Google today announced the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. These handsets supplant Google's Nexus line of smartphones and include Pixel-specific user interface elements and Google Assistant. The Pixel user interface rounds off many of the app icons and replaces the Google search bar with a smaller search button. The Google Assistant is a powerful, artificial intelligence-powered tool for managing personal information, requests, searches, and actions. Google expects its Assistant to help people on both mobile devices and in the home. As for the hardware, the two phones share all specs aside from the display and battery. The Pixel has a 5.0-inch full HD display with 2,770mAh battery, and the XL steps up to a 5.5-inch quad HD screen with a 3,450mAh battery. The batteries support rapid charging that can provide 7 hours of use in 15 minutes of charging. Both are powdered buy the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with 4 GB of RAM and either 32 GB or 128 GB of storage. The main camera has a 12.3-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization and an aperture of f/2.0, while the front camera has an 8-megapixel sensor. The Pixel will shoot HDR+ photos by default, and Google says the phone is able to handle HDR photos at quick speeds. Google will give Pixel owners unlimited, full-resolution storage of their photos and videos (including 4K). Other specs include NFC, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 4.2, and support for U.S. LTE networks. The Pixel and Pixel XL will come in black, silver, and blue. Pricing starts at $649. Verizon will sell the Pixels in the U.S., and Google also planes to sell the phone unlocked online.


More...