Google expands phone screens on Pixel 3
NEW YORK — 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 Tuesday 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 for affluent consumers.
The third generation of Pixel phones comes in two sizes, and both feature high-definition 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 convince 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.
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 International Data Corp.
Apple has sold about 388 million iPhones since the first Pixel came out in October 2016.