Google finally takes control of its phones, thanks to Pixel

Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL aren’t just a pair of handsets that Google’s mobile division is producing with a third-party, like its Nexus devices. No, these two new phones are emblematic of a dramatic shift in the way that the firm is going to build products in the future. The division, led by former Motorola chief Rick Osterloh, is behaving much more like a traditional phone manufacturer, signing deals with mobile networks and managing distribution all by itself.

In an interview over at Bloomberg, it’s revealed that Google is taking an approach much closer to that of partners like Samsung. For instance, Android engineer David Burke let slip that the company has designed a product roadmap that stretches years into the future. Burke himself concedes that he’s been playing with a Google-branded handset that won’t debut until Fall 2017.

It’s not just the designs of the hardware that Google is working on, either, since the company is now building its own supply chin. The company used HTC to assemble the Pixel phones with off-the-shelf components, but that won’t be the situation in future. Instead, executives claim that they’ll look to build their own custom silicon, pushing out suppliers like Qualcomm. As much as it’ll annoy people to see the comparison, it does seem as if Google’s in-house phone arm is cribbing from Apple’s business playbook.

In the piece, Google makes assurances that its own mobile division will be treated equally to other manufacturers. For instance, there is a “firewall” between the hardware and Android divisions so that Osterloh and his team can’t peek at what Samsung and LG, amongst others, are working on. The company says that every manufacturer will be treated the same, although it’s telling that the Pixels will be the first to get Android 7.1 and other new Google features.

It’s worth mentioning that we’ve been down this road before, both with Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility and Microsoft’s purchase of Nokia. Both companies had previously acted as an enabler, providing software and support to their partners in the hardware space. Google, cannily, seemed to make it clear that the Motorola deal was more of a business decision (for patents) than an attempt to out-muscle its partners.

Microsoft, on the other hand, was treated like a pariah by mobile device manufacturers who saw that they’d be treated as second-class citizens. When Microsoft went on to design and build Surface tablets, it caused further consternation and a very public war of words with executives at other companies. It remains to be seen if Google’s trusted cohort of partners will feel similarly aggrieved, but we can imagine Samsung wondering if Tizen isn’t worth putting on a Galaxy S handset. We also know that Huawei has already rebuffed Google’s Pixel phone strategy as it tries to assert its own dominance.

Amusingly, a 2011 Engadget editorial on the Motorola – Google deal remarked that we should “check back in three years and see if Motorola hasn’t become Google’s de-facto mobile division.” That, obviously, didn’t happen, although the fact that the former head of Motorola is running Google’s in-house mobile division a few years after means that we’re gonna claim partial credit.

If you needed any further evidence as to where Google sees its future, simply flip the Pixel over and look at the back. At the bottom you’ll find the phrase “Made by Google,” with no reference at all for the moribund HTC, which is simply a contract manufacturer for Google like Foxconn is for so many others.

Click here to catch all the latest news from Google’s fall event.

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Source: Bloomberg, Google

Google’s Pixel phones arrive with full-res photo and video storage

Google has announced that its new smartphones, dubbed Pixel, will come with unlimited cloud storage for full-resolution pictures and videos. That’s a big deal if you plan to take advantage of the devices’ 4K shooting capabilities, as well as the large files produced by the 12.3-megapixel camera. It’s worth noting that the company already offers something similar with Google Photos, but that only applies to high quality media, rather than full resolution.

Not surprisingly, Google took a quick jab at Apple during the announcement, showing a screenshot of the infamous “Storage Full” message you get on iOS when your iPhone has ran out of built-in space. Google’s intention, of course, is that you won’t have to worry about this if you pick up one of its two Pixel phones.

Click here to catch all the latest news from Google’s fall event.

Google’s Pixel has the ‘best smartphone camera’ ever

Google has revealed the specs for its new Pixel smartphone’s 12.3-megapixel rear camera and they’re pretty impressive. For starters, its 89 score from DXOMark makes it the “best smartphone camera” ever, the company says, and brings it close to a dedicated compact camera in terms of sharpness and color accuracy. The relatively large sensor and smallish megapixel count yields a 1.55-micron pixel size, meaning the camera will generally be quicker and better in low light, too.

It also has the shortest capture time than any smartphone Google has ever tested, meaning there’s next to no shutter lag when you’re taking action shots. Because it’s so fast, the HDR function is always on, improving overly-bright daylight scenes and shadows that are too dark. Google says it splits images into short, multiple exposures in order to align pixels, eliminate blur and improve dynamic range. Needling Apple, it added that it does all that without a camera hump. Once the images are captured, the smartphone can process them twice as fast as previous models, thanks to the fast Snapdragon 821 CPU and 4GB of RAM.

Google hasn’t forgotten about video, either. The Pixel can capture 4K video at 30fps, 1080p video at 120 fps and 720p at 240 fps. The company also showed an impressive video stabilization demo of someone walking (jerkily) down the street, with stabilization turned on and off. Suffice to say, the stabilized version was smooth, while the un-stabilized footage was basically unusable. Google said the camera samples the gyroscope 200 times per second, instantly compensating for shaking and rolling shutter, also known as the jello effect.

One can’t help but compare Google’s Pixel smartphone camera to the ones on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. In sum, the Pixel lacks the iPhone 7 Plus’s telephoto lens and depth-of-field “bokeh” capacity, but is faster and has better optics, if the DXOMark score is any indication. However, both iPhone 7 models pack faster f/1.8 lenses than the f/2.0 glass on the Pixel. We’ll need to get our hands on the Pixel to confirm that, of course.

Being native Google devices, Pixel smartphones will have Google Photos built in, of course, making it easier to back up and search for photos. Both the 5-inch Pixel and 5.5-inch Pixel XL go up for pre-order starting today, and will arrive to the US at Verizon first.

Click here to catch all the latest news from Google’s fall event.

Source: Google Store

A new ‘Harry Potter’ adventure will hit Google’s VR platform

One of the first pieces of content to launch on Google’s new Daydream mobile VR platform is simply magical. A VR experience built around Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a new film in the Harry Potter universe premiering in November, is heading to Daydream. Google only teased the experience on-stage at its Made by Google event today, but it dropped one crucial piece of information: Players will be able to use the Daydream controller as a wand in the game.

The Daydream controller functions similarly to Nintendo’s Wii remote — it’s a slim, motion-tracking stick with a few buttons. Basically, it’s a great stand-in for an actual magical wand (just don’t tell Ollivander).

Daydream headsets cost $80 and start shipping in November. Google’s new Pixel phones, which are Daydream-ready, are available to pre-order today starting at $650.

Click here to catch all the latest news from Google’s fall event.

Google WiFi is a router that simplifies whole-home wireless

Those rumors of Google giving WiFi routers another shot? They’re true. Meet Google WiFi, a router designed entirely in-house… and with a few nice advantages over the OnHub line. Apart from being much smaller (no vase-like design here), its big trick is its ability to create an Eero-style mesh network. You only have to add additional units to your network to improve coverage — there’s a Network Assistant app that makes it easy to add more routers and improve your signal.

The companion software also lets you control the devices linked to the router, such as enabling or disabling their connections. You’ll have to wait until December to get Google WiFi (pre-orders start in November), but the pricing at least hits the sweet spot. Routers cost $129 each, and you can get a three-pack for $299 if you need to blanket your home.

Click here to catch all the latest news from Google’s fall event.

Source: Google WiFi