Nothing New?
Earlier today, Google wrapped up an event showcasing their newest flagship smartphones, as well as a few other "tasty treats". Thanks to many leaks online, there wasn't all that much to be surprised about, with Google's event. The Phones When it comes to the phones, the rumored specs were not that far off, although there were a few things that weren't let out. Here are the full specs of both of the phones that Google announced earlier today: Nexus 6P Operating System
Nexus 5X Display
In terms of pricing and availability, both phones are currently available for pre-order. You can find them HERE. The Nexus 5X is starting at $379 and the Nexus 6P is starting at $499. Both phones will begin shipping in 4-5 weeks. Currently with pre-orders, both phones include a 90-day trial for Google Play Music and a $50 Play Store gift card. The Tablet This was one of the later rumors to be released about today's event. The first Android tablet built 100% by Google. The Pixel C is 10.2-inch tablet that will run Android Marshmallow. The tablet is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor and is equipped with 3GB of RAM. On the outside the Pixel C has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The resolution of the tablet is 2560 X 1800 (pixel density of 308 ppi). The "C" in Pixel C stands for "convertible". What makes the Pixel C convertible? The answer to that lies in the optional keyboard. This keyboard, unlike the Microsoft Surface or Apple's iPad Pro, the Pixel C does not require a dock to attach to the keyboard. Instead the tablet connects to it's keyboard through magnets. These--very strong--magnets keep the tablet attached to the adjustable hinge. The Chromecasts Along with the new phones and new tablet, Google also unveiled their new chromecasts. Yes, chromecasts, as in multiple. Two, to be exact. Google unveiled two new casting devices. One, simply called the New Chromecast and the other one called Chromecast Audio. The New Chromecast is a newly redesigned, and faster Chromecast. It now supports 5GHz WiFi (instead of just 2.4GHz), and it also has a new feature called Fast Play. Fast Play does exactly that, it is a faster way to stream your media from your phone to the Chromecast. For example, when you begin watching a show on Netflix, while the first episode is playing the Chromecast will begin loading the beginning portion of the next episode. This will allow you to go from the end of one episode to the beginning of the next episode, much faster. Chromecast Audio is essentially the same concept as the "regular" Chromecast, but for speaker systems. Plugging the CHromecast Audio into a non-WiFi speaker system will allow you to stream any and all Chromecast supported audio (YouTube, Pandora, Google Play Music, and soon Spotify), to said speakers. Both the New Chromecast and Chromecast Audio are currently available for pre-order. You can find them HERE. They are each priced the same as the original Chromecast, coming in at $35.
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According to rumor, Google is planning to launch a 10.2-inch tablet later this year. This tablet-rumored to be called the Pixel C-will supposedly feature a design similar to the Chromebook Pixel, down to the multi-colored light bar. Although it will be a Pixel device, it will not be running Chrome OS. Instead, the tablet will ship with Android Marshmallow. Since this tablet is Pixel device and not a Nexus, the hardware will be handled 100% by Google. The Pixel C will supposedly have support for a detachable keyboard, similarly to the Microsoft Surface and iPad Pro.
The 10.2-inch tablet will supposedly be powered by an NVIDIA X1 quad-core processor and Maxwell-made GPU, it will also have 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM. In terms of design, apparently the device will look just like a smaller version of the Chromebook Pixel-minus the keyboard. It will charge via a USB Type-C connector, and will have "two keyboard accessories to choose from". In terms of availability, it is being guessed (roughly) that the tablet will ship in November. With this estimated shipping date, it is possible that we will get more info on this tablet at Google's event tomorrow (September 29th). Over the past couple of days, a lot of what was rumored about the upcoming Google Event has been confirmed. Thanks to Android Police we now have leaked images that confirm some of the speculated details about these new phones. Names Thanks to leaked packaging for both of the phones, the names of both of these devices have now been confirmed. The smaller, LG made device will be the Nexus 5X and the larger Huawei made device will be the Nexus 6P. Phone Design Another (former) speculation that has been confirmed is the overall design of the phones. These leaked press images show both the LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P in all of their color variations. As had been previously suggest, both phones seem to feature a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone. Also, they both feature protruding cameras. The 5X features a more subtle bump, while the 6P has a bump that goes across the entire top section of the phone. Although the protruding cameras might be a turn off for some, I'm sure if the hardware inside is good enough, others won't mind it.
Final Thoughts Although the names of the phones are ideal, I don't think that should deter anyone from considering them. If the specs on these phones do turn out to be true-that seems to be the only thing that hasn't been confirmed-the name would be the only "down-side". Personally, I do prefer the look of Huawei made 6P; even with the large camera bump. The New Chromecast It has been over two years since the Chromecast first hit the market. In that time it hasn't received any updates-in terms of the hardware-but it seems like that will change this year. It is being rumored that the Chromecast will finally receive a hardware update in the New Chromecast. As you can see in the image above, from 9To5Google, the Chromecast will be receiving an all-new design to go alongside the improved internals. The newly redesigned New Chromecast will supposedly feature 802.11 ac WiFi support. It will also come equipped with a feature "Fast Play". The "Fast Play" function, combined with the improved WiFi connectivity, should allow the Chromecast to connect and begin playing content much faster. This will give the users a more seamless experience. The New Chromecast will also include support for content feeds on its home screen. There are still no specifics on what type of "feeds" will be supported on the New Chromecast, although it will probably support social media feeds. Chromecast Audio
Along with the New Chromecast, Google is also being said to announce an additional device. This device is the Chromecast Audio, and it will enable speaker systems to connect to WiFi. The device will connect to your home speakers with a 3.5mm audio plug, that seems to be included with the device. The Chromecast Audio will feature multi-room support, which seems to mean that with several of these devices connected to speakers through out your house, you will be able to stream the same audio at the same time. Similarly to the original Chromecast, the Chromecast Audio will be able to stream audio from your Chrome web browser and Android Phone. Another announcement being prepared for the New Chromecast devices, Spotify will be adding Chromecast support to its app. Final Thoughts I am excited to see the updates to the New Chromecast devices. I have had my Chromecast since launch, and I'm excited to see what these changes bring. Along with the possible social media feeds on the Chromecast home screen, I would like to see some news feeds similar to Google Now. What are your thoughts on the New Chromecast? Will you pick one up? The Date On Friday, Google sent out press invites for an event that they are holding on September 29th. In the invite Google teased some "tasty treats" for the event. According to rumors this is the date that the new Nexus Devices will be unveiled, possibly along with a next generation Chromecast. The Phones If the rumors are correct, Google will be unveiling two new phones. One of these phones will be made by LG and the other by Huawei. The LG made phone (Nexus 5X) will supposedly feature a 5.2" 1080p display, the Snapdragon 808 SoC, 2 GB of RAM, 12 MP rear-facing camera, and a fingerprint sensor. While the Huawei made phone (Nexus 6P) is said to feature a 5.7" QHD display, Snapdragon 810, and 3 GB of RAM. The names mentioned above-the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P-are the expected names of the new Nexus phones. These names, all though likely, have not been confirmed as the official names of the LG and Huawei made devices. As mentioned above, the second generation Chromecast is also rumored to make an appearance at Google's September event. More info will be shared on that later.
What do you think of the possibilities of the new Nexus phones? Are you excited? Were you expecting more? Personally, I think the specs seem promising. The design of the Nexus 6P looks decent, although I am curious to see what it's going to pack inside of the camera bulge that takes up the entire top section of the phone.
The Leak
Recently, the casings for both the Nexus 5 (2015) and the Nexus 6 (2015) were supposedly leaked online. These leaks have not been confirmed, nor have they been ruled out as the actual devices.
The Nexus 5 (2015)
The LG made Nexus 5 appears to be a significant update from the original Nexus 5 from 2013. This casing appears to a polycarbonate cover. It seems like the two most talked about points about this casing have been the camera and the ring located on the back. The camera seems to protrude from the back of the phone, similar to some of the Nokia phones. This bulge is causing a lot of people to react in a similar fashion to the way they reacted to the iPhone 6's protruding camera. As for the ring on the back, it is unclear what purpose this holds. It is being speculated that the ring is simply a finger placement, and holds no more function than the dimple on the back of the 2014 Nexus 6 by Motorola. Another theory is that the ring will house a fingerprint scanner/home button. This would obviously be the preferred scenario, offering a more premium function to the "lower end" of the two Nexus devices being released this year.
The Nexus 6 (2015)
Not as much is known about the Nexus 6, as the Nexus 5. The allegedly Huawei made Nexus 6 is rumored to feature one big difference from the Nexus 5, an entirely metal body. The areas of white on the back of the case are suggested to be the antenna bands. It does appear that the Nexus 6 and Nexus 5 will share a similar feature, the ring on the back of the phone. Reports on the Nexus 6 don't appear to offer any additional information on what function the ring will serve.
There is no denying, that between the refreshed design of these smartphones and the the new software (Android Marshmallow), that the newest line of Nexus devices are highly anticipated. Both phones are anticipated to be released some time in October. An official date has not been set, however.
OnHub By Google Today, Google has launched a new device named OnHub. This device was made in partnership with router maker TP-LINK. There will be another device in the works, made in partnership with Asus. The OnHub, at a price of $199, promises to make your Wi-Fi more reliable, faster, and also give you the ability to update and fix your connection. Google built this router with the intentions of not only making it look unique, but also to work very well. The OnHub has 13 antennas inside, 12 for casting the Wi-Fi signal and the additional one is to measure traffic on your network.The software in OnHub is frequently monitoring frequencies and channels, to ensure that connection is running as efficiently as possible. There are many similarities between the ecosystem of the OnHub, as there are to the Chromecast ecosystem. Meaning that a majority of the interaction with the OnHub router is done with an app on your phone. The app is called Google On, and will be available on both iOS and Android platforms. The app is used to setup the router, which uses sound in order to find where in your house the router is located. After the setup process is complete, you can easily email or text the Wi-Fi password to anyone that needs it. Final Thoughts
There is no doubt, the OnHub is an amazingly designed router. With its circular design it looks similar to the Amazon Echo. In terms of performance, the OnHub seems promising. However, a final decision obviously can't be made until testing the unit. You can find more information about the OnHub HERE. |
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