The new Google Pixel smartphone represents the tech firm’s most ambitious mobile device yet. The smartphone comes in 5-inch and 5.5-inch sizes, and looks to simplify many mobile tasks thanks to its innovative virtual assistant.
It comes at a time where both Apple and Samsung have struggled to capitalise on their control of the smartphone market. And as the Google Pixel marks a break with their Nexus smartphones, it shows how serious the firm are about this hugely profitable area.
A quick look at the Google Pixel shows that its bright and colourful OLED screen is immediately capable of showing HD movies and playing online games with ease. And its reconfigured operating system runs extremely smoothly – unlike many of its Android competitors.
But it’s the inclusion of the Google Assistant that could prove to be the Pixel’s biggest selling point. This aims to provide timely competition to Apple’s Siri virtual assistant by providing a more intelligent way to interact with the device in a hands-free manner.
The Google Assistant looks to not only be able to hold a conversation, but will also be able to draw on Google’s immense Knowledge Graph database.
This means that whether you were seeking information about a potential holiday destination, or even were needing help to complete the 21 total in one of Lucky Nugget Casino’s blackjack games, you could find such information with a simple voice-activated command.
And with Google claiming that the 12.3-megapixel rear camera was the best on the market, it should be capable of taking some pretty impressive selfies – especially when used with the revolutionary Facetune app for Android.
However, the Google Pixel is not without some critics. In particular, many have stated that the device’s battery is not long-lasting enough when compared to its recently released rivals. And with a high price point of US$649 for the 5-inch version and US$769 for the 5.5-inch model, it’s hardly likely to become a mass market item.
Despite such reservations, it’s still been encouraging to see that Google are starting to make hardware that comes close to their phenomenal productivity in other areas.
And with Samsung still reeling from the exploding Galaxy Note S7 debacle, it could be the battle between Apple and Google to provide us with the most high-tech ways to play Spanish 21, fine tune our faces, and talk to our new digital assistants.
