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This week’s top stories: Pixel 5 leaks w/ wide angle camera, Launch Night In predictions, more

Kyle Bradshaw | Sep 26 2020 - 8:30 am PT

In this week’s top stories: numerous official renders of the Google Pixel 5 leak out, we talk about what to expect at Wednesday’s Launch Night In, OnePlus Messages arrives in the Play Store, and more.

This week, renowned leakers WinFuture and Evan Blass each shared official renders for the Google Pixel 5, including high-res renders of the green Pixel 5. Very quickly, especially due to The Mandalorian featuring prominently in the promo art, many have likened the green Pixel 5 to Baby Yoda. Another important detail from the renders and specs is that the Pixel 5 will indeed feature a wide angle camera.

Many device specifications have previously already leaked, but WinFuture today provides additional confirmation and fills out other details. For example, the 6-inch 90Hz display has a 432PPI with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and is protected by Gorilla Glass 6, which is a one-generation upgrade from the Pixel 4. This renders leak also shows how the Pixel 5 has a pretty narrow bottom bezel.

Of course, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G aren’t the only things we’re anticipating to arrive at Google’s Launch Night In event next week. There’s also a new smart speaker and a new “Google TV” powered Chromecast, as well as potentially some surprise devices. Our Damien Wilde has taken time to walk through everything we should and should not expect.

Elsewhere in Made by Google news, it seems some retailers allowed the new Chromecast to be sold early, which led to one Redditor, fuzztub07, completing a full unboxing as well as a video demo of how the Google TV interface works. We also learned the full specs of the device, including its chipset, RAM, and storage capacity.

This unboxing shows that a USB-C to USB-A cable and power adapter, which looks identical to the Stadia Controller’s, is also included with the Google TV Chromecast. Unlike the Ultra, the plug does not incorporate an Ethernet cable, but the USB-C nature should mean any hub/adapter will work. Google could also be offering a first-party version as an add-on.

Lastly, fans of OnePlus phones will be pleased to know that the OnePlus Messages app is no longer tied directly to OxygenOS updates. As of this week, OnePlus Messages is available for download and update via the Google Play Store.

OnePlus Messages has also come to the Play Store touting a few new features including the ability to copy and paste one-time passwords, financial transactions, and even promotions within the chat overview panel. We can see this as a way to help organize your SMS section but we’re not sure how well it will work in practice.