Google Store hinting at something ‘Minty Fresh’ for the Pixel 8

The Google Store is dropping hints about something “Minty Fresh” coming up for the upcoming Pixel 8, set to launch next week. In a recent post on X/Twitter by Made by Google, along with a corresponding page on the Google Store, there’s a teaser for the Pixel 8 series. The main graphic shows a teal/mint-colored paint being sprayed onto a promotional image of the Pixel 8 Pro. The teaser page includes a countdown set for January 25 at midnight PT.

Chances are, Google is dropping a new color option for the Pixel 8 series next week. In the company’s social media post, there’s a string of binary code that spells out “Minty Fresh,” possibly the official name for the new color on the Pixel 8 Pro. Importantly, there’s no clear info yet on whether this fresh shade will be offered on both phones in the series or just the Pixel 8 Pro.

The text on the paint in the image says “itsaliving,” the name of an artist that Google is featuring to paint a mural in Downtown New York City on January 25 at 11 a.m. ET. You can either join the event in person or catch it through a livestream.

Google has a track record of adding new styles to existing Pixel devices. With the Pixel 4a, they introduced a soft Barely Blue option following the original black one. More recently, the Pixel Fold got a special Hip Hop 50 edition, although it was exclusively for influencers and contest winners.

In a recent twist, Google, after laying off over 1,000 employees at the beginning of 2024, is now preparing for another round of layoffs, especially within its advertising sales team. Business Insider was the first to catch wind of this and spilled the details.

The Verge reached out to Google, and a spokesperson spilled more details, confirming that they’re cutting “a few hundred roles globally” as part of a restructuring move. Interestingly, the spokesperson also mentioned that those affected can apply for other positions within Google.

The first info about possible layoffs at Google came out from Business Insider, who managed to snag an internal memo from Google’s top dog, Philipp Schindler, the senior vice president. The memo hinted that the cuts were likely to hit the Large Customer Sales (LCS) unit, the team in charge of ads for major business players.