Google presented its new features in New York on Tuesday, including its new smartphone Pixel 3, which will be marketed for the first time in France.
Google goes into high gear ... The firm presented Tuesday its novelties back at a "Made by Google" event held in New York. She took advantage of this conference to unveil a new version of its smartphones, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, but also a tablet, the Pixel Slate, and a connected speaker equipped with a screen, the Google Home Hub. For the first time, some of these new features, including Pixel smartphones, will be marketed in France.
Pixel 3, a smartphone that puts on the photo
Like last year with the Pixel 2, Google declines its smartphone into two versions, a "classic" model and an XL model. The screen size of both devices is up, but the edges around the screen have been reduced to avoid creating a smartphone too big. The Google Pixel 3 is equipped with a slab of 5.5 inches, while the XL model has a slab of 6.3 inches. The latter is slightly "eaten" by a notch at the top of the screen.
Google is particularly interested in the photo. Unlike all its competitors, the firm decided not to integrate a dual photo sensor in its smartphones. Both models share the same features and therefore the same 12.2MPixels camera.
Google has greatly improved the software and uses artificial intelligence to get better shots. In low light, for example, the smartphone makes several images before mixing them to have a brighter result. At the front, an 8MPixel camera has been installed.
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will be compatible with wireless charging and available in three colors: black, white and pink. Their marketing in France is scheduled on November 2 from 859 and 959 euros. Orange and SFR will offer them with subscriptions.
Google Home Hub, the speaker connected with a screen
Google continues to expand its range of connected speakers. After the Google Home mini and Google Home max last year, the company presented Wednesday the Google Home Hub, a connected speaker equipped with a touch screen. A direct competitor to Amazon's Echo Show, the Home Hub will provide easy access to all YouTube content. A six-month subscription to YouTube Premium will be offered to all buyers to encourage them to test the service, usually offered for 10 euros per month.
In use, the speaker will display images, manage connected objects in his home (bulbs, thermostats ...), answer questions, but also display more specific information such as weather on several days, or the detail of a diary. The biggest strength of this speaker equipped with a screen is however its price: 149 dollars (130 euros), while competing models are offered at more than 200 dollars (174 euros). The marketing of the enclosure in France is not planned at the moment.
Pixel Slate, a tablet with a keyboard
To compete with the iPad Pro, Google also launches the United States Pixel Slate tablet equipped with its home operating system Chrome OS. Equipped with a 12.3-inch display, an Intel processor, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, it will also have a USB-type-C connector. But for 599 dollars (522 euros), it seems a bit expensive, especially as it will be necessary to add a keyboard and a stylus sold as an option.