Matthew DeCarlo
During an event in New York today, Google announced a range of new hardware including the Pixel 4 and 4 XL, Pixelbook Go, Nest Home Mini, and more—much of which we have already detailed in a post published yesterday.
Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL
Google’s new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are already listed for pre-order on vendors including B&H Photo and will be shipped October 24:
- Pixel 4 – 64GB: $799
- Pixel 4 – 128GB: $899
- Pixel 4 XL – 64GB: $899
- Pixel 4 XL – 128GB: $999
Google says it’s the first smartphone with a built-in radar sensor which is used to power the Pixel 4’s new Motion Sense capabilities, based on the Project Soli “radar” sensor. Motion Sense enables more human interactions with your phone, such as preemptively preparing your camera for a face unlock as the phone begins to detect you reaching for the device so you don’t even have to turn its display on—said to make for the fastest secure face unlock on any smartphone. Gesture controls include the ability to swipe for changing a song or declining a phone call.
The Pixel 4 has a 5.77-inch 1080p display, the Pixel 4 XL has a 6.3-inch 1440p display—both have 90Hz refresh rates, as is becoming the standard for high-end phones. All variants have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB of RAM, as well as a rear 12.2MP f/1.7 dual-pixel camera and 16MP f/2.4 telephoto camera. The Pixel 4 has a roughly 2x telephoto lens, Google’s super res zoom technology for a hybrid of optical and digital zoom, as well as software improvements that enable truer colors in trickier lighting, and real-time HDR+ processing so you can see HDR+ effects on your screen before taking the photo:
- Live HDR+ with dual exposure controls
- Learning-base white balancing
- Wider-range portrait mode
- Night site with astrophotography
Google will make the Pixel 4 available through every major US carrier. Colors include Clearly White and Just Black, which are available for all models of the Pixel 4, while “Oh So Orange” seems limited to models with 64GB of storage. Other new features include operating system and application updates that make more use of Google Assistant, new voice recording application with capabilities such as the ability to transcribe what’s being recorded in real time.
Pixelbook Go
Designed to be light yet powerful and engineered with a magnesium matte finish in colors including “Not Pink” and “Just Black,” the new Pixelbook Go is lighter than the original Pixelbook yet features a battery that is 15% larger for all-day usage. Battery life is quoted at 12 hours and charging has been improved over previous Pixelbooks, with the Go being able to receive a two hours boost to its battery in 20 minutes.
Other specs include ultra-quiet keys that feel great to use and a grippy ripple-textured bottom finish. The 13.3-inch Chromebook will have a 1080p or 4K display depending on your preference. Pricing will start at $649 but models will also be available with your choice of a Core m3, i5, or i7 processor, 8GB or 16GB RAM, as well as a 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB SSD. Units configured with a Core i7, 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD will be priced at $1,399.
Nest Home Mini
Available for pre-order today at $49 and shipping in 23 countries on October 22, the Nest Home Mini features a familiar design that uses fabric from recycled plastic bottles. It will be available in four colors and now features a wall mount so it’s easier to position the device anywhere in your home.
Key improvements include 2x stronger bass, clearer more natural sound, and third mic to hear you better in noisy environments. Also of note, there’s now a dedicated machine learning chip onboard, allowing core experiences of the Google Assistant to be moved on to the device for the first time instead of connecting to a distant server.
Nest Wifi
Google’s new Nest Wifi Router and Nest Wifi Point has updated hardware and software that brings a 2x speed boost, 25% better coverage, and a package that can cover about 85% of homes in the US.
Like other Nest devices, the new Nest Wifi is designed with aesthetics in mind so the device is placed out in the open instead of being stuffed in a closet where its effectiveness is cut in half. This latest version features a Google Assistant smart speaker built into the device.
The Nest Wifi is available for pre-order starting today and units will ship to eight countries starting November 4. Pricing is set at $269 for a Nest Wifi Router + Point combo, $349 for a Router and two Points, or $169 for a standalone router.
New Pixel Buds
With an engineering process that was described like building a ship in a bottle, the new “truly wireless” Pixel Buds pack a lot of hardware in a tiny package. They are equipped with custom speakers and a custom battery along with beamforming mics, voice accelerometers that can detect speech through jawbone, and on-device machine learning chips.
The directional mics are designed to pick up your voice even when you’re in a noisy environment while of course enabling hands-free access to Google Assistant to perform actions such as resuming a podcast, sending a quick text message, getting directions, or even understanding another language with Google Translate.
Google boasted about long range Bluetooth on the Pixel Buds that keeps you connected when your phone isn’t by your side. Indoors they can be connected up to three rooms away while outdoor range spans an entire football field.
The buds fit almost flush with your ear and although they’re small and light, Google says you can expect excellent sound quality (rich bass and clear highs) and a lifespan long enough to be useful. Pixel Buds will be available in 2020 for $179.
Other New Announcements
- Nest Aware: Getting updated in 2020 with several new features and two pricing plans: $6 per month to cover all devices and feature a 30-day event video history, or $12 per month for 60-day event video history and 10-day 24/7 video history.
- Stadia: Available November 19th.
Source: Google Event
