What just happened? Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are less than a month old but reports of their successors are already circulating. Ronald Quandt with German tech site WinFuture recently discovered two new Google device codenames – Husky and Shiba – in publicly available source code. Both handsets appear to be powered by a new SoC dubbed “Zuma” that is being developed by Google and Samsung. Per the report, the chip uses the same modem found in the Google Tensor G2.
The devices also pack 12GB of RAM apiece. Shiba is said to feature a screen with a resolution of 2,268 x 1,080 pixels while Husky could be a bit larger at 2,822 x 1,344 pixels. Given the amount of RAM, however, both would likely qualify as premium devices.
The handsets were also running a version of Android called “Upside Down Cake.”
Pixel 8 (Pro)? Google has two new devices in the works codenamed “Husky” and “Shiba”. Both have a new SoC codenamed “Zuma”, plenty of RAM and proper high res screens. https://t.co/D90qXLqqNx #Pixel8 #Pixel8Pro
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) November 9, 2022
Based on the available evidence, Quandt believes the devices are likely classic slab-style phones rather than tablets or foldables or something else entirely. As for whether or not they actually represent future Pixel devices, that is still up for debate. They could be mid-cycle updates or perhaps the Pixel 8. What’s more, Quandt is quick to concede that Husky and Shiba might just be test platforms for Google’s hardware team to experiment with.
Google announced its redesigned Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones in early October and launched them a week later. The former features 6.3-inch FHD+ (1,080 x 2,400 resolution, 416 PPI) OLED screen, dual rear-facing cameras and more than a full day of battery life. The Pro variant bumps up to a 6.7-inch QHD+ (1,400 x 3,120 resolution, 512 PPI) LTPO OLED panel alongside a triple camera array on the back. Both are powered by the Google Tensor G2 chip with Titan M2 security co-processor.
Pricing starts at $599 for the standard Pixel 7 with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, and $899 for the Pro model with 128GB of space and 12GB of memory.
Image credit: Triyansh Gill
