Google, or now Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google launched their Google Pixel phones recently and though there was a lot of doubt and scepticism surrounding the devices, the Google Pixel phones have managed to wow all. Created b y HTC (though the branding is visible nowhere and for all intent and purposes Google Pixel devices are what the the name suggests – Google phones), Google Pixel phones were launched earlier this month and since launch, there has been a lot of excitement surrounding the devices. Google Pixel, which will be replacing the Google Nexus line had been in news well before the launch. The phone (there was no word of there being 2 devices initially) was leaked to death and almost every feature was known well in advance. But despite the leaks, Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL managed to surprise.
The most important feature of Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL is the all new voice assistant system dubbed Google Assistant. As there already was touch competition in the segment – from Apple’s Siri, Microsoft Cortana and other app based services, Google Assistant was expected to be too little too late. Also, the moment Google Assistant debuted with Google’s native IM app Allo, there were immediate concerns raised over privacy infringements by Google. However, as Allo gave only a taste of Google Assistant, Google Pixel phones gave the complete experience and the final experience floored all. Google Pixel phones come inbuilt with Google Assistant and the phones give an indepth view of the assistant. Early reviewers have already praised Google Pixel devices and more so, Google Assistant which they say is far better if not a lot more quirky than Apple’s Siri. Though Apple’s Siri is functional, Google Assistant is more helpful and almost like your virtual companion you can do everything with.
Coming to the second best feature of Google Pixel – Google Pixel phones claimed right from the onset that they come with the “best smartphone cameras”. They openly and unabashedly praised their own camera and even cited DXOMark rating which Google Pixel phones were awarded with – 89. This is the highest rating any smartphone has ever managed to achieve claims Google. However, early on, most review sites noted that phones like Apple iPhone 7 Plus were not a part of the race and had not been scored by DXOMark. However, comparing the Google Pixel with a normal smartphone camera (not the dual versions), it did seem that the camera is the best. And to their surprise, reviewers discovered just that! Google Pixel camera is one of the best smartphone cameras and all reviewers are raving about it. Both, Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL come with a 12MP rear end camera. However, it is not the megapixels that make the cameras special but rather, the lenses which let more light filter in that make Google Pixel cameras so much better. At the rear end of both Google Pixel devices is a 12MP snapper with IMX378 lens and 1.55µm pixel size with a f/2.0 Aperture which Google promises give better photos in any kind of light. The front camera is an 8MP shooter and comes with f/2.4 Aperture and fixed focus.
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Coming to the reviews of Google Pixel, Lynn La from CNet says that, “The Google Pixel has a fantastic camera, especially in low light. It’s elegantly designed. Google Assistant takes one of the most natural, human approaches to answering your voice. It [Google Pixel] hits a Goldilocks area of weight and heft. While the Nexus 6P was too heavy and the 5X felt too hollow, the Pixel feels just right.” Dieter Boh from The Verge has this to say about Google Pixel smartphones – “Bottom line: if you wanted to agree with Google and call this the best smartphone camera, I wouldn’t argue with you. Instead I would say that picking the best camera among the Pixel, the iPhone 7, and the Samsung Galaxy S7 is more a matter of personal preference than it is of pure picture quality. And I would add that I don’t think Google would have gotten this far if it hadn’t controlled both the hardware and the software from the start.” However, Brian X Chen from NY Times says, “All the cameras took clear, visually appealing photographs with rich details, but there were major differences in color, even without any filters applied. The photos taken with the Pixel looked colder — they appeared to exaggerate cyans and magentas. The ones taken with the iPhone looked more vivid, though they appeared to slightly bump up yellows to make photos look warmer. The color in pictures taken with the Samsung phone looked oversaturated and unnatural.”
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So then, there. There are verdicts and then there are verdicts. But in the case of Google Pixel, looks like everyone’s praising the phone and a good lot it is doing Google. Google or rather Alphabet Inc’s shares were at the highest since August 2004 when it reached $828, earlier today in New York. The stocks stabilised at $826.85, which is a 2.5 percent more than what they were initially trending at. Now with Google promising annual sales of Google Pixel phones, there’s just one more big ticket launch to keep us excited each year!