After Apple’s glitzy show last month, it was now Google’s turn to take the centre stage. Touted as the biggest launch of the year, Google showcased its much anticipated Pixel series of smartphones and its line of hardware in an event in San Francisco.
Thanks to the numerous leaks and rumours, we got a fair idea of what was coming our way and seems those hearsays proved pretty accurate- 5-inch 1080p Pixel and 5.5-inch XL. Both these devices are built by HTC, but will go into the market with its “phone by Google” branding.
Say hello to the brand new Google Pixel phone:
Google says that the camera on Pixel is the best smartphone camera ever (12.3 MP rear camera, packed with cool features like Smartburst and Lens Blur. It can capture 4K videos and comes with video stabilization.There is an 8MP front facing camera.
Pixel received the highest rating ever for a smartphone from industry group DXOMark – 89 compared to the iPhone 7’s 86, says Brian Rakowski from Google.
The new flagship is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM and 2770 mAh battery (Pixel XL has a 3,450mAh battery) which promises you up to 7 hours of power with just 15 minutes of charging.
The biggest highlight of the Pixel is the inbuilt Google Assistant and the Google Duo app will be pre-installed on this device. As an answer to Apple’s Siri, Google says its assistant is more contextually aware to what’s happening on your devices and can tap into popular third-party apps like WhatsApp and OpenTable.
Google will allow free unlimited storage for full-resolution images and videos shot with the Pixel. The Pixel is also the first Daydream-compatible phone.
The Pixel comes in three colors –Very Silver, Quite Black, along with a limited edition Really Blue (really) version, which is exclusive to the US. As of now, Pixel is available for pre-order from today in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany at $649, $749 with 128GB of onboard storage, $769 for the larger Pixel XL with 32GB, or $869 for the XL with 128GB.
Starting at Rs 57,000, Pixel will be available for pre-order in India from October 13th, 2016 and will be available in India in two sizes – 5” or 5.5” and two colors – Quite Black and Very Silver with memory configurations of 32GB and 128GB sizes.
Enough about the phone, now let’s see what other hardware was on display.
Earlier this year, the company had set up a unified hardware division under the former President of Motorola Mobility, Rick Osterloh, and Google unveiled the fruits of that labour in this event:
First came the announcement of a “Daydream View” virtual reality headset, which comes bundled with a tiny motion controller and will be available in November for $79. With it, you’ll be able to play VR games and watch video apps like YouTube, Netflix, and HBO directly inside the virtual reality experience.
And both Pixel phones are the first to support Google’s virtual reality platform, Daydream.
Then came Google WiFi router with network assist which will optimize your network and provide strong signals even if you are roaming around your house.