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Google claims Pixel 2 has the best camera, just like the first Pixel
Google was quick to brag about the original Pixel's camera prowess last year, and it's continuing with that confident stance now that the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are here. Both phones use the same 12-megapixel rear camera, and have received an unprecedented overall DxOMark test score of 98 -- that's four points higher than the previous leaders, the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. If you ask Google, it's a combination of the hardware with its computational intelligence.
Google Clips is a $249 AI-powered camera
Final hour leaks suggested Google Clips would be some kind of accessory -- but neglected to mention what for, and what it would do. Now we know: it's a Google-powered Narrative camera accessory that uses the company's AI know-how to automagically take photos and videos. (Yes, there's still a shutter button.)
Google’s cleaner Pixel 2 UI puts search front and center
Last year, Google's first Pixel phone came with a few surprises -- including a new proprietary launcher that shifted around icons and the user interface. But it seems the rumors about the Pixel 2's refreshed UI were true: The Google search box has been moved to the bottom, while the top area has been devoted to widgets showing time, date, weather and the next appointment in your calendar.
Google's new Daydream headset costs $99
Last year, Google announced the Daydream View, its first ever mobile VR headset. Not only was it powered by Android, it could also be used with a variety of different Daydream-compatible phones and it was covered in fabric. Today, the company announced the brand new version of the View, and this time, it comes in multiple colors: Charcoal, Fog and Coral. It's also available for $99, which is $20 more than last year's iteration.
Google's Lens visual search will hit Pixel phones this year
Google may be unveiling the highly anticipated (and heavily leaked) Pixel 2 phones, Pixelbook and "Max" and mini Home speakers today, but the company also has new software up its sleeves. In particular, it showed off the new Lens feature, which is designed to pull up helpful information for whatever you point your camera at. The preview will roll out to Pixel phones later this year, initially via the Assistant and the Photos app.
Google goes full Snapchat with AR stickers for Pixel phones
Last month, Google gave us a look into what it's been doing with ARCore -- the company's augmented reality developer platform for Android. Some of the platform's capabilities already include incorporating Street View images, providing step-by-step training tutorials and showing previews of what construction projects will look like once they're finished. And today at Google's Pixel 2 event, we got another look at what the platform can do.
Google's Pixel 2 always knows exactly what song that is
Google is coming for your Shazaam. At it's Pixel 2 event on Wednesday, the company revealed an always-on music identification feature for its newest handset. It detects ambient songs playing around you, then leverages the Pixel 2's onboard machine learning capability to compare that sound structure to a database of more than 10,000 popular tracks and figure out what it is you're hearing. Best of all, the database is stored locally so the entire recognition process requires zero interaction with Google's servers, preserving your privacy and ensuring it'll work even if you don't have an internet connection.
Snapchat will be optimized for the Google Pixelbook
Get ready to see your snaps on a much bigger screen. Google just announced that it's working with Snap to bring a version of the popular messaging app to its newly announced Pixelbook. Snapchat for the Pixelbook will be optimized for the laptop's 12.3-inch quad HD display, so you won't have to squint to see a tiny rectangle on your screen. Details are scant on what the integration will look like just yet, but the new notebook will be available in stores on October 31st starting at $999.
Google's Pixelbook Pen searches for what you circle
Google isn't launching the Pixelbook laptop all by its lonesome -- it's also unveiling the previously rumored Pixelbook Pen. The stylus lets you draw and write on the Pixelbook's touchscreen, of course, and it promises to be responsive with a low 10ms latency, 2,000 levels of pressure sensitivity and 60 degrees of angular awareness. However, the real party trick is its tie-in with Google Assistant: You can ask Assistant to search for items just by circling them. If you've ever wanted to search from an image or a snippet of text, it's now relatively trivial.
Google unveils the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
Google has announced the second generation of its venerated Pixel handsets, the Pixel 2 and its larger sibling, the Pixel 2 XL. Rather than attempting to compete on specifications, the company is hoping that its software know-how and a refined design will woo customers. The headline feature, perhaps, is that the Pixels will abandon the 3.5mm headphone jack on its smartphones. Instead, users will need to connect their analog headphones using the bundled 3.5mm USB-C adapter.
Google Assistant will tell your kids a bedtime story
Kids don't quite have the diction that adults do, which can make it hard even for us humans to understand them. Google knows this and has tweaked Assistant and Home to better pick up what your munchkins are laying down. The search juggernaut has also partnered with a number of providers for kid-specific things like stories from Disney and Sports Illustrated for Kids among others as well as simple games (like musical chairs). The just-announced Family Link will let you set up Google accounts for your youngsters under 13 too. The updates will be rolling out later this month.
Google’s Pixelbook is a 2-in-1 premium Chromebook
Google's Pixel laptop is back! Sort of. After retiring its older Pixel Chromebook this year, Google is jumping back into the premium notebook fray with the Pixelbook. (We'll leave it up to you to figure out how it came up with that name.) The big difference this time? It's a 2-in-1 machine, so it can be folded around and used like a tablet. The previous Pixels were just expensive and powerful touchscreen laptops. The Pixelbook is still pricey, though, starting at $999.
Nest's security products and Google Home will do more together
Today's Google event is all about, well, Google hardware, but that doesn't mean Nest isn't getting some love too. Onstage the company announced that its Google Home speaker (as well as the new Google Home Mini and Max) will have deeper, more-useful integrations with Nest hardware. So if you have a Nest camera set up, you can ask Home to show the live feed on your TV via Chromecast. You can also change the temperature on your Nest thermostat with simple, conversational terms like "warmer" and set up your Nest Hello doorbell so it calls Home, like a remote intercom.
Google's $399 Home Max smart speaker focuses on audio quality
At today's Made by Google event, the company has introduced a buffed up version of its Home assistant device called the Google Home Max. This version of the speaker uses premium materials and improved speakers (dual 4.5-inch high-excursion woofers, two custom tweeters), putting it in position to compete with products like those from Sonos (like the upcoming Sonos One that also has Assistant built-in) or Apple's upcoming HomePod.
Google Home Mini is a basic $49 smart speaker
If you feel the regular Google Home is overkill when you just want to ask about the weather, you're in luck: As rumored, Google has introduced the cut-down Home Mini. For all intents and purposes, it's Mountain View's take on Amazon's Echo Dot. The puck-sized, fabric-covered device drops music-grade speakers in favor of a narrow focus on Google Assistant voice commands (including a Find My Phone feature) and, as you might imagine, a lower price to match. At $49, it's competitive with the Dot and decidedly more accessible than the standard Home. Pre-orders start now, and it ships October 19th to all seven countries where Home sells today.
Live from Google's Pixel 2 event!
It's already been a year since Google officially announced its pair of Pixel smartphones, the Google Home speaker and a host of other hardware products. Naturally, that means it's time to do it all over again. At an event in San Francisco, Google is expected to reveal the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL phones, updates to the Google Home line, a convertible Chromebook and more. We'll be there live bringing you the news as it develops with our up-to-the-minute liveblog, and we'll have hands-on and first impressions from the event afterwards. Keep an eye on this page for everything as it's announced -- Google's event kicks off on October 4th at 12PM ET / 9AM PT.
Watch Google's Pixel 2 event live right here at 12PM ET
Well folks, today's the day. It's Google's turn to reveal a new lineup of devices that are likely to tempt you before the holiday scrum begins. We'll be there live to bring you all of the news as it's announced, but if you want to watch today's festivities, we've embedded the livestream below for easy access. Tune in and keep an eye on our liveblog for witty analysis, terrible jokes and more from today's Pixel 2 event. While you're waiting for 12PM ET to roll around, catch up on what we expect to be announced and take a look at our retrospective of Google phones going back to 2007. Follow all the latest news from Google's Pixel 2 event here!
How Google’s smartphones have evolved since 2007
Google is expected to show off a ton of new hardware at a press event in San Francisco this week, and -- as expected -- most of the hype is centered around a pair of new Pixel phones. Now, the Pixel line itself is only a year old, but Google's smartphone ambitions have been part of the company's vision for over a decade now, and we felt that was worth celebrating ahead of Wednesday's big reveal. Join us as we take a look at Google's surprisingly long history in smartphones, starting with a device many of us had forgotten about completely.
What to expect at Google's Pixel 2 event
Almost exactly a year ago, Google unveiled a host of new products, a veritable "Made By Google" ecosystem, as the company called it. The most notable devices were the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones and Google Home smart speaker, but Google also launched the Daydream View VR headset, a mesh-WiFi system and a 4K-capable Chromecast. It was easily the company's biggest push into Google-branded hardware. But one year later, the Pixel and Pixel XL have been lapped by new devices from Samsung, Apple and LG, among others. We're due for a refresh, and we'll almost certainly get that in San Francisco on Wednesday, October 4th, when the company hosts its next big product launch. New phones are basically a shoo-in, but there's a bunch of other hardware that Google will likely show off. Here's what to expect.
