Google introduces the Android-powered Pixel C [with hands-on]
So looks like the leak yesterday turned out true. Today, along with a handful of other exciting devices, Google announced the Pixel C – an Android-powered Pixel-branded tablet.
So what’s so special about it? Well, a lot actually. Firstly, being a “Pixel” device, we have superb build quality. It’s wrapped with an all-metal aluminum chassis.
From certain angles, the Pixel C will be familiar to Microsoft Surface users, and that’s not a bad thing. We’re looking at a modest 10.2″ sized display, which is said to be considerably bright, capable of 500 nits. The resolution is at a fantastic 2560×1800 (308ppi).
Running the show is Nvidia’s latest SoC – the quad-core X1 with Maxwell GPU and 3GB of RAM. You’ll have the option for 32GB or 64GB of on-board storage. The latest USB Type-C standard is also incorporated, along with Android 6.0 Marshmallow
But the real fancy part comes in with the keyboard attachment.
The build is just as thought-out as the Pixel C and attaches seamlessly via a very strong magnetic (you have to slide the tablet off the keyboard to separate them). The keyboard is chiclet style and has a kickstand mechanism for the tablet, which you can adjust from 100 to 135 degrees.
While the keyboard accessory is said to last 2 months on a full charge, it can also charge inductively through the tablet when they’re attached.
The Pixel C has a couple more neat tricks. The Pixel light bar isn’t just for show. When you double tap it, you’ll get a battery indicator. Also, there are 4 mics to make sure you make the most from video chatting, and they’re said to work across the room.
Being that this tablet is a “Pixel” device, you may be worried to hear about the price. Fortunately, it isn’t as exorbitant as previous Pixel devices. The Pixel C will start at $499 for 32GB and $599 for the 64GB of storage. The keyboard accessory will be priced at $149. As far as availability, Google said that the Pixel C will arrive in time for the holidays.
Are you gonna keep your eye on the Pixel C, or is it still too expensive?
*A special thanks to our own Derrick Miyao for attending the Google event and getting us a hands-on look.
The post Google introduces the Android-powered Pixel C [with hands-on] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Incoming! Android 6.0 Marshmallow to land on Nexus devices starting next week
Proud owner of a previous generation Nexus device? You’ll be happy to know that sometime next week, you’ll be getting a mouthful of Marshmallow.
The Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 9, and Nexus Player will all be receiving the highly-anticipated software update to the latest version of Android. The new Nexus 5X and Nexus 5P will ship with Marshmallow already installed.
Obviously Google can only confirm when its devices will be receiving Android 6.0, so it’s unclear at this time when other OEMs will be joining the Nexus devices with Marshmallow. It is likely going to occur on October 5 as Telus named that date last week.
Come comment on this article: Incoming! Android 6.0 Marshmallow to land on Nexus devices starting next week
New Chromecast and Chromecast Audio devices launched by Google
As expected during the live event today, Google launched the second generation Chromecast device and added the new Chromecast Audio device to the line. Google says the new Chromecast device will bring some significant improvements to the casting experience to match the growth they are seeing in the number of apps that supporting casting. These include content providers like the NBA, NHL, Showtime, and Google’s own Photos product.
The new, round Chromecast dongle comes with a new antenna system and support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi along with 802.11ac. Google says the device’s software will automatically adjust to the best available signal in order to provide better throughput with less buffering. Another change, besides the switch to a round form factor, is the flexible plug for the HDMI as Google recognizes the ports on TVs are getting filled up and they wanted to help consumers make it easy to hook up a new Chromecast.
The Chromecast Audio dongle is meant to mirror what Google did for hooking up TVs in the world of speakers. The Chromecast Audio is capable of being connected to any speaker via a 3.5mm audio jack, RCA jacks or optical input. Once hooked up, users will go through a similar setup process to get connected to their WiFi network. On the smartphone end, users will find it is just as easy to connect to a Chromecast Audio device as it is to cast to a regular Chromecast – just pick the name from a pop up list when you are ready to cast from a media app.
To go with the new hardware, Google has updated the Chromecast app. A big focus is on helping users with content discovery. The new What’s On tab will display a Play Store-esque listing of what they can watch by only pulling titles from apps a user has installed on their device. Although there will be some difference in search results, it is probably worth noting that when combined with Google’s voice search capabilities, the new search-enabled Chromecast app comes close to matching Gary Busey’s favorite feature found on Amazon’s Fire TV devices. Users will also find the Chromecast app itself has control buttons like pause and play, meaning it can function as a remote without a user having to tap into the source app for whatever is displaying.
Helping improve the user experience, Google is also adding technology to speed up the display of cast content. When users launch an app, like Netflix, the Chromecast will go ahead and preload that app rather than waiting for a user to hit the cast button. In similar manner, it will look ahead and what you are likely to watch, like recent titles, and start loading up the next episode. Google says this results in content starting up about 80% faster than with the first generation Chromecast.
Google indicates they are adding additional Backdrop feeds to Chromecast, including support for Facebook photos. They also announced support for Spotify is coming to the new version of the Chromecast and the Chromecast Audio and will eventually rollout to the first generation.
The new Chromecast devices are available in the Play Store starting today for $35 in 17 countries. The Chromecast is available in black, yellow or coral while the Chromecast Audio is available only in black, but with a grooved design reminiscent of a vinyl record.
You can check out Google’s new promotional video for their Chromecast below.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: New Chromecast and Chromecast Audio devices launched by Google
Google’s Pixel C tablet is like a Chromebook that runs Android
Google’s conference just finished with a ton of new products and announcements being unveiled. One of them is the brand new Pixel C, which is a high-end tablet with optional Bluetooth keyboard attachment.
Up until now, the Pixel name has always been for Chromebooks running Chrome OS. This will be the first Android based system to be a part of the Pixel line up. It looks like Google is making the name Pixel similar to their Nexus line. Where Nexus is for phones and fun, Pixel products will be designed more for work and productivity.
What makes the Pixel C different from other tablets or Chromebooks is it combines the best of both worlds. It has a 10.2″ 308PPI touch display, a brightness level of 500nits, is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor with Maxwell GPU, and has 3GB of RAM. Their are two different storage options, 32GB or 64GB. Of course, being the latest from Google, it will be running Android Marshmallow.
What makes this more than just your average tablet is the detachable keyboard. Very similar to the Microsoft Surface or the newly unveiled Apple iPad Pro, the Pixel C is ideally used with an optional $149 Bluetooth keyboard. The keyboard is attached to the back of the Pixel C when it’s not in use and can be quickly magnetically docked for when you need to do a lot of typing. It also charges when it’s attached to the back and not in use. The Pixel C also features a new USB Type-C connector. Unlike most other cables, this one is reversible and can be used to charge the Pixel C or your new Nexus phone which uses the same cable.
Google says the Pixel C will be out in the coming months with a cost of $499 for the 32GB and $599 for the 64GB version. The keyboard needs to be purchased separately and is priced at $149.
Come comment on this article: Google’s Pixel C tablet is like a Chromebook that runs Android
Google debuts cool fingerprint scanner with new Nexus devices
Finally the wait is over for Android lovers who had been waiting for the unveiling of the new Google Nexus devices with bated breaths. As Google debuted Huawei’s Nexus 6P and the LG Nexus 5X today, it also announced a great hardware feature of these phones – Nexus Imprint.
While fingerprint sensors have been here for some time, they have not always been entirely secure or lag-free. Google’s engineering chief Dave Burke announced at today’s event that Nexus Imprint uses a new sensor that not only makes unlocking the phones more secure, it recognizes your fingerprint in less than 600 milliseconds. The new sensor also has an extremely low false reject rate that means you won’t have to swipe your fingers over and over again to unlock your phone.
The Nexus Imprint is supposed to become more accurate at recognizing your fingerprints over time, which means the likelihood of someone misusing your mobile device, making fraud payments or stealing credit card details becomes extremely low.
Speaking of payments, Google revealed that using Android Pay will be a breezy experience on the new Nexus devices thanks to Nexus Imprint. All you have to do is, tap the sensor at the back of the smartphone twice to unlock it and then tap the payment terminal in the Google Play Store. Voila, your have just purchased yourself a new app, a book or who knows a Chromecast.
Do you think that Nexus Imprint will guard your phone’s privacy and security more efficiently than other flagship phones launched this year such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, the HTC One M9+, the new Galaxy Note 5 and the OnePlus One 2?
Come comment on this article: Google debuts cool fingerprint scanner with new Nexus devices
Google announces the Pixel C, a new 10.2-inch premium Android tablet aimed at productivity
For months now, there have been rumors floating around about Google not having a tablet offering for 2015, though the assumption has been that there would be no new Nexus to sell. Rumors had popped up of a purported 8-inch device, however they were quickly written off and forgotten. Those longing for a new tablet need not fret, as today Google has announced a somewhat unprecedented product: the Pixel Convertible, known simply as the Pixel C.
The Pixel series, for those who follow Chromebooks, has been previously used only for the most premium offerings, and manufactured and sold directly through Google itself. The Pixel C follows in the tradition of being a high spec, high performance, high price device, though in the case it’s running Android 6.0 Marshmallow as opposed to ChromeOS.
The Pixel C features a 2560X1800 10.2-inch screen with 308ppi, 500 nits of brightness, and sRGB color gamut. It has an Nvidia X1 SoC with Maxwell GPU, 3GB of LPRDD4 RAM, and either 32GB or 64GB of on-board storage. It will make use of USB Type C, is made of aluminum, and as mentioned earlier, will ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. As per the Pixel laptop series, the device also includes an LED strip that can be double tapped to indicate battery life.
One accessory has been announced so far, an aluminum keyboard which can attach to the tablet in a Microsoft Surface/Apple iPad Pro-type fashion via magnets and connects to the system via Bluetooth. Google has indicated the accessory is the same size as a standard keyboard due to some strategic rearrangement of keys and use of the tablet’s touch screen. It should make for a very comfortable user experience.
The device will retail for $499 (32GB) or $599 (64GB) and will be available for purchase by the end of the year. The keyboard will retail for $149.
A curious creation
The Pixel C is, oddly enough the only real “secret” that came out of Google’s PR event today, as the pair of Nexus devices as well as the refreshed Chromecast dongle had been leaked significantly. The tablet remained essentially unknown until the past 24 hours.
While the Pixel moniker will be sure to excited those interested in high specs and a truly premium product, there is an air of curiosity present as Google has clearly sought to select a branding rather unfamiliar to the general public as opposed to using the Nexus designation that has been employed for years.
Behold the Pixel C’s keyboard size comparison with a standard-issue typing device.
One possibility might be that the Pixel C is meant to stand in stark contrast to the ill-received Nexus 9 that launched last year. The device, while certainly a fantastic piece of kit, was beleaguered by build quality issues and a clear lack of premium construction despite being made by HTC. Given that Project Tango is also marketed separately from the Nexus line, this could indicate that Google itself may start to branch out and create devices that extend beyond the branding, or it just as well could be a one off to test the waters for something else entirely.
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Despite the phablet cannibalization, various commentary around the internet had indicated a desire for a simple Nexus 7 refresh. It will be interesting to see how the device fares in a very crowded market with slugging sales. At the very least the use of a widescreen resolution – as opposed to the Nexus 9’s 4:3 – will please some purchasers, and the size clearly makes it stand out from the big-screen phone territory.
It will also be interesting to see how well the device does on-the-whole considering that Samsung has been offering productivity-oriented tablets for years now, including last year’s Galaxy Note PRO that supports the S-Pen and even the new Galaxy Tab S2 which has an optional touch cover. Whereas both the Microsoft Surface Pro and Apple iPad Pro have stylus support, the Pixel C – at the moment – does not, and therefore stands to offer a much more traditional business experience.
What are your thoughts on this particular product? Does it meet demands for a new tablet offering this year or has Google possibly made a mistake in pricing it at such a premium point? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Google Photos adds Chromecast support, labels and sharing
At its event today, Google has announced a new range of updates for its Google Photo image management service and is bringing support for the Chromecast as well as naming labels and album sharing with other people.
Chromecast sharing lets you share your images to the big screen, instead of having to pass your phone around to show your friends and families. With the latest update, when you’re in the Google Photos app and you have a configured ChromeCast, you can just tap the Cast button and it will share the images to the big screen.
A great feature is being able to flick through your images on your phone and only sharing the ones you select to the TV, which is perfect if you’ve got some private photos from your holiday that you’d rather your family and friends didn’t see. Chromecast support means you can also share any videos and animations created by Google Photos directly to your big screen as well.
One of the biggest challenges with having a large collection of photos is being able to find the images you want and while Google Photos does a decent job of picking images that match your search, it’s about to get a whole lot better. With the latest update, you can now add name labels to images which will improve the machine learning experience.
For example, if you take a bunch of pictures of your family at Christmas, you can add the name label “family” and then when you search for “family at Christmas”, Google will use machine learning and facial recognition to pick out just those photos. Most importantly, the names are completely private and Google says they are not used for targeting purposes.
The last new feature in Google Photos is arguably the best but you’ll be waiting a little while for it; a key problem with having a shared collection of photos is having to still tell people when you’ve added more or updated the album. With the new Google Photos sharing features, you’ll be able to invite friends to view and contribute to your albums, which is perfect if you’re trying to collect all the photos from your wedding in one single location.
Once they’ve joined, they’ll receive notifications whenever you add a new photo and they can add the photos to their own collections with just a single tap. A key thing that differentiates this feature from others – it is after all, very similar to Apple’s shared photo stream – is that it works across both iOS and Android meaning you can share the albums with ease to any of your friends who use an iPhone.
The updates to Google Photos certainly aren’t massive on their own but collectively, they make a great product even better. Although it’s only a few months old, Google Photos – which was born out of the mess that is Google+ – is already one of the best consumer photo products on the marketplace and the new update will only serve to make it even better.
What do you think of the Google Photos update? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Nexus 6P Special Edition: Japan gets an exclusive Gold color variant
Google has just finished officially taking the wraps off the new Huawei-made Nexus 6P, and it has already begun to appear in Google Stores around the world. Curious to see if the Japanese store had been updated given the imminent launch here, the investigation was met with a bit of a surprise. A golden one, at that.
Lo and behold, a “Nexus 6P Special Edition” is located on the Google Store page, just below the “standard” product. The sole differentiating factor about this device appears to be the Gold color variation. Currently there is no option to purchase it, rather the page just allows you to join a waiting list. It is unknown as to what storage variants will be offered; Sony for example has often sold only the highest storage options for some of its online-exclusive Walkman color variants. As Google has not offered anything of this nature before, it remains to be seen what kind of liberties are placed on the purchase conditions.
It is also unclear as to which other markets will or may receive this color variation. Given that the official press event made no mention of the color whatsoever, it is likely that the USA will not receive it at the moment. A perusal of the UK Google Store failed to show it present there as well. Given that Gold colored products seem to sell particularly well in Asia (especially China), this may very well end up being a truly limited product, at least with respect to regional availability.
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It is also possible that the color will become a standard variant at a later date, at which point it could be available in all markets worldwide. At the very least it is curious that Japan gets some special love from Google, especially given that the Nexus One and Nexus S were skipped here entirely, as was the Sand (Gold) color option for last year’s Nexus 9 tablet.
For reference, the Huawei Nexus 6P features the following specs:
| Display | 5.7-inch AMOLED WQHD 518ppi |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon processor 810 v2.1 |
| GPU | Adreno 430 |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Storage | 32/64/128GB storage |
| MicroSD | No |
| Networks | GSM 850/1900 W-CDMA 2/4/5 CDMA 0/1/10 LTE Band 2/4/5/7/12/13/17/25/26/41 |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, rear-mounted |
| Camera | 12.3-megapixel rear cam, 8MP front cam |
| Battery | 3450mAh non-removable battery |
| Wireless charging | No |
| Dimensions | 159.4 x 77.8 x 7.3mm and 178g |
| Colors | Aluminum, Frost, Graphite |
For more coverage on the device, be sure to check out our official announcement post here, and stay tuned to Android Authority for future developments and updates on this story and the new Nexus products.
What are your thoughts on the Gold Nexus 6P? Does the color look good on it, or are Google and Huawei just trying to cash in on the latest craze? Would you buy it if offered in your country? Please take the survey below, and then leave your thoughts in the comments section!
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Chromecast adds video from Showtime, Sling TV, NBA and more
Besides rolling out two brand new devices and a redesigned app, Google is bringing a slew of new video services (and Spotify) to the now 20 million strong Chromecast ecosystem. Announced onstage during today’s Nexus event, it appears the new Showtime standalone app is now available on Chromecast, while Sling TV is coming in the next few weeks. The NBA and MLS are also adding Cast support, while DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket (which already supported Chromecast) is adding a new feature allowing users to scrub through stats and other info on their phone while games are streaming on the TV.
Get all the news from today’s Google event right here.
Source: Sling TV
Google’s Pixel C tablet is Android’s official answer to the Surface
You may have tuned into Google’s event expecting Nexus phones, but Google just threw a big (if not entirely unanticipated) wildcard into the mix: meet the Pixel C. The 10.2-inch Android Marshmallow device is the first tablet Google has designed completely in-house, and it’s a not-so-subtle attempt at competing with Microsoft’s Surface line, Apple’s iPad Pro and other high-end tablets that turn into makeshift laptops with the right add-ons. In this case, there’s an optional smart Bluetooth keyboard ($149) that docks with the Pixel C when you’re bent on getting work done, clings to the back of the tablet when you’re not using it, and charges when closed with the tablet attached. And much like the similarly pro-minded Chromebook Pixel, the Pixel C is using a USB Type-C connector — you can even share chargers with the new Nexus phones if you’re so inclined. Slideshow-323771
As you might guess, the device is a beast under the hood. As leaks revealed earlier, it’s powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra X1 (the same chip you find in the Shield TV), and you’ll be looking at an extra-bright (500 nits), 308 pixels-per-inch display. Google is shy about saying just when and where the Pixel C will be available, other than that it should arrive in time for the holidays. However, the pricing is about what you’d expect for a slate in this class: it’ll cost $499 for a version with 32GB of storage, and $599 for a 64GB version.
Source: Google
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