Google Pixel 3 event: all of the latest news – The Verge

This is how much Google’s Pixel 3 costs at Verizon, Best Buy, and Google Store

2018-10-15T14:00:01-04:00

The Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL are both now available. As far as where you'll be able to get Google's 2018 flagship smartphone, availability is much more limited compared to the likes of Samsung or Apple's products. That's because Verizon, for the third year running, is Google's exclusive carrier partner for the Pixel 3 series. And it's celebrating the occasion in a strange way: by charging customers $30 more for the Pixel 3 XL than other retailers.

Verizon has a lock on selling Google's phone, so if you were hoping for the usual battle between US carriers to secure the best upfront offer for customers, that won't be happening. However, the de …

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How Google’s Pixel Slate tablet compares to the Surface Pro 6 and iPad Pro

2018-10-10T09:32:21-04:00

Google's Pixel Slate is the company's first Chrome OS tablet, offered as an alternative to the more expensive Pixelbook. Like the Surface Pro 6 and iPad Pro, the Pixel Slate has more than enough power to help you do a multitude of things, both work and play. And like its competitors, it doesn't come with a keyboard included.

For those looking for a versatile tablet with a pixel-dense display, your decision just got a bit tougher. Microsoft's latest machine is the undisputed champion when it comes to including loads of ports, while the iPad Pro is a powerful tablet that meshes well with your other iOS or macOS devices. The newly announced Pi …

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The age of the aluminum flagship phone is over

2018-10-10T08:22:06-04:00

Google Pixel 3. | Photo by Vlad Savov / The Verge

Like a flock of migrating birds, smartphone makers tend to move from one new trend to the next in groups. One moment, you have an aluminum iPhone 6S with a headphone jack and no notch, and the next, you're watching the phone market become overrun with iPhone X clones that omit the jack, embrace the notch, and ditch the metal. The last major name still standing by aluminum as its construction material of choice was Google, and that laggard behavior was corrected yesterday with the launch of the all-glass Pixel 3 and 3 XL. Now, the aluminum flagship phone is well and truly dead.

The very first aluminum smartphones to make their way onto the m …

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How Google’s new Home Hub compares to the Echo Show and Facebook Portal

2018-10-09T15:20:26-04:00

Google's new Home Hub is the latest smart display to hit the market, but it's not quite like the rest. One of the key differences with Google's product is that it lacks a camera, removing any possibility of engaging in a video call with friends or family. (I think I just heard Lenovo and JBL collectively sigh in relief that Google isn't about to totally eat their lunch.)

Putting aside the Home Hub's lack of a camera, its closest competitor is the Amazon Echo Show. Powered by Alexa, Amazon's smart display aims to answer all of your queries, connect your streaming services, and seamlessly corral all of your smart home technology. Much of the …

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Here’s why the Pixel 3 and 3 XL are Google’s most expensive phones ever

2018-10-09T15:15:23-04:00

With a price of $799, Google's Pixel 3 is $150 more expensive than the Pixel 2 was at launch. The 3 XL, at $899, is $50 pricier than last year's bigger model. These aren't the most expensive smartphones out there - Apple and Samsung go way higher - but it's a price bump that many people are disappointed by, particularly when some Android phone makers like OnePlus are offering several pieces of the Pixel 3's core hardware in products that cost significantly less.

Now, specs aren't everything. The Pixel 3 will feature a spectacular camera and, like its predecessors, will get Android updates first. Google will support it with updates for three …

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How the Google Pixel 3 stacks up against the iPhone XS and Galaxy S9

2018-10-09T14:23:00-04:00

Now that the October Pixel event has wrapped up, we've seen all the new flagship phones coming out from Google, Apple, and Samsung this year. The much-leaked Google Pixel 3 still had some surprises, like Google spam call screening transcription and improved AI photo capabilities on top of an already great camera. Some of the new features Google introduced today are completely exclusive to the Pixel line, while others are features we've seen before on other phones.

Take for example, Top Shot, a new Pixel 3 feature that uses AI to automatically pick out the best frame from the moment a photo was taken. Apple's Live Photos does a similar thing …

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Google rebrands AR stickers as Playground and adds new animations

2018-10-09T12:43:12-04:00

Google announced a rebranding of its augmented reality stickers feature today, with the name changing officially to Playground as part of the Pixel 3 hardware event that just wrapped in New York City. Playground will now exist as a special mode within the Pixel camera, and it will algorithmically suggest new AR animations to fit the scene you're in, regardless of whether you're using the front- or rear-facing lenses. In addition to the rebranding, Google is launching four new packs of these AR animations and fittingly calling them "Playmoji."

Initially announced last fall as AR Stickers, these virtual animations were similar to the lenses a …

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Google launches redesigned Chromecast with multi-room audio support

2018-10-09T12:36:54-04:00

It's been three years since Google last refreshed the Chromecast, and today the tried-and-true streaming dongle is finally getting an update. The new, third-generation Chromecast has an updated design, trading in the glossy colors and Chrome logo for a matte black finish and Google's trademark G. But more importantly, it's also getting some small tech and feature improvements.

Google says the new Chromecast is 15 percent faster, which isn't much, but is apparently enough to add support for streaming 60fps video at 1080p, instead of 720p like last generation. This Chromecast is also getting the ability to act like a Chromecast Audio and let …

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Pixel 3 will be available in more countries at launch

2018-10-09T12:29:42-04:00

Google is taking a more global approach to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL launch, announcing that it will now offer its new phones in 13 countries, including Japan, Ireland, Taiwan, and France. This builds on the rather small list of countries where Google's Pixel 2 saw official release, which comprised of US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, and Singapore.

Now in its third generation, Google has been quite slow to bring its flagship smartphones to a wider audience, especially considering how easy it is to find a competing devices practically anywhere you live. For example, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max launched in more th …

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Google launches its first USB-C-connected earbuds

2018-10-09T12:27:06-04:00

Google didn't mention its Pixel Buds at its annual hardware event, but it did announce a new pair of USB-C headphones. The company also didn't mention these, but it did update its product page. The earbuds will cost $30 and are available to buy now. They're only available in white.

The earbuds feature the same fit mechanism as the Pixel Buds. They include fabric loops that can be adjusted to fit in each ear. The earbuds also include a button that can be activated to access the Google Assistant, hear notifications, or try real-time Google Translate translations.

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