Despite rumors suggesting otherwise, Google did not release new Pixel Buds at this year’s October 9th event. While we did see a wired version included with the Pixel 3, the wireless Pixel Buds are unchanged, with Google now giving them a push for the holidays.
Buying useful gifts for a ‘techy’ has historically been difficult due to gadgets being inherently pricey. Fortunately, that has changed in recent years, with Made by Google’s latest lineup coming in at all price points. In our latest gift guide, we have compiled the best Google and Android stocking stuffers.
With Made by Google now in its third year, it is simpler than ever to get or introduce someone into the ecosystem where Assistant and AI are central to the experience. Our best Google products gift guide comes in at all categories — like best phones, best speakers, best accessories, and best Chromebooks — and price ranges, making it especially easy to be treated this season or to treat others.
Unlike other smartphone cameras that feature a Portrait Mode, the Pixel line gets by with only one rear camera. With the Pixel 3, Google turned to machine learning to improve depth estimation and “produce even better Portrait Mode results.”
Google Photos is arguably one of the most underrated services that Google offers. Now, the ability to make physical copies of your pictures is expanding to 14 further European nations (via Android Police).
That puts the total at 27 countries that can share a printed photo book directly from their Google Photos library with loved ones, friends and relatives.
Thanks to some enterprising developers over at XDA, a modded Google Camera .apk file can be sideloaded onto OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T devices to give you a rudimentary experience of the Pixel 3 XL Night Sight on Oxygen OS. So with that in mind, we headed out into the freezing cold streets to see just how two of the newest specialist night-time camera modes fare against one another.
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The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have not been without their fair share of problems. Judging from our recent poll, many of you have run into at least one Pixel 3 issue or another. Another one of these issues, a strange buzzing noise on the Pixel 3 XL, has been confirmed to be getting a fix soon.
Google is working on a rebrand of its Nest line of smart home products, according to a source. The discussions are still early, our source warned, and it’s still unclear when such a change would actually see the light of day.
Earlier this year, a report from India suggested that Made by Google was working on a mid-range Pixel for emerging markets. This obviously didn’t come to fruition at the 10/9 event, but supporting evidence throughout the year has pointed to the existence of such a device. Today, this phone reemerged, along with a brand new codename for another possible Google device.
The Pixel Slate is the only Made by Google 2018 product that has yet to be released, with the company only noting availability for later this year. Meanwhile, since the 10/9 event, a Best Buy listing has featured a November 22nd launch date, with the retailer today putting up the Chrome OS tablet for pre-order.
Since Google has been stepping further into its own hardware, the company has also been hosting its own events to launch new devices. However, at CES last year, the company made its presence felt in a big way with a booth and tons of partner interaction. Now, we’ve discovered that Google CES 2019 plans are on, and the company is doubling down on footprint at the show.
We all got excited for the upcoming Google Pixel Slate at the Made by Google 2018 event last month, but one thing notably missing from its announcement was a release date. The primary thing holding the tablet back was governmental approval. This may soon change, as FCC filings for the device have now been discovered.
In addition to temporary Hardware Stores in major cities for the holiday season, Made by Google relies on pop-up experiences to advertise its latest product. Last year’s were focused on the Google Home Mini, but this fall Google is taking the Pixel 3 to the streets with the “Sights of Sound.”
Google has been working hard to increase its presence in India, and in recent months we’ve seen the company debut new hardware and better language support in the country. Today, Google is adding support for the Hindi language on Google Home devices.
Over the course of this month, Made by Google has announced and released its 2018 lineup, including the Pixel 3 and the Google Home Hub. In an interview with The Verge, design lead Ivy Ross and Rishi Chandra of Home and Nest touched on a number of points behind Made by Google and specific products.
The Google Home Hub, despite a few omissions, is probably the best Smart Display available for the vast majority of those looking to buy an assistant powered home control screen. I always saw Google’s own Smart Display effort as a potential threat to the JBL Link View and Lenovo Smart Display, but let me explain the differences (as of today) and why my first statement will apply to most considering a device in this category.
With Google’s expansion into consumer devices, its supply chain expanded from more than just data centers to hardware. With over 500 suppliers, Google this week published its 2018 Responsible Supply Chain report to detail working conditions and initiatives from employee wellness to the environment. To accompany the document, Google also produced VR videos that provide a tour into two specific aspects.
Following last week’s launch of the Pixel 3, Google is ramping up advertising for its flagship phones. From celebrities to the World Series, the latest involves a Pixel 3 ad featuring a song from Fred Rogers that focuses on Google Lens.
Android is the world’s most ubiquitous OS and one of the most important parts of Google’s business. But it’s becoming clearer that the company no longer wants the word associated with its phones. The latest evidence is in the transcript for its event this week in New York City.
The updated Chromecast might not seem like much of a improvement over the second generation model released in 2015, but a refreshed look, stronger WiFi connection and 1080p 60FPS — no 4K — streaming make for a pretty decent upgrade all things considered.
With the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL including wireless charging for the first time, the addition of the Google Pixel Stand as a first party charging accessory means that Google have done what Apple could not by providing an official solution that actually adds a layer of extra functionality.
The Google Pixel Slate — being the first Chrome OS-powered tablet — was one of the stars of the show at the Google launch event. The touchscreen device takes the lessons learned from the Pixel C in 2014 and Google’s recent hardware experiences and fuses them into a standout flagship tablet device running Chrome OS for the first time.
As 10/9 comes to a close, Google is recapping all of its announcements from Made by Google 2018 with a short, succinct video. Coming in at under four minutes, it features Google Hardware head Rick Osterloh and other presenters summarizing the key Pixel 3, Home Hub, and Pixel Slate aspects.
Paired with the announcement of the Pixel Slate at the Made by Google event, Google has announced the attachable Google Pixel Slate Keyboard that puts the device squarely in the Microsoft Surface’s ballpark.