The new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL were presented on Tuesday by Google, during a special event organized in New York. The characteristics of the two smartphones had been widely anticipated by technology sites in recent months, and the models do not present any particular novelties compared to their predecessors, except for the addition of a very promising sensor to issue commands without touching the screen and the addition of a lens to the camera, for optical zoom. During the presentation, which was rather unusual and with no demonstration on stage, Google executives also presented other innovations such as a new speaker for the home, a Chromebook laptop and a system for home WiFi.
Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL
For three years Google has been designing and manufacturing smartphones with its Pixel brand, to demonstrate the potential of the Android operating system and encourage other manufacturers to create more ambitious and more functional mobile phones. The sale of smartphones is certainly not the first source of revenue for the company, but over time it has nevertheless become increasingly relevant, thanks to the response and interest of users who have purchased millions of Pixels in their various versions.
Design
The new Pixel 4 and 4 XL have a design that is quite reminiscent of their predecessors, albeit with some changes along the edges (a bit more bulky) and the addition of a rather noticeable square on their rear part to house the two camera lenses. The Pixel 4 has a 5.7-inch screen, while the larger model has a 6.3-inch one; the first weighs 162 grams, while the second 193 grams. Aesthetically, the two new models are somewhat reminiscent of Apple's iPhone 11, especially due to the presence of the square in the back. After all, the addition of more lenses to the cameras has meant that many smartphones have taken on a similar design, with more lenses enclosed in more or less creative geometric shapes.
The Pixels stand out from the competition for a slightly more creative and less formal design. The colors available are white, black and orange, the latter in a limited version.
Motion Sense
In the front part the screen is enclosed by slightly thick edges, when compared with other models, but the choice is justified by the need to insert some sensors in the upper part of the screen. One of these is a radar, perhaps the most interesting novelty of the Pixel 4, albeit still little used by Google. The system derives from Project Soli, an initiative launched about 4 years ago by Google to create remote control systems for devices, without the need to touch screens or keys. After several failures, the designers managed to shrink their radar enough to fit into the front of smartphones, creating what Google calls “Motion Sense”.
Put simply, the radar senses movement around the phone within a certain distance, and uses that information for various activities. For example, it allows a Pixel 4 placed on a table to detect the presence of someone in its vicinity, and consequently to activate the screen to show the time, deactivating it when there is no one nearby, and saving battery. If you receive a call, Motion Sense senses that you are approaching the Pixel 4 and reduces the volume of the ringer, also giving the possibility to accept or end the call by simply moving your hand over the screen, without touching it. The same system can be used to skip a song while it is being played and to give other commands, even if for now rather limited. Motion Sense is also used to help the smartphone with facial recognition.
Facial recognition
The Pixel 4 and 4 XL can in fact be unlocked with one's face, as has been the case on the most recent iPhones and on other smartphones for some time. The system is extremely fast, also thanks to the presence of Motion Sense, which detects when you pick up the smartphone and orient it towards your face to read the screen, activating the camera and the other sensors that perform facial recognition in time. . The system is very fast, to the point that Google had to add an option to make it slower, for those who are used to consulting the lock screen before unlocking the phone.
Screen
The Pixel 4 and 4 XL screen is OLED type, which therefore offers better contrast and more accurate rendering of dark tones than LCD screens. Both models arrive at an image refresh rate of 90 Hz, which makes viewing content much smoother, starting with scrolling through menus and pages when browsing online or reading an ebook. Taking advantage of some Android options, the system automatically switches from 90 Hz to the classic 60 Hz as needed, saving battery power.
Battery
Speaking of batteries and duration after a charge, Google hasn't given many details. The Pixel 4 has a 2,800mAh battery, while the Pixel 4 XL has a 3,700mAh one. Both should be large enough to ensure a day of use under normal conditions. However, both models are sold with an 18 Watt charger, which allows devices to be recharged very quickly.
Camera
Traditionally, the Pixel camera has always received great praise from photography experts, not only for the quality of the sensors used, but also for the numerous software tricks that Google applies to obtain a better result. of the images. The Pixel 4 and 4 XL camera shouldn't disappoint in this regard, even if it seems an evolution without any particular novelties compared to last year's models. A second one has been added to the classic wide-angle lens, which allows you to do a minimum of optical zoom. The image rendering with the zoom is further improved by the camera software, which allows you to make numerous enlargements without loss of definition.
Google has added a new feature, which appears to be very promising, for taking nighttime photos of the starry sky. The Pixel 4 and 4 XL adjust the exposure times and take multiple shots of the sky, which are then combined together to reduce noise and imperfections and return a well-defined image. By exploiting artificial intelligence systems to approximate the final result of a shot, the camera also gives the possibility to see the shots directly in HDR +, without having to wait to have taken the photo (HDR allows you to take images with multiple points of light, balancing better the very exposed areas with those in shadow).
Google Assistant
The Pixel 4 and 4 XL have a coprocessor called Neural Core and is used to perform some functions directly on the phone, without the need to exchange data with more powerful servers for processing the requests. The Google Assistant therefore responds much faster to commands, as does the voice recognition and transcription system. Google has shown a new application to record voice memos, interviews or lectures, which are then automatically transcribed by the system.
Prices and availability
The new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL can be purchased directly from the Google store, with the first deliveries scheduled for the end of October. The smaller model has a starting price of 759 euros, while the XL model starts at 899 euros.
Nest Mini
Google has unveiled a new version of its most popular and affordable home speaker, which was previously called the Google Mini and is now part of the family of household products under the Nest brand. Aesthetically, Nest Mini looks exactly the same as its predecessor, but Google has improved the performance of its speaker and added a microchip, which makes Google Assistant responses faster, especially for more basic tasks like asking to turn off a light. or adjust a thermostat. Nest Mini costs 59 euros.
Nest WiFi
This is the evolution of Google WiFi, the system for adding multiple access points to your home network, in order to improve signal quality. The new version is more aesthetically pleasing than the previous one and is designed to be kept on display, and not closed inside a cabinet as many do to hide their routers, with the consequence of having a less reliable WiFi signal. Nest WiFi has a main base, the real router, and a satellite that also acts as a speaker for the home: it is a sort of Nest Mini, but with an additional antenna to transmit the WiFi signal it receives from the router. principal. The pair of the two devices is sold for $ 269 in the United States, while it is not expected to be sold in Italy for now.
Pixelbook GO
Google finally presented a laptop based on its Chrome OS operating system cheaper than its predecessors, from 649 dollars (for now the product is not available in Italy, like most Chromebooks). It has a 13.3-inch screen and has nothing extravagant, like screens that fold in on themselves or other creative inventions, but which few use. Google says the new laptop's battery lasts up to 12 hours, and that a 20-minute charge gives you about two hours of use. The base model has an Intel Core m3 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of memory. Much more powerful versions are expected, with prices reaching around $ 1,300.
