Google 2019 Hardware Event
With Apple announcing their latest generation iPhone with the introduction of their pro lineup and redesigned camera system, all eyes are on Google and their latest creation and see what they have come up with.
Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL
The new Pixel 4 comes equipped with Google’s Soli radar chip that will enable gestures-based controls. Google has also equipped their new phones with 90Hz refresh OLED display to allow fluid transitions and viewing experiences. The new phone comes with a recording app that can transcribe voice recordings but the app allows you to search a certain word and the phone will show voice recordings that feature that word or phrase.
Following the latest trends of more than a single camera module, Google has followed this trend and installed a 12.2MP and 16MP telephoto camera. Camera App has an addition of Live HDR Plus which allows you to see what your photo with the HDR effect will look like after processing. The camera app has offered dual exposure controls enabling users to adjust brightness and shadows. Google has been using machine-based white balancing to produce more accurate colours. Google has improved Night Sight and they showed off its capabilities in shooting stars.
Pixelbook Go
Google still sees its Pixelbook as a viable device and they have released their new flagship Chromebook. The Pixelbook Go seems to look like a modern Macbook with a few improvements on the hardware and design side.
Pixel Buds 2
Google announced its new Pixel Buds that will allow a truly wireless experience that will allow hands-free access to Google Assistant. The buds support long-range connectivity and Google claims that the buds will work through three rooms. The battery life of the buds is claimed to be five hours but with the wireless charging case the buds will last up to 24 hours of playtime.
Summary
The announcement of the Google Pixel 4 has been hotly anticipated with renders being leaked throughout the year. In this years release the Pixel 4 has seen slight improvement both on the software and hardware side however I feel that they aren’t significant improvements. The inclusion of a 90Hz display is a welcomed upgrade along with some new additions on the software features side. The voice transcribing app provides a great way to record meetings and lectures which will ensure that you will never miss any interesting points spoken. One negative is the exclusion of an ultra camera on the rear which would appeal to landscapes photography or provide a useful tool shooting in tight spaces. The price of the base model is slightly expensive than the base model of the new iPhone which comes equipped with a standard, telephoto and ultra-wide lens. I think Google has missed a trick here with its reputation of producing a great camera system within one lens, I can imagine their ability to create a trio camera setup would have been great.