Made by Google launch event highlights: Pixel 3, Home Hub, Pixel Slate and more

After weeks of leaks and rumours, search engine giant Google has finally unveiled the new generation Pixel phones and a couple of interesting new product categories to take on rival Apple iPad and Amazon's Echo Show.

Like the previous versions, the new Pixel 3 comes in two models — Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Except for the size, front screen design and battery capacity, the rest of the attributes remain the same for both the devices.

Pixel 3 sports a smaller 5.5-inch full HD+ OLED screen and come with 2,915 cell. On the other hand, the Pixel 3 XL flaunts a bigger 6.3-inch Quad HD+ display with a notch on top and a 3,430mAh battery.

Both the Pixel phones come with dual-tone glass cover on the back. Most parts of the devices' back panel have textured finish and at the top, they have smooth glass and a single lens camera.

Google has used Corning Gorilla Glass 5 shield on both front and the back panel with a sturdy aluminium frame around the edges. They also come with IP68 ratings, meaning the devices can survive submerged for close to 2 meters underwater for up to 30 minutes.

Under-the-hood, the Pixel 3 series comes with 4GB RAM, 64GB/128GB storage, Android Pie and Snapdragon 845 octa-core, Qualcomm's most powerful processor to date.

The highlight of the Pixel 3 series is the photography hardware. On the front, they feature two 8MP shooters, one with F1.8 aperture and another with F2.2 aperture. On the back, they house 12.2MP (with F1.8 aperture) single lens snapper backed by Google state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered camera software. Some interesting modes include-- Top Shot, which uses AI to help the user capture the perfect photo every time.

When you take a motion photo, it captures alternate shots in HDR+, then recommends the best one—even if it's not exactly when you hit the shutter, looking for those where everyone is smiling, with eyes open, and facing the camera.

Another notable feature is the Super-Res Zoom, which uses a computational photography technique, traditionally used for astronomy and scientific imaging, that produces sharp details when you zoom.

Night Sight mode, which will soon be coming to the Pixel 3 series via software update, will enable users to take bright, detailed, colourful shots in a low-light environment such as the campfire, in a moonlit forest, or a selfie at the dimly-lit club.

Google promises that Pixel 3 series' front dual-camera with Group Selfie mode, will give 184% wide-angle coverage more than normal selfies.

The new Pixel phones also come with Photobooth mode that uses AI to recognize that when they're smiling or making a funny expression, and ready for a selfie. It snaps the photo on its own so that you don't need to reach for the shutter button—a good option for candids.

Google has also incorporated improved Portrait Mode, which allows changing the blurriness of the background or changes the part of the picture in focus, after taking the photo. Google Photos can also make the subject of the photo pop by leaving them in colour while changing the background to black and white.

The new Pixel 3 series prices start at Rs 71,000 (full details below) in India. It can be pre-booked starting Thursday from Flipkart and other popular online stores and also brick-and-mortar retail chains such as Reliance Digital, Tata-owned Croma store, among others. The devices will be available for off-the-shelves purchase from 1 November.

Besides the new phones, Google also announced the new Pixel Slate. It sports a 12.3-inch Molecular Display with 3000x2000p resolution with support Pixelbook Pen stylus and is powered by Chrome OS with 48Wh battery. It also features an 8MP camera on the back and another 8MP shooter on the front. 

It comes in multiple configurations with Intel Celeron Processor / 8th Gen Intel Core m3 / Core i5 / Core i7 CPU in 4GB RAM + 32GB SSD/ 8GB RAM + 64GB/128GB SSD/ 6GB RAM+256GB SSD storages and the prices start at $599.

Google is offering companion accessories-- Pixel Slate Keyboard is $199, and Pixelbook Pen is $99. All three will be available later this year on Google Store, and at major retailers in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

Mountain View-headquartered company also unveiled the new Google Home Hub. It is basically a smart speaker with a 7.0-inch HD display and two sensitive microphones for Google Assistant to listen and perform actions. It is powered by Android Things OS and the company specifically avoided camera in the device to offer privacy. Considering the personal privacy security scare in recent times, it's a well-thought move by Google.

Home Hub is price $149, and starting today, consumers can pre-order from the Google Store. It will hit store shelves on 22 October at Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and other retailers in the US.

The company also announced new third-generation Chrome Cast. It flaunts a visually appealing pebble stone design. The company says it comes with a 15 per cent improvement in hardware speed, and supports smooth streaming in 1080p at 60 frames per second, giving a more lifelike image on the TV screen. Also, later in the Google will be releasing a software update that will enable Chromecast to connect to smart speaker groups, so the consumer can listen to their music in sync throughout the house. It costs $35, the same as the predecessor. It is available on the Google Store starting today in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, and the U.S., with even more countries to follow in 2019, the company said.

Key specifications of Google Pixel 3 series:

Key specifications of Google Pixel Slate:

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