Google Unveils Pixel Phone, Smart Home Hub, and More at AI-Focused Event

[P-DogNC]

At its media event today in San Francisco, Google announced a few new pieces of hardware, mainly centering around the company's artificial intelligence initiatives and the confirmation of a new pair of smartphones called the Pixel and Pixel XL.

Additionally, the company revealed the new Chromecast Ultra streaming dongle, a VR headset called Google Daydream, and gave more details about its connected smart home hub device, Google Home. Bits and pieces of information on the Pixel smartphones and Google Home have surfaced online over the past few weeks, correctly predicting most of today's announcements.

Google Assistant

The company started off by providing details on its artificial intelligence platform, called Google Assistant, which the company says is like "your own personal Google." The assistant can perform normal tasks like playing music, performing search queries, and providing navigation directions, as well as carrying on a normal conversation with the user. The company showed this by providing an example of a user asking for directions, then inquiring about restaurants at the destination's end, and finally setting a reservation at one.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai also discussed a few intelligent updates coming to the company's search system, including improvements to image descriptions, better translation fueled by machine learning technology, and more human-like text-to-speech abilities. Pichai said that the assistant will "constantly get better" as the company introduces it to more and more users, which it's started doing with the recent launch of Google Allo.


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Article Link: Google Unveils Pixel Phone, Smart Home Hub, and More at AI-Focused Event

 

[bladerunner2000]

I would feel so embarrassed pulling out a Google phone out of my pocket in public. I dunno, pulling out an iPhone just feels so cool. Hard to explain this psychological phenomenon.

With a Google product, you feel yourself like a second-class citizen that lives in a third-world country. Whereas Apple products feel luxurious, it's like owning a Porsche, or like living in Switzerland or Monaco.

Google hardware feels like a smelly garbage that rots under your window.

How old are you?

 

[aaronhead14]

Seems pretty aiight, but I'd never get it at that price. Go for the OnePlus3 if you really want to deal with Android...

 

[P-DogNC]

At its media event today in San Francisco, Google announced a few new pieces of hardware, mainly centering around the company's artificial intelligence initiatives and the confirmation of a new pair of smartphones called the Pixel and Pixel XL.

Additionally, the company revealed the new Chromecast Ultra streaming dongle, a VR headset called Google Daydream, and gave more details about its connected smart home hub device, Google Home. Bits and pieces of information on the Pixel smartphones and Google Home have surfaced online over the past few weeks, correctly predicting most of today's announcements.

Google Assistant

The company started off by providing details on its artificial intelligence platform, called Google Assistant, which the company says is like "your own personal Google." The assistant can perform normal tasks like playing music, performing search queries, and providing navigation directions, as well as carrying on a normal conversation with the user. The company showed this by providing an example of a user asking for directions, then inquiring about restaurants at the destination's end, and finally setting a reservation at one.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai also discussed a few intelligent updates coming to the company's search system, including improvements to image descriptions, better translation fueled by machine learning technology, and more human-like text-to-speech abilities. Pichai said that the assistant will "constantly get better" as the company introduces it to more and more users, which it's started doing with the recent launch of Google Allo.


Click here to read rest of article...

Article Link: Google Unveils Pixel Phone, Smart Home Hub, and More at AI-Focused Event

 

[sinsin07]

MacRumors, am i right?

Right.
Just not original.

 

[truthertech]

Which is why Apple is selling less iPhones. They need to do something different.

You can relax Monk. Your sense of panic is not well-founded.The latest estimate is for 100 million high end Apple phones by the end of the year and almost a quarter billion, yes that's the BIG B folks, in 12 months.

 

[P-DogNC]

The Pixel is to the Nexus what the post 2007 android phone from Google was to the pre-2007 android phone. They are both visceral attempts to copycat the prevailing iPhone of the day.

 

[Zaft]

wow that is one ugly phone.

 

[Larry-K]

I would feel so embarrassed pulling out a Google phone out of my pocket in public. I dunno, pulling out an iPhone just feels so cool. Hard to explain this psychological phenomenon.

With a Google product, you feel yourself like a second-class citizen that lives in a third-world country. Whereas Apple products feel luxurious, it's like owning a Porsche, or like living in Switzerland or Monaco.

Google hardware feels like a smelly garbage that rots under your window.

Congratulations, you have completely succumbed to marketing, and abandoned any pretense of critical thought.

A round of Kool-Aid on me.

Why is there rotting garbage under your window?

 

[rGiskard]

I would feel so embarrassed pulling out a Google phone out of my pocket in public. I dunno, pulling out an iPhone just feels so cool. Hard to explain this psychological phenomenon.

With a Google product, you feel yourself like a second-class citizen that lives in a third-world country. Whereas Apple products feel luxurious, it's like owning a Porsche, or like living in Switzerland or Monaco.

Google hardware feels like a smelly garbage that rots under your window.

So you're just in it for the bling?

 

[truthertech]

My takeaway is Pixel is targeted at consumers who want iPhone hardware but with better AI, OS and services.

Good one. Thanks for breaking up the thread with some good humor.

 

[apolloa]

The Pixel is to the Nexus what the post 2007 android phone from Google was to the pre-2007 android phone. They are both visceral attempts to copycat the prevailing iPhone of the day.

Actually the Nexus was sold as developer tools for Android, not to compete with the iPhone. They were never marketed as such and perhaps displays a sense of nervousness by the Apple crowd if they felt threatened by Nexus devices to suggest so.

 

[baller1308]

Not a bad phone, but too expensive.

 

[jntdroid]

I would feel so embarrassed pulling out a Google phone out of my pocket in public. I dunno, pulling out an iPhone just feels so cool. Hard to explain this psychological phenomenon.

With a Google product, you feel yourself like a second-class citizen that lives in a third-world country. Whereas Apple products feel luxurious, it's like owning a Porsche, or like living in Switzerland or Monaco.

Google hardware feels like a smelly garbage that rots under your window.

Your priorities might be a bit off... lol

 

[44267547]

Which is why Apple is selling less iPhones. They need to do something different.

Compared to what? The Galaxy Series? Not as of lately with the disastrous Note 7 fiasco. What other competition is there? There isn't. Even the Pixel does well, it's an early adopter first Gen Phone at best.

 

[gdeputy]

It's a decent phone.. I'm surprised they kept form with iPhone.. which is now on gen 3 and sorely behind from a design standpoint.

Some wins... some losses...

Google's assistant is clearly better than Siri

Home integration is a TBD

No waterproofing.. which is disheartening

Quick charge.. nice!

Honestly.. this makes things simple. Hardware all the same mostly.. pick which platform you want.

I think it's a nice solid phone.. nothing to make me want to jump from iphone..

I'm enjoying the 7Plus camera and haptic feedback.. everything else is basically the same as a 6s plus..

 

[sinsin07]

Actually the Nexus was sold as developer tools for Android, not to compete with the iPhone. They were never marketed as such and perhaps displays a sense of nervousness by the Apple crowd if they felt threatened by Nexus devices to suggest so.

Careful.
If you leap any further you'll be off the cliff.

 

[Col4bin]

Hi iPhone, errr Pixel Phone...

Hey Google, Samsung much?

 

[Jack Burton]

We will see if the camera lives up to the hype. Unlimited photo and video storage is nice. I'll wait for reviews.

I don't know if the reveal of this phone is worth the butt hurt I see in this thread, though. Some of the posts here are cringe worthy.

 

[GeneralChang]

The whole draw of the Nexus line for me was that it was significantly cheaper than the competition. This thing, at the same price... yeah, no draw.

 

[Col4bin]

Sorry but that blue phone is FUGLY.

 

[pilotpat]

Verizon exclusive

No, it's a universal phone, works with all major carriers if ordered from the Google Play Store.

 

[Andres Cantu]

You're absolutely right. We're already seeing iPhone CPUs mincing the competition. Double the per-core performance is staggering. Now, let's throw in an optimised OS. Standardised hardware. Great build quality. Stores everywhere. Fabulous support.

If Apple keep this up, coupled with the rumoured aesthetic features of the next-gen iPhone, I just can't see what appeal any Android device could possibly offer anybody.

Plus the same price as an iPhone? They have to be kidding.

Yep, it's an ecosystem in the whole sense of the word. No other company has managed to mimic this successful strategy.

 

[trims]

That is true, but look at the other cheap shot. "No camera hump" yeah that's easy to achieve on a phone that's 1,5mm thicker than the iPhone! Personally I'd prefer my iPhone to be a little thicker in order to get rid of the hump, but the jab from google just wasn't justified.

1.5mm thicker, but the battery is also 2770 mAh compared to 1960 mAh for the iP7. It's going to smash the iP7 for battery life - possibly the iPhone's weakest point.

Learning point here. Let's hope that Apple go slightly thicker for the iP8, getting rid of the camera turret, and giving us a decent battery instead.

 

[rGiskard]

My takeaway is Pixel is targeted at consumers who want iPhone hardware but with better AI, OS and services.

So true. I'd go Android except they don't play well with OS X. iOS isn't that bad but Android really is the better OS. I describe it this way: Android feels more like using a Mac than does iOS. iOS forces you through byzantine workflows to manage files because it's targeted at dumb consumers. Android is targeted at everyone, both rubes and power users, exactly the way OS X is.