Google announced a new phone, the Pixel 3 today, but that’s not all
A few weeks after Apple dropped its latest smartphone, the iPhone XS series, Google spent Tuesday introducing its new phone, the Pixel 3.
It comes in two sizes, one of them has a notch, and it’s got some features that are going to make the phone awful appealing.
But there was so much more.
Let’s dive in.
We announced a few new things today. Here’s everything you missed. #madebygoogle https://t.co/HvpDXgxMse pic.twitter.com/VTxjltXWKI
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) October 9, 2018
The 5.5 inch Pixel 3 ($799) and 6.3 inch Pixel XL ($899) are pretty much identical phones, but with only a single camera in the rear and not the dual camera setup featured on most phones. The larger model has a notch with a camera, similar to the new iPhones. On both new Pixels, there are dual facing front camera for wide angle selfies.
There’s also high resolution zooming, a new low light mode and a feature called Top Shot that will be widely copied. You know how you take a photo and don’t quite get it in time, or someone’s eyes are closed? With Top Shot you can scroll back across a short window in the shot (think of each photo as a brief movie when you hit the shutter) and find the shot you want.
It works kind of like magic. Watch:
The Pixels come with six months subscription to YouTube music and feature way, way better screens than on the previous gen, which was always a shortcoming. The phones ship Oct. 18 and if you want a pure Android experience – which is really the best way to get it — this is the phone for you.
And the best feature here is Call Screening, which allows you to, yes, screen your calls. You can have an AI voice assistant “answer” and speak to the person. The answers come across as text. You can decide to join in or let it go. Yes, you can practically kiss harassing calls goodbye.
With the Google Assistant baked into Pixel 3, our new AI-powered Call Screen feature goes even further to help people in the U.S. screen calls and avoid spam calls. #madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/l1Oe2vyA93
— Google (@Google) October 9, 2018
But despite all that coolness, Google had more for us.
The Pixel Slate is a 12.3 inch table with no headphone jack, and accessory keyboard ($199) and stylus ($99). It runs Chrome OS and costs $599. It debuts later this year.
More than a tablet. More than a laptop. It’s our new Pixel Slate. What do you want to know? Ask us in the comments. #PixelSlate #madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/xGBOPgmlb0
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) October 9, 2018
The Google Home Hub is basically like an Alexa speaker with a screen (yes, you’ve seen this before). This one integrates with Google Photos to serve as a frame when not in use, plus has Google Assistant and YouTube baked in. Hands tied up while cooking, you can ask Google for a recipe and see it right on screen. The YouTube integration separates it from the Echo Show. The Hub debuts Oct. 22 for $149.
What do you want to know about the new Google Home Hub? We’re answering your questions right here in the comments. #madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/ltH6wKtqRX
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) October 9, 2018