The ‘Phone by Google’ is here! the first standalone android smartphone from Google. Dumping the nexus branding and partnership deals altogether, for in-house designing and building (hm.. are we missing the credit to HTC here) the first Google phone.
Google has introduced its flagship android smartphones Pixel and Pixel XL. Both smartphones have near identical design and hardware, with Pixel XL being more feature rich. On a quick glance, both smartphones come with Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB RAM, AMOLED display, 12-megapixel camera and the latest Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box.
Google Pixel and Pixel XL have a metal unibody design and glass combination with rounded corners. Still, smartphones don’t feel that cool and premium (for us anyway) when compared to other flagship devices like Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, LG V20 and even OnePlus 3.
Google Pixel flaunts a 5-inch full HD AMOLED display with a pixel density of 441 ppi. Whereas Google Pixel XL got a bigger 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display with pixel density of 534 ppi. So both smartphones got a gorgeous screen, thanks to the AMOLED display and they are protected with Gorilla Glass 4.
Under the hood, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL are both powered by 2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. That’s the latest top-end processor on the smartphone with ample memory offering intense gaming and seamless multitasking capabilities. Both smartphones will be available in 32GB and 128GB internal storage option.
For photography enthusiast, the Pixel and Pixel XL comes with a 12-megapixel camera on the rear that got 1.55um big pixels and f/2.0 aperture. The camera got smart burst that takes sharpest clearest pictures at the right moment, whereas HDR+ takes clear vivid pictures in any challenging conditions. On the front for the selfie lovers, we got an 8-megapixel camera. The big plus point here is that you will get unlimited storage for your photos and videos at full resolution in Google Photos.
Coming to the connectivity options, both Pixel smartphones got 4G LTE with VoLTE capability that fully supports Indian 4G bands. Other connectivity options include 3G and 2G networks, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and USB Type-C. On the way, the both smartphones come with the 3.5 mm headphone jack (the iPhone 7 saviour). In the software side, the smartphones will run on latest android Android 7.1 Nougat.
As for battery goes, the Google Pixel comes with a 2770mAh battery, whereas Google Pixel XL got a bigger 3450mAh battery same as previous years Nexus 6P. Both smartphones support quick charging, so you can get up to 7 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging.
For extra security, the Pixel smartphones come with a fingerprint scanner placed at the back of the device. This time, Google is also packing some extra apps on its pure android smartphones. This includes the smart messaging app Allo and video calling app Duo.
Google Pixel & Google Pixel XL specification
- 5-inch FHD AMOLED display (1080 x 1920p) [Pixel]/ 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display (1440 x 2560p) [Pixel XL]
- 2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor
- 4GB RAM
- Android 7.1 Nougat OS
- 32GB/128GB internal storage
- 12MP back camera and 8MP front-facing camera
- 4G LTE, VoLTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, USB Type-C
- 2770mAh battery [Pixel]/ 3450mAh battery [Pixel XL]
One the way, Google Phone comes integrated with Google assistant, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing . You can get Google assistant active by just long pressing the home button. Also, Pixel smartphones will be the first smartphone that’s ‘Daydream’ VR ready.
If you are looking for some extra style then Pixel smartphones will be available in three colours options quite black, very silver, and really blue.
So that last question, what will be the price? Well, Google has priced the Pixel Phones starting at $649, that’s roughly Rs 45,000. But the smartphone will go on sale in India starting from 13th October 2016 on Flipkart, Croma retail, and Reliance Digital.