Google Pixel 7 Series, Pixel 7a May Get Bluetooth LE Audio Standard Support: Report

Google Pixel 7 series was teased during Google I/O earlier this year.

Written by Sourabh Kulesh, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 31 August 2022 13:45 IST

Google Pixel 7 Series, Pixel 7a May Get Bluetooth LE Audio Standard Support: Report

Photo Credit: Google

Google Pixel 7 series may launch in the coming weeks

Highlights

Google Pixel 7a is tipped to launch in 2023
Bluetooth LE Audio support is already added in Android 13
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro to get support later this year

Google Pixel 7a could come with support for Bluetooth LE Audio, the new standard that offers great audio output. Google has still not launched the Pixel 7 series, which is expected to include the vanilla Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. In fact, the company has added the support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) audio to Android 13 that will allow users to enjoy better synced audio with reduced delay. The development comes a few weeks after Google launched the Pixel 6a globally, including in India.

Citing comments posted by Google employees on code collaboration platform Gerrit, a report by 9to5google suggests that the company is readying two sets of smartphones. One of the comments mentions “p22/p23a”, which are assumed to be references to the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7 Pro, and the Pixel 7a. The p22 could be a reference to Pixel smartphones launching in the fall of 2022 — which are the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro. The p23a could be a reference to an A-series smartphone launching in 2023, which is assumed to be the Pixel 7a. The code suggests that all three phones will have support for the Bluetooth LE Audio.

The report also suggests that since the Pixel 7 series and the Pixel 7a are mentioned together, it could mean that the higher-quality support for Bluetooth LE Audio is part of the second-generation Google Tensor chip. The current generation of smartphones — the Pixel 6, the Pixel 6 Pro, and the Pixel 6a — are powered by the first generation Google Tensor chip. They may or may not offer a high-quality audio experience as the Pixel 7 series, however, Google has added the support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) audio to Android 13, which has already been rolled out to Pixel 6 series and Pixel 6a.

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It is to be noted that one should have Bluetooth LE Audio support on both the earphones or headphones as well as on the input device. Currently, there aren't many devices that support the latest audio standard. Google Pixel 7 being one of the early smartphones to get Bluetooth LE Audio support is quite a great feat. Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and announced that the TWS earphones will get Bluetooth LE Audio support via a firmware update later this year.

Bluetooth LE Audio is the latest Bluetooth wireless specification that offers a bunch of new features for wireless audio streaming. Among a long list of features, the new specification offers enhanced overall audio performance over a Bluetooth connection. There is reduced lag and higher audio quality transmission for better listening experience as compared to Classic Bluetooth. The Low Complexity Communications Codec (LC3) in the specification provides high-quality audio with low power consumption.

This week, we discuss Android 13 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Google Pixel 7

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Sharp, 90Hz display
Good quality cameras
Good gaming performance
Bloatware-free software, timely updates
Good battery life
IP68 rating

Bad
Video recording could be better
Gets warm under load
No bundled charger
Relatively slow charging

Read detailed Google Pixel 7 review

Display 6.30-inch

Processor Google Tensor G2

Front Camera 10.8-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB

OS Android 13

Resolution 1080x2400 pixels

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Google Pixel 6

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.40-inch

Processor Google Tensor

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB

Battery Capacity 4614mAh

OS Android 12

Resolution 1080x2400 pixels

More Google mobiles Google mobiles price in India

Google Pixel 6 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Google Tensor

Front Camera 11.1-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 8GB, 12GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB

Battery Capacity 5003mAh

OS Android 12

Resolution 1440x3120 pixels

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Google Pixel 6a

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
IP67-rated design
Impressive cameras for photos
Vibrant OLED display
Stock Android 13 software

Bad
Plastic back is prone to scratches
60Hz display does not feel fluid
Cannot handle heavy gaming
Recorded video needs work
Relatively slow charging, no wireless charging
Battery life could be better

Read detailed Google Pixel 6a review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Google Tensor

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 12.2-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 4410mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 1080x2400 pixels

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