The latest phones and smart home products have been announced at the Google event that took place on Tuesday October 9. While many details were leaked prior to the event, the tech titan still impressed with its announcements.
Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL
Does size matter? Well, if you ask Google, then maybe. The largest phone the company has ever developed will be hitting the shelves on Thursday November 1 but is already available to pre-order. The new Pixel 3XL has a 6.3-inch display and weighs 184 grams. In comparison to the new Pixel 3 that has a 5.5-inch screen and weighs 148 grams.
The key difference between the Pixel 3XL and last year’s Pixel 2XL is that the new flagship device has a notch. While PC World joked that Elon Musk is building a submarine to save survivors from the bottom of the notch, Google claims it’s helped create the device’s bigger screen.
Google also argues it’s put an end to unsatisfactory pictures. Both devices have an impressing 12.2MP camera on the back of the device as well as dual 8MP front cameras. Add to that Google has added features that enable better group selfies, night shots and overall software and it’s easy to see how the device can come in handy when you need to immortalise the latest milestone of your startup journey.
Both phones have been made available for pre-order already. The Pixel 3 starts at £739 and the Pixel 3XL starts from £869. Both phones come with either 64GB or 128GB of storage – a far cry from the maximum 512GB storage of the new iPhone models announced in September.
Google Home Hub
It’s hardly a secret that businesses must take voice-controlled devices seriously. Not only does it enable customers to make easy purchases but it also provides companies with massive amounts of data. So it’s unsurprising Google is continuing its campaign to dethrone Amazon Alexa. Having introduced the Home Mini and the Home Max last year, 2018’s event saw the introduction of the new Google Home Hub.
At first glance the device may just look like Google’s own version of Amazon’s Echo Show. However, contrary to Jeff Bezos’ smart home device, the Home Hub doesn’t come with a camera. “We consciously decided to not include a camera on Google Home Hub, so you feel comfortable placing it in the private spaces of your home, like the bedroom,” said Diya Jolly, VP of product management at Google Home.
While this may make it slightly more challenging for video calls, the device is able to control over 10,000 different smart home solutions. Moreover, the seven-inch touchscreen is able to show basic information like the temperature, date, calendar and traffic updates. When you’re not doing anything with it, it will show selected pictures stored on Google Photos if you want it to.
The Home Hub comes in four colours, chalk, charcoal, aqua and sand, which are meant to blend in to any room and will be available in stores from Monday October 22 for £139 if you haven’t already pre-ordered it.
Pixel Slate
Three years after the launch of Pixel C, Google’s last tablet, it has set foot in the ring again with the new Pixel Slate tablet. The Intel-powered tablet comes with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM and runs on Chrome OS. The Molecular Display really does make pictures, videos and games come to life since it packs 293 pixels per inch – an impressive six million pixels in total.
The device has 8MP cameras in the back and front-facing DUO CAM, providing an extra wide view and extraordinary low light performance. It also has two USB-C ports on either side, is just 7mm thick and weighs 1.6lbs. Moreover, the Slate has dual front-firing speakers which helps boost the sound quality of your music or your video conference.
Unfortunately, Google hasn’t announced exactly when this device is hitting the shelves. You can however sign up to get an email notification when it does.
The Pixel Slate costs £549. If you’re feeling like accessorising, you’ve got the option to splash out £189 for the Slate Keyboard and £99 for the Pixelbook pen.
Chromecast
The Chromecast is back and it’s more powerful than ever. Since the first model’s launch in 2013, the device has been added to a lot of households, enabling users to stream music or videos from Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, the Google Play Store and other services.
Some small design changes have been made with new glossy colours. More importantly, it has got some impressive new features compared to the older version. It is 15% faster and now supports 60fps video at 1080p.
Google also announced that it will turn the new Chromecast into an audio Chromecast, which will allow you to play your music in sync across multiple connected speakers.
The price of the Chromecast will stay at £35, keeping it an affordable way to upgrade your TV.
