Apple and Google are run by great minds and tech geniuses. Hilariously, great minds do think alike – literally and in a record amount of time.
Google has unveiled its new pair of flagship smartphones, a better Chromecast, and a tablet specifically designed for professionals. This comes weeks after the release of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the announcement of the iPad Pro, the new Apple TV and Apple Watch.
Both companies’ product lines are expected to go head to head in the consumer market, though Google’s are going to be cheaper.
Google’s Nexus smartphones
Google’s newest Nexus smartphones, the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, were introduced during their event. This marks the first time the company departed from its usual “one flagship smartphone a year” practice.
The Nexus 5X is manufactured by LG and its price ranges vary, though it will debut at $379 and up (AKA definitely cheaper). It will sport a 5.2-inch screen, with a Snapdragon 808 processor and two gigabytes of RAM. This modest-looking smart phone will have a screen resolution of 1080p. It will come in 16 GB and 32 GB ($429) variants.
Meanwhile, the Nexus 6P is manufactured by Huawei. It will be fitted with a 5.7-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560×1400 resolution. The chipset includes a Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor and three gigabytes of RAM. It will come in several variants: the first is a 32 GB at $499, 64 GB at $549, and 128 GB at $649 (AKA also definitely cheaper).
Both smart phones will come equipped with a 12.3 MP camera and come unlocked, compatible with all American mobile carriers. They will operate on the new Android Marshmallow operating system and will have a fingerprint sensor similar to Apple’s TouchID.
Google is also offering $50 store credit on Google Play and a free three month trial on Google Play Music.
Pixel C tablet
There won’t be a Nexus tablet this year, though Google will release its answer to Apple’s iPad Pro and Microsoft’s Surface 3. It will start at a relatively cheaper $499, versus iPad Pro’s $799 and Surface Pro 3’s at $699. The Pixel C will also come with a detachable keyboard at $149.
Its 10.2-inch LCD will have a screen resolution of 2560 x 1800. It will be powered by three gigabytes worth of RAM and 32 GB and 64 GB storage space. Its wireless keyboard can be charged magnetically – just connect it with the Pixel C and connects via Bluetooth.
Unlike Surface Pro 3 and iPad Pro, it won’t come with a stylus or a drawing pen. This is potentially a drawback for the device considering that it may not appeal to its competitors’ markets.
Chromecast
This is Google’s answer to Apple TV and comes at an extremely cheap $35. The new and improved Chromecast comes with a dual-band 2.4 and 5 GHz WiFi. It will come with a support for streaming content, though this will need to be supported by app developers. You can also run multiplayer games on Chromecast using a smart phone, but only Angry Birds Go supports this feature so far.
There are no set release dates for the new products but these will likely start shipping in stores all over the world by the end of the year.
