Google launches new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones
The firm is using the new high-end smartphones and Android Oreo operating system to demonstrate its prowess in combining hardware and software, using exclusive features to attempt things other manufacturers including Apple cannot.
In a direct swipe at Apple, Google’s vice president product manager Mario Queiroz said: “We don’t save cool features just for the large device. You get all the goodness with both phones, so the only choice you have to make is what size you want.”
Google says the phones also have 10% longer battery life and faster charging than the 2016 Pixel smartphones. “We’ve focused on super-fast charging, so you can get around seven hours of use out of a 15-minute charge. And we supply the fast charger in the box,” said Christiaan Prins, product manager at Google – another jab at Apple, which does not include a fast charger in the box with the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus.
To take the iPhone on, Google has focused on fine-tuning the combination of hardware and software, from intelligent features to super-smooth operation. The camera is the most obvious element.
The depth information is used to create a portrait mode, which identifies what’s in the foreground to artificially blur the background simulating the look of a high-end digital SLR camera – a feature that has proved popular for dual-camera phones such as Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus.
Google is also using the depth information for augmented-reality experiences, similar to that offered by Apple, calibrating each camera at the factory before shipping it for greater accuracy. There is also a new smart-camera feature called Lens, intended as a demonstration of what Google’s AI can do when integrated into a camera, detecting landmarks and book covers.