Google made a couple of announcements at their, “Launch Night In” event for this year, where they showed off the Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, Nest Audio and more.
Pixel 5 & Pixel 4a 5G
Google is doing things a bit different with their main Pixel phones this year, they’re not using the flagship Snapdragon 865 chipset.
Instead, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G are using the Snapdragon 765G processor with 8GB and 6GB of RAM respectively and 128GB of storage.
The Pixel 5 features a 6-inch OLED display at 90Hz and a resolution of 2340 x 1080. The Pixel 4a 5a has a slightly bigger 6.2-inch OLED display at the same resolution.
The body of Pixel 5 is made from 100% recycled aluminum and is IP68 water and dust resistant. Meanwhile, the Pixel 4a 5G has a polycarbonate body.
While the Pixel 4/4 XL last year had face unlock, the new Pixel phones bring back the rear fingerprint sensor as introduced on the standard Pixel 4a.
Both phones have a dual-camera setup on the back with one 12.2 MP standard lens and one 16MP Ultra-Wide angle lens. The back cameras can shoot up to 4K video at 30/60 fps and the front camera is 8MP.
The battery in the Pixel 5 is 4,000 mAh and supports 18W fast wired charging, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. The 4a 5G has a 3,800 mAh and 18W wired charging.
Both phones are running Android 11 out of the box and you’ll get three years of software and security updates.
The Pixel 5 is available in two colours, Just Black and Subtle Sage (Green), while the Pixel 4a 5G comes in Just Black and Clearly White.
The Pixel 5 is launching on October 29th with the Pixel 4a 5G is coming on November 19th (you can join a waitlist to be notified when it launches).
The Pixel 5 starts at $799 CAD and the 4a 5G is $679 CAD. Pre-orders for the Pixel 5 are now available from the Google Store.
Nest Audio
It’s been almost four years since the company first introduced the Google Home smart speaker, and now it’s getting a refresh with the Nest Audio.
The Nest Audio has the same fabric design as featured on past Google Nest speakers like the Nest Mini. The look of the Nest Audio is very similar to the Google Home Max with a rounded rectangular shape.
The front of the speaker is the LED indicator lights, the back is where you’ll find the mic mute switch and power port.
If you pair the Nest Audio with a second one, you can stereo pair them together for even better sound.
The speaker is available in a few colours, Charcoal, Chalk, Sage (Green), Sand (Pink) and Sky (Blue).
The Nest Audio is launching on October 5th for $129 CAD. Pre-orders start today from the Google Store.
Chromecast with Google TV
The new Chromecast is Google’s answer to the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Roku Stick+.
The puck-like design looks like the 3rd Gen Chromecast with rounded corners. Since all the hardware is on the dongle itself, you can just plug it into your HDMI port on your TV.
The device has a USB-C port, so you could connect a USB-C adapter to add Ethernet support.
Unlike past Chromecasts, the new one is actually running Android TV but the company is bringing back the Google TV name. Think of the interface as Google’s version of Android TV, just like how they implement a skin on their Pixel phones. The new Chromecast can stream content at up to 4K with HDR.
The new Chromecast also comes with a remote that is reminiscent of the Daydream View controller, with a circular directional pad. Below that is the back button, Google Assistant button, Home, Mute, YouTube, Netflix, favourites button and on/off. Colour options include White, Pink and Blue.
The Chromecast with Google TV is launching on October 15th for $69.99 CAD ($49.99 USD). Pre-orders start today from the Google Store.
Source: Google
TheCanadianTechie 