Today Google officially announced its newest phone as well as a glimpse into its developing ecosystem. I am going to break this event into parts just as they did in order to cover all the bases and give you a real sense of what went on.
Presentation
The show started with a humorous clip of two “nerds” talking about the event to come. This intro set the lite, personal, and humorous tone of the event and I felt framed the event quite well.
Throughout the event, clips, previews, and demos allowed the audience a chance to witness the products in action in practical situations and setting. This gave legitimacy and authenticity to the products on display.
Oh and one last thing, Google did not hesitate to poke fun at some of their competitor’s recent decisions (you’ll see what I’m talking about).
Products
The event placed on display 5 new devices and a slew of updates and software advancements. The Google Pixel and Google’s new Assistant definitely stole the show and dominated the majority of the screen time. Google’s Daydream View VR headset, Google Wifi, Ultra (updated Chromecast), and Google Home all got their moments to shine as well.
Pixel
Google’s main event revolved around its newest phones, the Pixel and Pixel XL. This purely Android phone is definitely the pride of the brand, but at first glance may not make you want to whip out your wallet.
Based off of the specs alone, this phone is slightly under par (see below). Missing the mark with the recent trend towards water resistance and a lack of stereo speakers, you may wonder if Google is not actually up on “what’s trending”? Yes, if these two things are deal breakers, you may have to wait for the next version, but you may be interested in its award winning camera, ridiculous battery, and incredibly advanced assistant software.
Camera
Ranked by DXOMark Mobile, the Pixel scored a record breaking 89, the highest ever ranked smartphone to date. This achievement is no easy task and required a great deal of hardware and software advancements and programming.
Along with the hardware, Google also boasted its new features such as “smart burst”, “zero shutter lag”, and advanced low light capture. Though 12 megapixels is not anything abnormal, Google is convinced that you will see a significant difference in performance and quality with the advanced software.
Battery
Bigger and better. At 2,770 mAh for the Pixel and 3,450 for the XL, you are definitely going to notice some increased talk and standby time. But best of all was the announcement of its 7-hour life at only 15 minutes of charging. You know you wished your phone could do that!
Assistant
Google finally answers Siri’s call! This new feature is Google’s first look into AI and the potential future we may start seeing creep into our homes and take over our lives…just kidding, but here it starts. Google Assistant is basically Cortana for Master and Chief. It is supposed to be a personal Google for each person and learn and grow to meet each individual’s informational needs. From suggestions on restaurants to remembering passwords, this assistant is there to keep life a little more organized and stress free.
This section of the event was extremely interesting as the speakers took turns talking about the data and technology behind the voice. Years of search results and human input has allowed for an almost human answering system with almost human level accuracy. I highly suggest you watch that section!
The Tease
Google had fun at their event. With the announcement of the iPhone 7 and the surprising removal of the headphone jack, Google saw a great opportunity to show their personal side. See the below slide that was shown in one of the promo clips of the Pixel.
In a Nut Shell
The Google Pixel event was a whole lot of fun and full of interesting developments in mobile, VR, and AI technologies. This event gave a peak at the plans of Google and their plan to create and maintain their own ecosystem. There are mixed opinions on how well their products will actually perform, but based of their demos and hype, I am hopeful. I thoroughly enjoyed the event and found it entertaining, informational, and very interesting. I am even looking to possibly get on the pre-order list for the Pixel XL and will keep you up to date on my findings. Pre-orders will be shipped and delivered on Oct. 20 – tune in for more!
