Google unleashed a hoard of new and upcoming tech at their event held in San Francisco today. For those who may have missed any of it, here’s a roundup of everything the company had to show off.
The first piece of new hardware that Google revealed was the Google Home Mini. This new, smaller iteration of Google Home offers the same 360 degree sound along with the voice-activated capabilities of the original at a fraction of the cost. At the price of $49 USD, Google Home Mini is currently available for pre-order with a release date set for October 19, 2017.
Following the release of the Google Home Mini is the Google Home Max. Slated to launch sometime in December for $399 in the US, Google Home Max will offer a more powerful sound in addition to more advanced features not found in other devices.
The next device reveled by Google was the Pixelbook. Running on Google’s own ChromeOS, this flagship Chromebook offers a 12.3 inch QuadHD LCD display and promises to be one of the most versatile convertible laptops on the market. Alongside the new Pixelbook’s announcement was the debut of the Pixelbook Pen. A highlight of this new pen is that it works in conjunction with Google Assistant, helping with tasks such as researching highlighted words. The new Pixelbook will launch on October 30 at $999 USD with an optional spec increased model at $1,649 USD. The Pixelbook Pen will cost $99 USD.
Google also introduced the successor to the Google Pixel in the forms of the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 2 offers a 5 inch 1080p OLED display while the Pixel 2 has a 6-inch display with a 2880 x 1440 pixel resolution. While also boasting more powerful hardware, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will also support “active-edge” which will let users perform selected actions by squeezing the device. Among its many features, the camera stands out as the most impressive among any smart phone to date. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are available for pre-order now, the Pixel 2’s cost starting at $649 USD and the XL starting at $849. Shipments for the Pixel 2 will begin on October 17 while the Pixel 2 XL will begin shipping at the end of the year in December
It was announced that Pixel phones will be getting a preview of Google Lens, the company’s latest push into augmented reality. The new platform will allow Pixel phone users to interact with real world objects in different ways through their phones with Google Lens being able to recognize things such as written down email addresses in order to start sending a message. Google Lens will also support different apps that make use of augmented reality with partners such as Netflix helping to support the platform.
Google’s next version of its mobile virtual reality headset was also shown at the event. Named Daydream View, the new and improved headset will cost $99 USD and will include premium video content along with original series for the device. Owners of the Pixel 2 will also be able to watch IMAX movies. Daydream View will launch on October 19.
The company also announced a new pair of wireless headphones designed for Pixel smartphones, the Pixel Buds. By touching the side, users will be able to speak with Google Assistant or listen to messages. An impressive feature for the Pixel Buds is that it can translate foreign languages being spoken and relay the words back in English. The Pixel Buds will release sometime in November for $159 USD.
The final announcement made by Google today was the reveal of Google Clips, an AI controlled camera. Google Clips is able to watch everything within its 130-degree field of view and record anything it finds interesting. The camera is able to learn faces over time, taking more photos of familiar people. While the camera doesn’t have a viewfinder, it is possible for users to take their own snapshots at the press of a button. The Google Clips camera will cost $249 USD when it launches.
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