The Google Pixel 4: everything we know so far – The Verge

Google keeps adding Pixel features it claimed it didn’t need

2019-10-17T07:30:00-04:00

With the Pixel 4, Google has finally added a second lens to the back of its phones. Speaking onstage at yesterday's launch event, Google Research's Marc Levoy explained the decision with a relatively simple statement of fact. "Some subjects are farther away than you'd like," he said, "so it does help telephoto shots to have a telephoto lens."

It seems like a weirdly obvious point to make, but Levoy had to spell it out because until last year Google was claiming that its phones could get by with just a single rear camera. Check out this interview with Wired, where one of Google's product managers said that a second lens was "unnecessary" be …

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Google Pixel 4, Pixel 3 or Pixel 3A: Should you upgrade?

2019-10-15T18:30:00-04:00

Google's Pixel 4 and 4 XL are here at last, after a mountain of leaks. But the choice isn't quite as easy as "big" or "small" because Google's new phones are expensive, at $799 and up - and because the excellent Pixel 3 and Pixel 3A are still sticking around for hundreds of dollars cheaper.

Here's the full lineup as of today:

Pixel 4: $799 for 64GB, $899 for 128GB
Pixel 4 XL: $899 for 64GB, $999 for 128GB
Pixel 3: $499 for 64GB, $599 for 128GB
Pixel 3 XL: $599 for 64GB
Pixel 3A: $399 for 64GB
Pixel 3A XL: $479 for 64GB

If your budget tops out at $500 or so, we've already covered the tradeoffs between the Pixel 3A and Pixel 3, including water res …

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The Pixel 4 doesn’t include any headphones, or even a 3.5mm adapter in the box

2019-10-15T13:34:16-04:00

The Pixel Buds that were included with the Pixel 3 are not included with the Pixel 4. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Google's latest phone, the Google Pixel 4, doesn't include a pair of earphones in the box, nor does it come with one of the company's USB-C to 3.5mm adapters. With its own true wireless Pixel Buds not due for release until next year, Google just offered every other headphone manufacturer a nice opportunity to capitalize on any new Pixel 4 owners who might not already own wireless headphones.

Every previous Pixel phone offered a wired headphone option in the box, whether via a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, a bundled pair of USB-C headphones, or a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter. (The original Pixel and Pixel 3A had the built-in jack; the Pixel 3 …

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Pixel 4 is the most-leaked phone ever — and we’ve organized them for you

2019-10-14T15:20:00-04:00

The Pixel 4, Google's next flagship phone, is coming tomorrow. We'll be live from Google's October 15th event with the official word. But you don't need to wait another second to know what's almost certainly coming - because this phone is so out it feels like the only step left is to toss it up on some shelves.

If you've read an earlier version of this story, you already know the alleged Pixel 4 XL has repeatedly made its way into the real world, where it's been captured from every angle in three different colors. You know its spec sheet. You know that freaking Pikachu - from Pokémon - will teach you how to use the Pixel 4's built-in radar. …

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What to expect from Google’s Pixel 4 hardware event

2019-10-11T09:00:00-04:00

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Google's annual fall hardware showcase is happening on Tuesday, October 15th, and we expect it to be a big one. The star of the show will almost certainly be the Pixel 4, with its second back camera packed into an iPhone 11-like camera square, face unlock tech that might rival Apple's Face ID, and a motion-sensing radar that Google's been quietly developing for years.

And that's just what Google has already told us. The rumor mill suggests there's way more to the Pixel 4, and we might also see a much faster Google Assistant, a more affordable Pixelbook, new-and-improved Pixel Buds, and additional devices.

The Verge will be on the ground in …

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Google might announce a 5G Pixel 4 at next week’s event

2019-10-09T09:12:12-04:00

Google appears to be working on a 5G version of the Pixel 4, and it's possible the phone will be shown as early as next week, according to Nikkei. The standard versions of the Pixel 4, which will be announced at an event next Tuesday, will only support LTE. But Nikkei says that Google has begun "test production" on a model of the phone that includes 5G, too.

It's not clear when the 5G model will be previewed or released, though. Nikkei says it could be shown next week, but its sources said the announcement could also be held until spring to appear alongside a new budget phone, a successor to the Pixel 3A.

It could also be announced months f …

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Google will teach you how to use the Pixel 4’s Motion Sense gesture controls with Pokemon

2019-10-02T19:37:15-04:00

We've moved beyond a flood of Pixel 4 leaks. Now, it's like the all-encompassing wave that appears when a Pokémon uses Surf. Google seems to have Pokémon on the mind, too, because it apparently plans to help teach you how to use Motion Sense - its Soli-powered motion-sensing technology baked into the Pixel 4 - using a short, adorable Pokémon demo.

9to5Google obtained the demo, which is apparently called Pokémon Wave Hello. It offers instructions for brief interactions with Pikachu, Eevee, and the three starters from the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield. The whole thing looks like it can be finished in about two and a half minutes. It's unc …

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Leaked Pixel 4 marketing videos show new Assistant and Motion Sense features

2019-10-02T17:29:20-04:00

Some of Google's internal Pixel 4 marketing videos appear to have leaked, showcasing demos for two neat features for the company's flagship Android handset: a revamped Google Assistance experience and the new Motion Sense gesture control system.

Google previously confirmed both features publicly, but it stopped short of showing detailed demonstrations working on the Pixel 4. Thankfully, like virtually everything else about the upcoming phone, detailed videos have surfaced on the internet, this time courtesy of 9to5Google.

Google says Assistant will be faster and more capable on the Pixel 4, and, indeed, the leaked footage appears to show …

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The latest Pixel 4 leak is an app that automatically transcribes your voice memos

2019-10-01T19:18:33-04:00

We already seem to know a lot about Google's upcoming Pixel 4, including one of its new apps: "Recorder," a new voice recorder app. In a recent 9to5Google hands-on, the app seemed pretty basic - hit a button to record, then share that audio file with other apps. Surprisingly, though, Google seems to have updated Recorder before it's even been released, with one particularly handy feature: automatic audio transcription.

XDA Developers tested the new transcription feature, and it seems like it worked decently enough. The transcription of XDA Developers' test recording messed up the name of the speaker (Mishaal Rahman) and added a few too many …

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Google’s Personal Safety app detects car accidents and automatically calls 911

2019-10-01T00:48:51-04:00

The Apple Watch's fall detection has already been credited with saving lives, and now Google is applying that sort of thinking to car safety. According to XDA Developers, Google is at work on a Personal Safety app with "car crash detection." With the help of various sensors including the accelerometer and even the microphone, Pixel phones will attempt to detect an accident. If one occurs, the phone will loudly sound an alarm, and if there's no response, it will automatically call 911 and provide your location to emergency services in the US.

XDA Developers managed to catch the Play Store listing that Google posted prematurely, which include …

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