Google showcases Nexus phones, Chromecast devices
Google showcased two Nexus phones and Pixel C tablet with magnetically attached keyboard, in string of announcements.
Google today showcased two Nexus phones, two new Chromecast devices, and a Pixel C tablet with a magnetically attached keyboard, in a major string of announcements in San Francisco overnight.
Google also announced new features for its newly minted Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system, new features of Google Photos, and showcased Chromecast audio, a new device that you can attach to old speakers and network them with Google Play music.
The Pixel C tablet comes with a full sized keyboard that magnetically attaches to the tablet and charges inductively from it.
Features of Google Marshmallow demonstrated today included Now on Tap, an extension of Google Now that will automatically offer content specific information based on the tasks you are performing at the time. So if you find a restaurant using the Yelp App, Now on Tap can automatically prompt you to make a restaurant booking using the OpenTable app, or suggest you access your favourite taxi app.
The new Android app drawer takes note not only of the apps you use, but also the time of day and location you use them. So if you regularly use a transport app in the morning, it will show as one of the first apps in your app drawer when you are nearby.
Both new Nexus phones use Google’s new Marshmallow operating system and both feature the new USB Type-C ports. These ports allow for fast data transfers and also for fast charging devices. Both have fingerprint readers that Google calls Nexus Imprint on the back of the phones that showcase Google’s new in-built fingerprint scanning support.
In the US both devices are fairly inexpensive but the falling Australian dollar means even relatively cheap phones will cost a lot more. There are no official local prices yet, however, prices did appear briefly overnight on Google Store in Australia before being removed.
The Nexus 5X, made by LG, was $659 and the Nexus 6P, made by Huawei, was $899. But nothing is confirmed.
Nexus 5X (LG)
LG’s Nexus 5X is the smaller of the two phones with a high resolution 423 pixel per inch, 5.2-inch 1080p display. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Processor and has 12.3 and 5 megapixel cameras and can capture 4K and slow motion video.
Australia is not among the first group of countries to receive the Nexus 5X but LG, who manufactured the 5X, says it will roll out in additional countries starting on October 19.
Specifications
· Chipset: 1.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808
· Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
· Display: 5.2-inch Full HD IPS (1920 x 1080/423ppi)
· Memory: 2GB RAM / 16 or 32GB storage
· Cameras: 12.3MP with F2.2 aperture, front: 5MP
· Battery: 2,700mAh (non removable)
· Size: 147 x 72.6 x 7.9mm
· Weight: 136g
· Network: LTE-A Cat 6
· Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth, NFC, Type-C USB
· Colors: Carbon / Quartz / Ice
· Other: 4K Video / Dual Flash / IR Laser Auto-Focus / Fingerprint sensor
Nexus 6P (Huawei)
This is the first time Huawei has teamed up with Google to make a Nexus phone. The Nexus 6P features a 5.7-inch display the same size as on Samsung’s phablet sized Galaxy Note 5 and Edge+ smartphones, and a tad bigger than iPhone 6 Plus.
The display is a wide form of Quad HD (WQHD) and sharp with 518 pixels per inch resolution, and it features high resolution 12 and 8 megapixel cameras. It has laser assisted focusing and a burst mode you access by pressing down on the camera button. Eight megapixels is particularly large resolution for a front-facing, or selfies, camera. Cameras can be accessed by double tapping the home button.
It has a Nexus Imprint fingerprint scanner on the back and USB Type-C for fast charging and data transfer.
· Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 808
· Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
· Display: 5.7-inch AMOLED display (1440x2560/515ppi)
· Memory: 3GB RAM / 32, 64 and 128GB storage
· Cameras: 12.3MP front: 8MP
· Battery: 3450mAh (not removable)
· Size: 159.3x77.8x7.3mm
· Weight: 178g
· Network: LTE
· Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth, NFC, Type-C USB
· Colours: Silver, black, white and gold
· Other: 4K Video / Dual Flash / IR Laser Auto-Focus / Fingerprint sensor
Pixel C tablet with magnetic detachable keyboard
The Pixel C tablet has a 2560x1800 pixel, 10.2 inch display, with an unusual aspect ratio of 1:square root of 2. Google says this aspect ratio lets the tablet be comfortably viewed in portrait and landscape with the soft keyboard open.
It has an Nvidea Tegra X1 chip set with a Maxwell desktop-type graphics processor and 3GB of memory, and will run Android Marshmallow.
I tested the keyboard and it offered a reasonable amount of travel. A few key have been removed to allow for a larger key size, but Google says they are the least used symbol keys and are available on the soft keyboard.
The keyboard attaches magnetically to the tablet both when closed and opened. It can be attached at any angle between 100 and 135 degrees.
The keyboard charges inductively from the tablet. The keyboard also offers two months of daily activity without charging.
Chris Griffith travelled to San Francisco courtesy of Huawei.
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