories by resting them on the back of the phone, essentially turning it into a wireless charger. The Pixel 7 also has a larger camera sensor that’s more light sensitive according to Google, but I didn’t notice much of an improvement when comparing photos from both phones.

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7A feel like they’re targeting the same audience: Android fans who want a general-purpose phone with a great camera and a reasonably sized screen. The Pixel 7 Pro stands out for its larger screen, extra telephoto camera and macro photography. It also comes in a 512GB storage option, unlike the Pixel 7, and has a screen with a higher, 120Hz refresh rate for even smoother scrolling. Case in point: There are plenty of factors that distinguish the Pixel 7 Pro from the Pixel 7, but not as many that differentiate the Pixel 7 from the 7A.

Moving forward, there are a few changes Google could make to fix that. Perhaps it could slightly increase the Pixel 8’s display size to 6.4 inches instead of 6.3 inches. That would put more distance between the Pixel 8’s screen and a future Pixel 8A, assuming Google keeps the same 6.1-inch display size for upcoming A-series phones.

Google could also give the Pixel 8 a speed boost when it comes to charging, since the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7A offer similar charging speeds (up to 18W on the Pixel 7A versus up to 21W on the Pixel 7). Increasing the charging speed to create more of a gulf between the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8A could make the case for buying the Pixel 8 a little stronger. Increasing the base storage of the Pixel 8 to 256GB, much like Samsung has done with the Galaxy S23 Plus, along with offering an additional 512GB storage option could further distinguish the Pixel 8 from a future Pixel 8A.

These changes combined with the existing differences between the Pixel 7 and 7A could certainly make the Pixel 8 feel like a compelling choice over upcoming budget Pixel phones. Of course, this is assuming Google maintains its current strategy of releasing new flagship and Pro phones in the fall and a cheaper A-series phone in the spring or summer time frame.

Extended Android version support

Software is a big part of what makes Pixel phones so appealing, from the call assist features in the phone app to Google’s clutter-free version of Android. The problem, however, is that Google generally offers Android version updates for only three years following a Pixel phone’s release.

Though it does provide security support and other updates beyond that point, Google lags behind Samsung and Apple when it comes to operating system version support. Samsung typically offers up to four generations of Android platform updates on new phones, while Apple’s most recent software is compatible with iPhones as old as the iPhone X and iPhone 8 generation, which launched in 2017.

If Google could match Samsung’s four years, or surpass five years, that would make the Pixel line even more competitive.

Longer battery life

Battery life can never feel long enough, which is why I’m hoping to see some improvements in the Pixel 8. The Pixel 7’s battery life was long enough to get through a full work day and then some in my experience. But I’d want to pack a charger if I expected a particularly long day.

The Pixel 7A also performed better than the Pixel 7 in CNET’s three-hour battery test, during which I streamed a YouTube video at full brightness and tracked the battery percentage at each hour. It would be great to see Google make some improvements in this regard on the Pixel 8.

Pixel 7A vs. Pixel 7 battery test

	Pixel 7A	Pixel 7
1 hour	96%	95%
2 hours	90%	88%
3 hours	85%	81%

We won’t know what to expect from the Pixel 8 until Google announces its new phones, which will likely happen in the fall. The camera has been a focal point for Google’s Pixel series, so I’m expecting to see some advancements in that area, along with a new version of the Tensor processor in the Pixel 8. If Google makes those changes while offering longer battery life, additional Android support and more exclusive features that differentiate the Pixel 8 from its A-series phones, Google’s next $600 phone could be a hit.

Technologies

iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: Your Questions on the iPhone Update Answered

Here’s what you need to know about new features and upcoming updates for your iPhone.

Apple’s iOS 17 was released in September, shortly after the company held its Wonderlust event, where the tech giant announced the new iPhone 15 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We put together this cheat sheet to help you learn about and use the new features in iOS 17. It’ll also help you keep track of the subsequent iOS 17 updates.

iOS 17 updates

Using iOS 17

Getting started with iOS 17

Make sure to check back periodically for more iOS 17 tips and how to use new features as Apple releases more updates.

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

+15 More

See all photos

Technologies

Get Ready for a Striking Aurora That Could Also Disrupt Radio Communications

Don’t expect the storm to cause a lingering problem, though.

A geomagnetic storm is threatening radio communications Monday night, but that doesn’t mean you should be concerned. In fact, it may be an opportunity to see a colorful aurora in the night sky.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a geomagnetic storm watch after witnessing a coronal mass ejection from the sun on Saturday. The watch, which was issued over the weekend and will expire after Monday, said the onset of the storm passing over Earth on Sunday night represented a «moderate» threat to communications. As the storm continues to pass through, it could deliver a «strong» threat on Monday night that could cause radio communications to be temporarily disrupted during the worst of it.

Even so, NOAA said, «the general public should not be concerned.»

A coronal mass ejection occurs when magnetic field and plasma mass are violently expelled from the sun’s corona, or the outermost portion of the sun’s atmosphere. In the vast majority of cases, the ejection occurs with no real threat to Earth. However, in the event the ejection happens in the planet’s direction, a geomagnetic storm occurs, and the Earth’s magnetic field is temporarily affected.

In most cases, geomagnetic storms cause little to no disruption on Earth, with radio communications and satellites affected most often. In extreme cases, a geomagnetic storm can cause significant and potentially life-threatening power outages — a prospect that, luckily, the planet hasn’t faced.

Switching poles

Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic poles switch, with the north pole and south pole swapping positions. During those cycles, the sun’s activity ramps up as it gets closer to pole-switching time. The height of its activity is called solar maximum, and scientists believe we either may be entering the solar maximum or may be already in it.

During periods of heightened solar activity, sunspots increase on the sun and there’s an increase in coronal mass ejections, among other phenomena. According to NOAA, solar maximum could extend into October of this year before the sun’s activity calms and it works towards its less-active phase, solar minimum.

Even when geomagnetic storms hit Earth and disrupt communications, the effects are usually short-lived. Those most affected, including power grid operators and pilots and air traffic controllers communicating over long distances, have fail-safe technologies and backup communications to ensure operational continuity.

But geomagnetic storms aren’t only about radios. In most cases, they also present unique opportunities to see auroras in the night sky. When the storms hit, the plasma they carry creates a jaw-dropping aurora, illuminating the night sky with brilliant colors. Those auroras can be especially pronounced during the most intense phases of the storm, making for nice stargazing.

If you’re interested in seeing the aurora, you’ll need to be ready. The NOAA said the «brunt of the storm has passed» and even if it lingers into Tuesday, there won’t be much to see after Monday night.

Technologies

Last Total Solar Eclipse for 20 Years Is Coming: How to See and Photograph It

It’s your last chance until 2044.

Get your eclipse glasses ready, Skygazers: the Great American Eclipse is on its way. On April 8, there’ll be a total eclipse over North America, the last one until 2044.

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun and turning an otherwise sunny day to darkness for a short period of time. Depending on the angle at which you’re viewing the eclipse, you may see the sun completely shrouded by the moon (called totality) or some variation of it. The more off-angle you are and the further you are from the path of the eclipse, the less likely you’ll be to see the totality.

The 2024 total solar eclipse will happen on Monday, April 8. The Great American Eclipse will reach the Mexican Pacific coast at 11:07 a.m. PT (2:07 p.m. ET), and then traverse the US in a northeasterly direction from Texas to Maine, and on into easternmost Canada. If you want a good look at it, but don’t live in the path of totality, you shouldn’t wait much longer to book accommodation and travel to a spot on the path.

Or how about booking a seat in the sky? Delta Airlines made headlines for offering a flight that allows you to see the entire path of totality. Its first eclipse flight, from Austin, Texas, to Detroit sold out quickly. But as of Monday, Delta has added a second flight from Dallas to Detroit, which also covers the path of totality. The airline also has five flights that will offer prime eclipse viewing.

Not everyone can get on one of those elusive eclipse-viewing flights. Here’s a look at other options to nab a chance to see this rare sight and what to know about it.

Total solar eclipse path

The eclipse will cross over the Pacific coast of Mexico and head northeast over mainland Mexico. The eclipse will then make its way over San Antonio at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET on April 8 and move through Texas, over the southeastern part of Oklahoma and northern Arkansas by 2:50 p.m. ET.

By 3 p.m. ET, the eclipse will be over southern Illinois, and just 5 minutes later, will be traveling over Indianapolis. Folks in northwestern Ohio will be treated to the eclipse by 3:15 p.m. ET, and it will then travel over Lake Erie and Buffalo, New York, by 3:20 p.m. ET. Over the next 10 minutes, the eclipse will be seen over northern New York state, then over Vermont. By 3:35 p.m. ET, the eclipse will work its way into Canada and off the Eastern coast of North America.

Best places to watch the Great American Eclipse

When evaluating the best places to watch this year’s total eclipse, you’ll first want to determine where you’ll have the best angle to see the totality. The farther off-angle you are — in other words, the farther north or south of the eclipse’s path — the less of an impact you can expect.

Therefore, if you want to have the best chance of experiencing the eclipse, you’ll want to be in its path. As of this writing, most of the cities in the eclipse’s path have some hotel availability, but recent reports have suggested that rooms are booking up. And as more rooms are booked, prices are going up.

So if you want to be in the eclipse’s path, and need a hotel to do it, move fast. And Delta’s eclipse-viewing flight from Dallas to Detroit has just four seats left at the time of publication.

Eclipse eye safety and photography

As with any solar eclipse, it’s critical you keep eye safety in mind.

During the eclipse, and especially during the periods before and after totality, don’t look directly at the sun without special eye protection. Also, be sure not to look at the sun through a camera (including the camera on your phone), binoculars, a telescope or any other viewing device. This could cause serious eye injury. Sunglasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes from damage.

If you want to view the eclipse, you’ll instead need solar viewing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Anything that doesn’t meet that standard or greater won’t be dark enough to protect your eyes. Want to get them for free? If you’ve got a Warby Parker eyeglasses store nearby, the company is giving away free, ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses at all of its stores from April 1 until the eclipse, while supplies last.

If you don’t have eclipse viewing glasses handy, you can instead use indirect methods for viewing the eclipse, like a pinhole projector.

Read more: A Photographer’s Adventure With the Eclipse

In the event you want to take pictures of the eclipse, attach a certified solar filter to your camera. Doing so will protect your eyes and allow you to take photos while you view the eclipse through your lens.

There’s also a new app to help you both protect your eyes and take better photos of the eclipse on your phone. Solar Snap, designed by a former Hubble Space Telescope astronomer, comes with a Solar Snap camera filter that attaches to the back of an iPhone or Android phone, along with solar eclipse glasses for protecting your eyesight during the event. After you attach the filter to your phone, you can use the free Solar Snap Eclipse app to zoom in on the eclipse, adjust exposure and other camera settings, and ultimately take better shots of the eclipse.

2024 eclipse compared to 2017

The last total solar eclipse occurred in 2017, and many Americans had a great view. Although there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 total solar eclipse and the one coming April 8, there are a handful of differences. Mainly, the 2024 eclipse is going to cover more land and last longer.

The 2017 eclipse started over the northwest US and moved southeast. Additionally, that eclipse’s path was up to 71 miles wide, compared with a maximum width of 122 miles for this year’s eclipse. Perhaps most importantly, the moon completely covered the sun for just 2 minutes, 40 seconds in 2017. This year, maximum totality will last for nearly four-and-a-half minutes.