It has the highest rated smartphone camera. Ever. A battery that lasts all day. Unlimited storage for all your photos and videos. And it’s the first phone with the Google Assistant built in.
Looking to drum up consumer excitement, the tech company hosted an event in San Francisco on Tuesday to unveil a series of products, including two new phones, a virtual reality headset and the Chromecast Ultra.
The flagship announcement was the introduction of Pixel, the first Google phone to carry exclusively Google branding. The company called it the "first phone made by Google inside and out."
The device is poised to take on the iPhone with a built-in artificially intelligent assistant, 4K video and other bells and whistles.
Here's a closer look at everything you need to know:
Pixel smartphones
Google(GOOG) announced a new Pixel line of phones -- the 5-inch Pixel ($649) and 5.5-inch Pixel XL ($769). The prices are the same as the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus.
The devices boast 4GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, a fingerprint sensor and a 12MP rear-facing camera.
The phones drop its existing Nexus branding in favor of "Pixel," a nod to Google's existing tablet and Chromebook line. Both run on Android 7.1 Nougat, Google's most recent mobile operating system.
The devices come with a built-in AI assistant, Google Assistant. The company demonstrated how the AI software can make a reservation for you right from the device and complete other tasks.
Pixel has a pretty sweet perk for photo fans, too: Users will get free unlimited storage of photos and videos -- something Apple would be wise to consider in the future.
The devices, which are available for pre-sale starting on Tuesday, come in three colors: quite black, very silver and really blue.
Chromecast Ultra
Google unveiled its next-generation content streaming device, the Chromecast Ultra. The gadget, which has sold 30 million units to date, supports 4K streaming. Chromecast Ultra will be available for $69 this fall.
Google's popular Chromecast device plugs into your TV through an HDMI port and can stream content from your computer or mobile device.
Daydream
Google also showed off its new virtual reality headset for mobile devices, Daydream View. The viewer holds a smartphone, while the user has a hand-held remote to control what's happening on screen.
The Pixel phones are the first Daydream-ready devices. But there are a lot more on the way from partners, according to Google's Clay Bavor.
It will be available in slate, snow and crimson colors, and cost $79 when it launches in November.
Daydream is launching with over 50 partners and a slew of games. The company is also working with Warner Brothers to bring immersive environments to the device, and the headset will support Netflix, HBO and Hulu.
Google isn't necessarily trying to compete with Oculus' VR hardware ($599) or the HTC Vive ($799). Both of those systems, favored by gamers and early VR adopters, are for immersive VR experiences and require PCs.
Instead, the company will target casual VR consumers who have -- or will buy -- Android smartphones running Nougat. Its closest competitor could be the Samsung Gear VR headset ($99), built for Samsung Galaxy devices and powered by Oculus.
Google Wi-Fi
Google is also touting a new router and Wi-Fi manager to adjust the internet connection in the home. Google WiFi automatically finds the strongest Wi-Fi point if you move around in your home. It also comes with an app, so you can -- for example -- turn Wi-Fi off when it's time for dinner.
Google Home
We got a sneak peek at Google Home -- Google's voice-controlled smart speaker -- back in May, but Google has finally shared more details about the gadget.
To start, the device is priced at $129 -- about $50 cheaper than the Amazon Echo. It has a slight leg up from Amazon's speaker too: Google Home pulls from the 70 billion facts the company has logged throughout the years.
It comes loaded with Google Assistant -- the company's software that searches for answers, schedules meetings, adjusts your calendar and controls smart home devices such as Philips Hue lights and Nest thermostats (both companies are launch partners).
To activate Google Home, you'll need to say "OK, Google" -- the same keyword that activates Google Now on Android.
Following an absolute deluge of pre-event leaks and revelations, Google's new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are now finally official. Differentiated primarily by the size and resolution of their screens — 5-inch 1080p display on the Pixel and 5.5-inch Quad HD panel on the XL — these two devices are built by HTC, but Google takes full credit for their design and makes this explicit with its "phone by Google" branding. Both Pixel models are powered by the latest Snapdragon 821 processor and run a specialized version of Google's Android software, which includes support for the Daydream virtual reality platform that was announced at Google I/O in the summer.
The Pixel name, says Rick Osterloh, Google's recently hired hardware chief, "has always represented the best in hardware and software, designed and built by Google, together." He highlights five key points for the new Pixel phones:
Google Assistant. Pixel is the first phone with the new Google Assistant built in. When you touch and hold the home button or say the "hot word," the Assistant "jumps into action." In Google's event demo, the Assistant is used to bring up photos from a particular time or place from the past, and also plays whatever music you ask it to play, choosing your favorite music app by default. Similarly, it integrates the Google Now on Tap functionality, allowing the user to swipe up with information on the screen, such as a restaurant name, and provides further information, such as reviews and the restaurant's address. Also, like a bot, the Google Assistant will take your reservation for that same restaurant using only voice prompts.
- Camera experience. The Pixel and Pixel XL rear camera scores an 89 in DxOMark, the highest rating ever. That benchmark isn't the most consistent measure of good performance, but at least it's an indicator of the sensor's potential in the new Pixel phones. It has a 12.3-megapixel resolution with large 1.55-micron pixels and an f/2.0 aperture. Google claims that its new camera has "the shortest capture time on any mobile camera ever." There's also very intricate, gyroscope-based video stabilization on board, however there's no optical image stabilization for stills. Google isn't shy in presenting this as the best smartphone ever.
Screen size: Despite the Pixel XL having a larger screen with more resolution, the smaller Pixel still sports a very respectable 1,920x1,080-pixel display.
Battery: The Pixel has a 2,770mAh battery and the Pixel XL a 3,450mAh battery. Until we test the phones, we can't be certain how much more battery life, if any, the Pixel XL will get.
Price: For a 32 GB model, the Pixel starts at $649 and the Pixel XL at $769. Both are available for preorder today -- except the blue version, which is sold out.
No comments:
Write comments