- Google announced five new gadgets at its Made By Google launch event.
- As expected, the company unveiled its new flagship Pixel 4 smartphone, as well as a Nest Mini smart speaker, a new mesh Wi-Fi system, an upgrade to its Pixel Buds, and a budget version of its Pixelbook Chromebook.
- Below, we break down what each new device does, how much each one costs, how to preorder them right now, and when the devices will ship.
At its Made By Google event on Tuesday, Google announced five new gadgets, most of which you can preorder right now.
Unlike Amazon, which dropped everything from rings to ovens to spectacles at its hardware-launch event last month, Google stuck to what it knows. The company unveiled the highly anticipated Pixel 4 smartphone, the second generation of its Google Assistant-powered Pixel Buds, a budget version of its Pixelbook Chromebook, and upgrades to its Google Home Mini and Google Wi-Fi.
Throughout the presentation, Google emphasized its advancements in artificial intelligence, which will enable a smarter, faster Google Assistant, and a number of interesting hardware features. Somewhat ironically, privacy was also a major theme of the morning. The Pixel 4 and Nest Mini are capable of doing at least some voice processing locally (rather than in the cloud) so Google employees won’t hear your commands.
You can preorder all of the new devices now, apart from the Pixel Buds, which will be available in Spring 2020. Below, we break down the prices and ship dates for all the devices. Keep reading to find out what makes each device special.
Here are all the new Google devices:
- Google Pixel 4 ($799.99 - ships October 24)
- Google Pixel 4 XL ($899.99 - ships October 24)
- Nest Mini ($49.99 - ships October 22)
- Nest Wi-Fi ($149+ - ships November 4)
- Pixelbook Go ($649+ - ships November 3)
- Pixel Buds ($179 - ships Spring 2020)
Pixel 4
Of course, the headliner of this event was the Pixel 4 smartphone lineup. Ever since it first launched, we've considered Google's Pixel phones to be the best Android phones you can buy. They're high-end flagship phones with top-notch specs, a clean Android experience, and some of the best camera tech in a phone.
The Pixel 4's camera is an upgrade from that of its predecessor: The rear camera setup packs in a 16-megapixel telephoto lens, in addition to the 12-megapixel main shooter. There are a number of new software features for the camera as well: You can adjust brightness and saturation while composing your shot, the display approximates HDR+ in the viewfinder, and portrait mode better captures depth fine details.
But what Google is really excited about is its improvements to night sight: The Pixel 4's camera can capture clear shots of moonlit scenes and starry night skies using a new astrophotography mode.
The Pixel 4 is also the first smartphone to include a radar sensor. Yes, you read that correctly: radar.
This enables a few cool features. For one, Google says the Pixel 4 has the fastest unlock time of any smartphone on the market since it can immediately tell when you've picked it up. You can also control it with air gestures. For example, while playing music, you can swipe left to skip to another song.
The Pixel 4 also includes a native voice-recording app that can transcribe the words it hears in real time. It does this locally, Google made sure to note, and you can actually use it in airplane mode.
The Pixel 4 starts at $799, and the Pixel 4 XL starts at $899. Both phones are available from all major US carriers.
Preorder the Google Pixel 4 for $799.99 from Best Buy or Verizon - ships October 24
Preorder the Google Pixel 4 XL for $899.99 from Best Buy or Verizon - ships October 24
Nest Mini
Google released its $49.99 Home Mini smart speaker last year as an answer to Amazon's disc-shaped, budget Echo Dot. But Google re-absorbed the smart home brand Nest in May, so the second-gen Home Mini is no longer the Home Mini - it's the Nest Mini.
The Nest Mini is the same price as the original Home Mini at $49.99. Although it looks almost exactly the same as the older version, there are three major differences. First, there's a hook on the back, which you can use to mount the speaker on the wall. Second, the bass is two times better, according to Google. Third, there's a dedicated AI chip, which will help Google Assistant learn the commands you use the most, and store and execute them locally - not in the cloud.
It looks to be a solid budget smart speaker for Google fans.
Preorder the Nest Mini for $49.99 from Best Buy - ships October 22
Pixelbook Go
"Premium Chromebook" seemed like an oxymoron until the Pixelbook came out in 2017. I was convinced I'd never pay $1,000 for a Chromebook, but the Pixelbook blew me away. It was beautiful, fast, functional, and felt very much like using a premium computer.
The $649 Pixelbook Go, available for preorder now, is a pared-down budget version of the Pixelbook. It comes in a new pink color (though you can't preorder the pink model yet) and sports a ridged bottom for extra grip. It's lighter than the high-end Pixelbook, but Google says it has a 15% larger battery. That's about all we know about this device - hopefully, we'll have more details soon.
You can preorder the Pixelbook Go now for $649.
Preorder the Pixelbook Go for $649 from Best Buy - ships November 3
Nest Wi-Fi
The Google Home Mini isn't the only device that's up for a Nest rebrand. Google also announced an upgrade to its Google Wi-Fi mesh network. It's called - you guessed it - Nest Wi-Fi.
You can buy a router covering 2,200 square feet for $169 and a "Wi-Fi point" that doubles as a smart speaker and adds an additional 1,600 square feet for $149. The two together are $269 - this is the pack Google wants you to buy. One router with two points is $349.
Smart home devices that aren't Wi-Fi enabled will be able to connect directly to Nest Wi-Fi without going through a third-party hub. Google didn't say which smart devices are supported yet.
If you want seamless mesh Wi-Fi coverage and you live in a big space, the new Nest Wi-Fi setup is a great buy.
Preorder Nest Wi-Fi for $149 to $349 from Best Buy - ships November 4
All-new Pixel Buds
Google released its Pixel Buds in 2017. They sounded decent, but our reviewer ran into some connectivity issues and found them uncomfortable to wear.
But 2019 has been a year of assistant-equipped AirPod competitors, from Amazon's Echo Buds to Microsoft's Cortana-enabled Surface Earbuds.
On Tuesday, Google threw its hat into the ring with the All-New Pixel Buds. Unlike its predecessor of two years ago, the new pair is "truly wireless" - meaning there's no cord connecting the two earbuds.
The buds also have hands-free Google Assistant and support a long-range Bluetooth connection. You can stay connected from up to three rooms of a house away indoors or up to a football field outside, according to the company.
Google claims that the new Pixel Buds will have five hours battery life, while the case will carry 24. And with built-in microphones, the buds can adjust their volume to your surroundings to give you the best audio experience.
You can buy the new Pixel Buds in Spring 2020 for $179.