The Made By Google Event today has seen an enormous amount of new technology from the search engine giant
We've been super excited about the 2018 Made By Google Event all day and we're now going to be bringing you all of the need-to-know news, and we'll be filling you in on what's been announced.
The event took place in New York City, where Google's latest range of products have been announced to the public. The follow-up to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL - the Pixel 3 - is now here. Other devices include the new Google Home Hub and Pixel Slate.
Google's flagship phone: Pixel 3 & Pixel 3 XL
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are the latest flagship smart phones from Google. Successors include the Pixel, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.
Let;s start by talking simply about the camera on this new device. Unlike other phones on the market right now (iPhone XS, XS Max and Galaxy S9 and Note9), the Pixel 3 and 3 XL still only have a single camera on the back. On the up side, selfies will look fantastic on the Pixel 3 as there is a wide angle dual camera on the front.
Pixel 3 is 5.5 inches and the bigger Pixel 3 XL device is 6.3 inches.
Feature wise, it's all about the camera. Remembering the iPhone XS and XS Max photos, and new crisp photos produced on the Galaxy Note9 from Samsung look stunning. New camera features include a high-res zoom, perfect for capturing objects from a distance, a low light mode called 'Night Sight" and not forgetting the photo booth feature which has previously been seen on Google Clips. The photo booth function takes pictures of pets or people, automatically.
On the software side of things, it'll of course have the tasty Android Pie. Not much was said regarding this, but there is a feature where you can place the phone face down to silent notifications. We've seen this on Samsung devices in the past where you can silent incoming phone calls.
Price point wise: the Pixel 3 starts at £607.96 and the larger Pixel 3 XL £684.05 for the 64BB model. Colours see a black and white version. You can pre-order the new Pixel 3 and 3 XL, ready for shipping soon.
Chrome on a tablet: the Pixel Slate
This is exciting, is it not?! Chrome OS is now on a tablet, thanks to the brand new Pixel Slate, by Google. This means you won't just be seeing Chrome OS on Chrome books from the likes of Acer and HP.
The Pixel Slate has both front facing and rearing facing cameras, both sporting 8 mega-pixels and the Pixel Slate has a 12.3-inch display. Sadly, the Pixel Slate does not feature a headphone jack, but does have dual speakers on the front of this Chrome OS tablet. It also has a built-in Titan Security chip. The first ever Chrome OS run tablet comes equipped with two USB-C ports. The charger is also USB-C
As well as the normal ways of protecting your data (password, PIN code and pattern, the Pixel Slate has a fast fingerprint reader for unlocking the device. The fingerprint reader doubles as the sleep/wake button.
The Pixel Slate starts at £549 and will arrive at some point this year.
Need a virtual friend? Google Home Hub is here to help
Ok, Google - show me some pictures.
That's right, folks. The Google Home Hub is here and was announced a day after the new Facebook Portal...
When the display is not in use and 'asleep', it'll show you all the useful information you'll need to make your day flow better, so you can get on with whatever it is you're going. It will show the weather for your location, the time (of course...), and if you've synced your calendar, it'll show you your schedule. A nifty feature is 'quiet time'. This will mean the Home Hub from Google won't be able to send you notifications. Sweet.
It's all about that screen, right? The Home Hub integrates with Google's cloud photo service called Google Photos - think of it as a digital photo frame. You can watch your favourite vlog, music video, and even give yourself a lesson in cooking as the device can stream YouTube videos.
It also works with your smart home tech and acts like Google Assistant but on a screen. Handy if you've got Android phones and tablets and even Google Home and Google Home Mini.
To tempt you into purchasing your new virtual friend, Google's throwing in six months of YouTube Premium for ad free streaming! The Google Home Hub is available for pre-order, costing £112. Shipping October 22 2018.
In our views, that's not a bad line-up of technology from long-time search engine, Google. They've certainly come a long way since then. We are looking forward to getting hands on with the new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.
Let us know what you're excited about in the comments below. We'll be bringing you more news on the latest products right from the Made By Google event.
For more tech news and reviews, follow us on Twitter @Hart_Pro_Tweets #HartleyProductions and Like us on Facebook and Instagram @HartleyProductionsOfficial. As always, keep checking back on hartleyproductions.uk for more.