Google Announces Its Own Pixel Phones

Google has announced the new Pixel family of smartphones powered by the Linux-based Android operating system. Previously Google partnered with hardware vendors like HTC, LG, and Samsung to sell the Nexus range of devices. With Pixel, Google will have total control over the design and hardware components of their smartphones. Google already sells Pixel Chromebooks and the Pixel Android tablet.

There are two models of Pixel phones: The Pixel showcases a 5-inch display and the Pixel XL features a 5.5-inch display.

Both Pixel phones have identical hardware, except for display size and battery capacity. The Pixel XL showcases a 5.5-inch AMOLED QHD (2560x1440) 534ppi display, whereas the Pixel features a 5.0-inch AMOLED Full HD (1920x1080) 441ppi display. The Pixel XL comes with a 3,450mAh battery, and the Pixel comes with a 2,770mAh battery.

Both Pixel phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz, 64-bit quad-core processor. The Pixel XL and Pixel come with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Both models are available in 32GB and 128GB capacities. The Pixels will be running Android 7.1 Nougat.

Google claims that the Pixel phones have the best smartphone camera. In a blog post Google said, “Pixel has a 12.3MP camera, featuring an f/2.0 aperture and big 1.55 micron pixels to capture lots and lots of light.”

One of the most interesting features of the Pixel phones is that they include the built-in Google Assistant that allows for natural conversations with Google to find answers, explore search results, and perform a large array of tasks.

The Pixel and Pixel XL are available now on pre-order.