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UK pricing for Google's Pixel phones, Daydream VR headset and more
A wealth of leaks might've taken some of the sting out of Google's big event today, but there was quite a lot to take in nonetheless. Google spent a lot of time talking up its AI Assistant -- the same one that debuted in its Allo messaging app -- but who are we kidding? New hardware was the highlight tonight, and there's a lot of it, from a pair of Pixel smartphones to a new VR headset, 4K Chromecast and more. And now it's time to lay out how much all that new gear is gonna cost you.
A new 'Harry Potter' adventure will hit Google's VR platform
One of the first pieces of content to launch on Google's new Daydream mobile VR platform expands on the most popular and fantastical multimedia franchise in modern history. A VR experience built around Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a new film in the Harry Potter universe, is heading to Daydream. Google only teased the experience on-stage at its "Made by Google" event today, but it dropped one crucial piece of information: Players will be able to use the Daydream controller as a wand in the game.
Google $80 Daydream VR headset is soft and self-contained
On stage at its keynote today, Google unveiled its upcoming VR headset, dubbed the Daydream View. The View looks nothing like similar VR rigs and, according to Google's VR lead, Clay Bavor, that's a good thing.
We're live from the #MadeByGoogle launch event!
Not-so-cryptic teasers, seemingly ironclad leaks and a truly surprising advertising push have all led to this. Buckle up, folks: today might be a turning point for Google as an honest-to-goodness hardware company, and we're bringing you all the news live from the company launch event in San Francisco.
Google opens Daydream VR platform to developers
From its debut at Google I/O, Daydream seemed like a much more ambitious smartphone-based VR software platform than the earlier Cardboard system. The countdown clock for the former's public release began after a Bloomberg article back in August hinted at its imminent launch. While we're still waiting for the first Daydream phones to come out in fall, Google's VR SDK version 1.0 supporting it has officially left beta and is available to download on their developer site.
Google rumors point to 'Pixel' phones, 4K Chromecast
The answer to the question of what Google will call its upcoming Nexus phones may turn out to be not Nexus at all. Android Central first reported a name change last week, while tonight Android Police notes sources saying there will be two devices, one 5-inch phone called the Pixel and a 5.5-inch phone called the Pixel XL. More importantly, it also has a date (seconding a previous report by Droid-Life) for their debut: October 4th.
Google's Daydream VR could debut in the next few weeks
With the release of Android Nougat this week, Google's mobile VR platform Daydream couldn't be far behind. And that indeed seems to be the case, as Bloomberg reports that Daydream will launch in the "coming weeks." You can also expect some brand new VR media from the likes of Hulu and YouTube stars like Justine Ezarik and the Dolan twins to accompany the platform.
Google is still working on a standalone headset
Yesterday Recode published an article suggesting Google has killed a VR project that would have directly competed with high-end headsets like the Oculus Rift. While it may be true that this particular project has been shuttered, sources within the company say that a Google team is still working on a dedicated headset that blurs the line between virtual reality and augmented reality.
ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe gets first dibs on Snapdragon 821 chip
We knew it wouldn't be long before ASUS rolls out its latest smartphones after the Computex unveiling, but it turns out the company has saved a little surprise for us. At the Taiwan and Hong Kong launch event today, ASUS revealed that its flagship 5.7-inch ZenFone 3 Deluxe has been given a chipset upgrade -- from Snapdragon 820 to the speedier Snapdragon 821 announced yesterday. And yes, it's officially the world's first device to feature this 2.4GHz processor, while still benefiting from the same old Cat 13 LTE radio, a slightly faster Adreno 530 GPU, dual-SIM support (Micro SIM plus Nano SIM) and Quick Charge 3.0.
Your phone probably won't be Daydream VR-certified
If you can't wait to get your hands on Daydream, Google's new mobile VR platform, then there's some bad news coming. The company's Clay Bavor has conceded to RoadToVR that you'll probably have to buy a new handset for it to work. He says that existing handsets, even high-spec flagships, won't be marked as compatible with the new standard. While the firm has told developers to use the Nexus 6P as the platform to work for, it seems clear that not even the handset that's used to build Daydream apps will be certified. Then again, we give it a week before someone finds that it'll work on current devices anyway.
YouTube is Google's not-so-secret weapon in the VR wars
If virtual reality is going to take off the way Google, Facebook, Samsung, Sony and a host of other smaller players think it will, it's going to need great content. Video games, Oculus' first focus, are a logical place to start, but it's clear now that VR will also need mainstream video content if it's going to be a hit. That puts YouTube -- and by extension, Google -- in a pretty strong position of power. When the company's just-announced Daydream VR experience starts arriving in the hands of consumers later this year, a brand-new YouTube VR app will be front and center.
Google has big plans for Daydream VR but not much to show
Google revealed the Daydream VR platform at its I/O conference yesterday, and even though the company is definitely building a headset itself, there's nothing for us to get our hands on just yet. Daydream is a complete VR ecosystem from Google, starting with software baked into Android N and ending in partnerships with Samsung, HTC, LG, Alcatel and other major brands. Google has drawn up reference designs for Daydream hardware, including a Wiimote-like controller with a clickable touchpad. Engadget's Chris Velazco walks through the Daydream details in the above video. For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2016, follow along here.
'GunJack Next' coming to Google's Daydream VR platform
Google yesterday revealed a brand new VR platform for Android called "Daydream," and now we know of at least one game for it. CCP, which developed Eve Online and Gunjack for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Samsung Gear VR, will make a sequel tentatively named Gunjack Next exclusively for Daydream. The original title was a VR shooter set in the space world of Eve Online, where you defend your ship by blasting enemies from a gun turret, arcade-style.
Google will sell its own Daydream VR headset
When Google developed its popular line of Nexus phones and tablets, it didn't just give the reference designs to third parties and hope for the best: It built and sold its own hardware to showcase just what those designs could achieve. The company announced on Thursday that it will take the same tack with its newly unveiled Daydream VR hardware. That's right, Google is going to build its own line of Daydream headsets and controllers to show third-party developers how it's done.
Google's Android-powered VR platform supports Unreal games
Yesterday during Google's annual I/O keynote, the company made a point of mentioning that Electronic Arts and Ubisoft -- two of the biggest third-party game studios -- were working on projects for Google's new virtual reality platform, Daydream. Now the company is ready to announce another: Epic Games. The latest version of the company's powerful and ubiquitous game-design toolset, Unreal Engine 4, is coming to Google's next-gen mobile VR system. For developers it ensures easy porting of existing apps to Daydream with little extra work required. For consumers, it means higher-quality mobile VR experiences, and maybe more of them too.
See Google's version of a VR future in today's livestream
It's day two of Google's annual I/O developer conference and by now we've gotten a taste of the company's plans for the future of messaging apps, home assistants and virtual reality. Today, VP of Virtual Reality Clay Bavor takes the stage for a deep dive into Google's VR history and its plans going forward. Perhaps we'll hear more about Android N's VR mode, Google's Daydream VR platform or its hardware goals. The event kicks off at 12PM ET in the video embedded below.
Google Play is getting a dedicated VR section
Google is unpacking a lot of virtual reality news at its I/O developer conference today, and to make sure you can discover that content easily, the company is adding a dedicated VR section in the Play Store. That virtual reality hub will serve up immersive mobile games from the likes of EA and Ubisoft, as well as video streaming from Netflix, Hulu and HBO Now, among other services. You'll be able to get news reports from USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and CNN with sports-related stuff from the MLB and NBA. Google's own photos, Play Movies, Street View and YouTube videos will work on the new Daydream VR platform as well.
Google's new Android VR platform is called 'Daydream'
Google might be making waves with its low-cost Cardboard virtual reality headset, but that was 2014. Daydream is now. Daydream is hardware and software baked into Android N: a headset that looks an awful lot like the Gear VR and Rift headsets, complete with a controller that looks similar to an Apple TV remote. From the sound of it, this won't usurp other hardware makers that are doing VR on their own handsets; Samsung, for instance, is actually partnering with Google here. So are Alcatel, HTC and LG, among others.
Flipboard refresh supports Android 4.2's Daydream mode
Flipboard readers on Android have a little more reason to celebrate beyond just the recent addition of tablet support. A quick update this weekend lets the curated news reader hook into Android 4.2's Daydream mode: news covers can become part of a screensaver that automatically updates with the freshest stories while on WiFi. It's a simple tweak, but it may help Android users catch stories they would miss while their mobile devices sit idle. Hit the source link if you're not already on Flipboard's latest page.
Video Game Hero has the guts, glory
The release of Guitar Hero: On Tour might make homebrew games like Video Game Hero seem obsolete, but this project has two great things going for it: Unconventional music tracks like "Eye of the Tiger" and the Inspector Gadget theme (after the post break) It's free (provided you have the hardware to run homebrew programs)! The touchscreen controls are nice to have, but we'd really love to see Video Game Hero support On Tour's Guitar Grip, especially since we've already seen one other homebrew application utilize the slot-2 accessory. Whether or not programmers Sumiguchi and Daydream decide to add that option, we'll make sure to check this game out when they release it this August 20th!See also: Music Monstars rocks Europe
