SAN FRANCISCO: Google unveiled new versions of its Pixel smartphone,
the highlight of a refreshed line aimed at weaving artificial intelligence
deeper into modern lives.
Google software and artificial intelligence were common threads in the
gamut of new devices it unveiled to step up its challenge on the hardware front
to rivals such as Apple and Amazon
The new Pixel 2 and larger Pixel 2 XL are the first Google-made phones
to be released since the California tech giant announced the acquisition of key
segments of Taiwan-based electronics group HTC.
The upgraded smartphones will be available for order as of Wednesday in
six countries starting at US$649 for five-inch display Pixel 2, and US$849 for
the six-inch Pixel 2 XL.
The new aluminium-body smartphones along with Google’s upgraded
connected speakers and new laptop computer all aim to infuse artificial
intelligence to make the devices more user-friendly, built around the Google Assistant
– the rival to Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana and others.
Google vice-president Rick Osterloh said Google’s new devices “are
simple to use and they anticipate your needs.”
Osterloh told the product launch event in San Francisco: “You interact
with your devices naturally with your voice or by touching them.”
Google, by bringing in a team of engineers from HTC, aims to emulate
the success of Apple iPhones by controlling the hardware as well as the
software used in the premium-priced handsets.
The revamped camera in the smartphone retains a single lens, but seeks
to improve images via “computational photography,” an artificial intelligence
tool that can enhance pictures.
Analyst Ian Fogg of IHS Markit said in a tweet that the new smartphone
“adds incremental improvements on the great v1” while noting that “Google’s
challenge is to solve production limits which hurt the original.”
Fogg said the use of computation to improve images with a single lens
“is technically impressive.”
Mini speaker, mini camera
Google announced a slimmed down version of its connected speaker called
Google Home Mini starting at US$49 in the United States, stepping up its
challenge to market leader Amazon.
The new Google Home Mini is available for pre-order in the seven
countries where the device is offered, and will go on sale in stores Oct 19,
the company said.
The new speaker, which responds to voice commands using artificial
intelligence, is less than half the price of Google’s first generation speaker
and makes this “more accessible to more people,” said Google hardware designer
Isabelle Olsson.
A premium version of the speaker – a US$399 Google Home Max unveiled
Wednesday – offers more power and audio quality for music aficionados.
The new Google Clips camera – one of the surprises of the event –
“looks for smiles (and) moments, because the software is in the camera,” said
Google product manager Juston Payne.
“It’s like having my own photographer shooting and choosing my best
moments for me,” Payne said of the US$249 device.
Another surprise from the event was the wireless Pixel Buds, which can
deliver audio from a smartphone and also include the Google Assistant and
real-time translation.
A demonstration at the event included a two-way conversation with one
person speaking English and the other Swedish.
“The camera and the earbuds were really held up as examples of what the
company can do by leveraging the Google Assistant,” said Ross Rubin of Reticle
Research.
A new Pixelbook laptop was touted as a “high performance” computer
powered by its Chrome operating system and designed as a rival to Microsoft’s
Surface and Apple’s iPad Pro.
With a 12.3in display, the device is a convertible PC that can be used
as a tablet and is sold starting at US$999 for US customers.
‘AI-first world’
Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said the new devices showcase the
tech giant’s artificial intelligence.
“We’ve been working hard continuing our shift from a mobile-first to an
AI-first world,” he said.
“We are working on software and hardware together, because that is the
best way to drive computing forward.”
The launch comes in the wake of Apple’s announcement of a new line of
iPhones, and Amazon’s upgrades to its Echo speakers powered by its Alexa
digital assistant
“It is a portfolio designed to take Google into more parts of your
life, particularly in your home,” Reticle Research analyst Ross Rubin said of
the array of devices the Internet giant unveiled on Wednesday.
“Amazon is focusing on a range of price points
and designs; Google is focusing on a range of experiences.” — AFP
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