Google debuts Pixel 3, Home Hub
Claims phone camera beats Apple’s latest
Google’s new Pixel phones mirror the industry trend moving the devices toward lusher, bigger screens and add new twists on the camera for taking better selfies and other pictures.
The Pixels have barely made a dent in the market since their debut two years ago, but Google is hoping to change that with the latest models unveiled yesterday at an event in New York.
Google uses the phones to highlight what it considers to be best features of its Android operating system, while challenging Apple and Samsung with a device tailored for affluent consumers.
The third generation of Pixel phones comes in two sizes, and both feature highdefinition screens that span from one edge to another. It’s the first time Google has embraced the format, which Apple adopted last year with its ballyhooed iPhone X.
Google is undercutting Apple on the pricing of its phones. It’s also hiring photographer Annie Leibovitz to take pictures with the new Pixel in an effort to persuade consumers its camera is superior to the iPhone XS that Apple released last month.
The Pixel 3 will be available Oct. 18 and sell at prices starting at $799. That’s $200 below the least expensive iPhone XS.
Google also rolled out a new device called Home Hub that couples a small display screen with an internetconnected speaker. That’s similar to Amazon’s Echo Show and a new Facebook device called Portal.
But again Google is attacking its rivals on the pricing front. The Home Hub will sell for $149 when it comes to stores Oct. 22. The new version Echo Show starts at $229, while the least expensive Facebook Portal sells for $199.
As usual, the Pixels focus heavily on Google’s search engine, maps, digital assistant and YouTube video service.
While all those services are hugely popular, the Pixels so far have generated more media attention than sales. Google has sold an estimated 7 million Pixels over the past two years, almost imperceptible next to the 3.6 billion phones shipped during that time, according to the research firm International Data Corp.