Google Pixel and Pixel XL are new smartphones to replace the Nexus. From Nexus to Pixel: the evolution of Google smartphones

Google has announced a fundamentally new family of its own smartphones, which is significantly different from the Nexus series. Many rumors claimed that HTC, which produced the very first Nexus back in 2010, had the honor of becoming the pioneer of the Pixel series. But this participation was supposed to be purely technical - there is no HTC branding on the new Pixel and Pixel XL. Its place should be taken by the Google logo on the metal back surface. And so it turned out - Pixel and Pixel XL are positioned as independent Google projects, without any mention of partners. In general, the positioning remains the same - all the best that Android can offer on top-end hardware. The main trump cards up the search giant's sleeve are the design and the new 12.3-megapixel camera. Pixel and Pixel XL offer an all-metal design with a glass insert on the back. It contains a camera lens, an LED flash, and a fingerprint scanner.

The technical characteristics of Google Pixel and Pixel XL did not present any special surprises. The younger version received a 5" AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, a Snapdragon 821 chipset with a frequency of 2.15 GHz, 4 GB of RAM, 32 or 128 GB of ROM, a 12.3-megapixel main camera with a large 1.55-micron pixels, PDAF focusing and LED flash (Google calls it the best camera in smartphones today), an 8-megapixel selfie module, a 2770 mAh battery, a fingerprint scanner and Android 7.1 Nougat, the 5.5" version is different. AMOLED panel with QHD resolution and 3450 mAh battery. Both smartphones will receive common software features, including the new Google Assistant voice assistant system, Google Duo video calling service and the Knock-Knock function, which allows you to see the caller before answering the call.

Google Pixel and Pixel XL will offer three different color options - Quite Black, Very Silver and Really Blue. The latter received limited edition status. Prices start at $649 for the Pixel and $769 for the Pixel XL (in both cases we are talking about the basic configuration with 32 GB of internal memory. For the 128 GB variation you will have to pay another $100. For another $35 you can buy a color case.

Technical characteristics of Google Pixel and Pixel XL:

Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA, LTE
Platform (at time of announcement): Android 7.1 Nougat
Display: Pixel: 5", 1920 x 1080 pixels, 441 ppi, AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 4 | Pixel XL: 5.5", 2560 x 1440 pixels, 534 ppi, AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 4
Camera: 12.3 MP, Sony IMX378 sensor, 1/2.3", 1.55 µm, f/2.0, dual CRI-90 LED flash, phase detection autofocus, laser autofocus, video recording in 4K@30fps, 1080p@120fps, 720p@240fps
Front camera: 8 MP
Processor: 4 cores, 2.15 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
Graphics chip: Adreno 530 624 MHz
RAM: 4GB LPDDR4
Internal memory: 32/128 GB UFS2.0
Memory card: no
GPS and GLONASS
Bluetooth 4.2
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) 2x2 MIMO
USB Type-C
3.5mm audio jack
Three microphones, adaptive sound amplifier
Fingerprint scanner Pixel Imprint
Battery: built-in, 2770/3450 mAh, Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging
Dimensions: 143.84 x 69.54 x 7.31-8.58 mm | 154.72 x 75.74 x 7.31-8.58 mm
Weight: 143g /168g

When Google abandoned the Nexus program, many die-hard fans of these devices couldn't understand why. Even when the Pixel series arrived, some people continued to puzzle over this question. Now, when, following the Android One program, it’s about to start Android Go, Google's master plan has finally become clear.

Devices Nexus offered relatively high-quality specifications and were designed to best demonstrate Google's vision for the Android OS. For some time, these devices were very inexpensive, and their popularization was focused on affordability. At that time, this strategy was a win-win and did not require even more or less serious investments in advertising from Google. Somewhat later, the growing popularity of the Nexus program prompted Google to reconsider its ambitions and develop, making this area a priority.

The first Pixels were actually very similar to the Nexus phones, with the main differences being in pricing and marketing approaches. Google still worked with manufacturing partners to produce the disparate components that actually formed the smartphones. While the corporation positioned the Pixel as a “phone from Google,” in fact Pixel could more accurately be described as "Nexus by another name".

Google usually does not advertise sales data and shares this information only in relation to Chromecast, so we can't say to what extent the ad budget allocated to the Pixel contributed to demand activity. Just before the release of the new Pixels was announced, it turned out that the share of these first-generation smartphones was only 0.7% of the total number of devices sold in the United States. It turns out that by moving to the less crowded premium level, Google is positioning itself in the same orbit as Apple and Samsung in essence, but not in sales. It was different with Nexus...

Looking back at the rather chaotic history of the Nexus, we can trace how Google got to the Pixel line. First there were the cheap Nexus phones like the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, then the more “flagship” ones like the Nexus 6 and , and then came the Pixel line. By the end of the Nexus program, Google had a clear focus on the market segment high-end phones. Of course, Nexus needed rebranding, since it previously had a large target audience, which could roughly include any person buying a smartphone. The transition to Pixel has narrowed this audience significantly, despite the fact that many still see Nexus phones under this name.

But what about the mid- and entry-level markets, where most manufacturers get most of their profits? They know exactly where they will get the “next billion” from. Google hasn't forgotten about the more accessible segments of the market either, it just doesn't serve them directly anymore. Just like Nexus was replaced by Pixel, Android One program adopted the specifics of the Nexus program, which has always been more focused on software than hardware. The difference is that Android One is open to any interested electronics manufacturer, meaning that they can all use their expertise combined with the capabilities of the mobile phone platform in their market segments. This opens up new and broad prospects for Google. The future of Android One now looks bright, as the program is being rolled out in devices of different price levels. And this is its very important difference from Nexus, along whose path it initially moved. Experts remember that after a disastrous start, Android One disappeared for some time. Now “pure” Android is back - with colorful banners and high-profile releases from Xiaomi, Motorola and HTC. The platform also appeared in the United States, providing what Nexus used: affordable smartphones with Android on board. Some smartphone models are sold by their manufacturers both like any other device in the product line and in version Google Play Edition. Marketing the Android One program makes them more visible and desirable by adding "Google-approved" software.

The Android One program is said to now aim to deliver a range of mid-range Pixels. Although, of course, it is unlikely that we will get a real average Pixel. As Android One moves up the food chain, its entry-level audience will be served by Android Go, a new strategy for mobile phones at a price up to $100. Just as Nexus rose to Pixel and Android One filled the vacated space in the mid-range segment, Android Go will soon come to replace Android One.

Android Go was introduced earlier this year and is original software from Google that addresses the hardware capabilities of entry-level devices. This is a super lightweight version of the OS designed for smartphones running with 1 GB of RAM or less. Oddly enough, Google hinted at such an outcome of the matter almost two years ago, only the words about software for “state employees” for some reason went unheeded. Now, Google has developed special versions of Go for its apps that run on the new lightweight version of Oreo to ensure optimal software experience no matter how strong the hardware specs. Starting in 2018, all low-cost Android phones will come with Android Go out of the box.

This strategy gives Google complete coverage of all segments. The company has a high-end device that it has full control over and can best demonstrate its vision for Android, while OEMs install Google's software on their mid-range and entry-level devices. As a result, everyone wins: manufacturers “skim the foam” from sales. Google demonstrates its capabilities with the example of the high-end Pixel and delivers software, receiving a certain share of the profit for it. The corporation is also working on its image by distributing a “clean” version of Android - without add-ons, which often only complicate and slow down the operation of devices. Moreover, OEMs take on all the risk in terms of investment, but relieve themselves of the burden of responsibility for software support. What about consumers? They are perfectly happy to receive guaranteed updates and security threat fixes on both Google-approved hardware and software. What could be better?

Finally, a complete and convincing plan for Android has been developed. Now Google is moving towards becoming the first company to develop the direction A.I.(artificial intelligence). As such, the corporation will need the tightly integrated network of high-performance hardware, software and AI that Pixel provides to make this dream a reality. Android One allows Google to focus on the future while leaving the here and now for someone else. And Android Go is working to make Google's next billion with Google-endorsed Android apps on entry-level devices. This is exactly how the corporation sees the process of further promoting “Android-as-Google-want-it”. Well, for those who are not fans of Android, most Android One devices are available in a version with the manufacturer's platform, for example, .

Six hundred, *****, fifty ****** dollars! Did Good Corporation make an iPhone? It turns out yes. More precisely, with the help of new smartphones, Google plans to compete with Apple in the US and, possibly, European markets.

iPhone competitor?

How can Google Pixel compete with iPhone 7?

That piece of glass on the back, which is completely irrelevant here? Those huge frames and empty square centimeters above and below the screen, characteristic of smartphones from three years ago? Google Pixel is 2016's champ for unintelligible design.

Compete with Apple... Apple is an image cult, a sect, the legacy of the great Steve Jobs with an ideology, a closed ecosystem and an army of loyal fans who get what they expect at about the same price year after year. The most popular connector is being taken away from them, and they are setting new records for purchased iPhones. No one else can do this, least of all Google. Authority is incomparable.

Google smartphones no longer have uniqueness, no individuality. Now it's another Samsung, and even worse. Not only unreasonably expensive, but also faceless, unclearly targeted at whom, with ambitions that do not correspond to reality. “Pixels” will get lost among the same unnecessary overpriced flagships whose sales have failed.

I understand that even a corporation like Google cannot afford to endlessly churn out cool devices without regard for profit, but why be so radical? Yes, I live in a poor country, but, in addition to per capita income, there is also common sense, experience and heritage.

Guys, you can't throw away the philosophy you've been promoting for six years just by changing the name of the device. Yes, smartphones are now called Pixel, but in the minds of users it is still Nexus. Nobody cares what your marketers now position and call them, because it's still Nexus.

Remember what a real Nexus is? Nexus is a balanced smartphone at an affordable price with Google's reference Android and guaranteed to receive all the latest versions and updates of the operating system as soon as they are released. I'm not talking about last year's "half-nexuses" 5X and 6P, who were already showing symptoms of a fatal disease. No, I'm talking about the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 5 - the best smartphones of their time. What's left of this?

New Android?

Okay, have you seen the latest version, which is called and goes number seven? I use it on my Nexus 5X and haven't noticed much of a difference when switching over. How is it different from the sixth? There were really noticeable changes in “marshmallow”, and “nougat” sparkled with a two-window mode, which has already been implemented by some other manufacturers, and several minor improvements. All.

Android hasn't changed fundamentally for a long time. Cosmetics, minor fixes and improvements that are easy to live without. Each new version is less and less different from the previous one. Now you can comfortably sit on the “five”. And on the “six”. And on the “seven”. The average user will not notice the difference, especially under some kind of launcher.

Top-end hardware?

In 2016, this is not an argument, because the capabilities of hardware have long outstripped the needs of users, systems and applications. Of course, everything will fly on the Snapdragon 821, but everything will fly on the cheap Mediatek MT6750 too.

Qualcomm and company are churning out new chips because they have to sell. A whole generation of “enthusiasts” has already grown up, cringing at the numbers in the characteristics and synthetic tests. To be honest, I myself am one of those people, otherwise I would have already bought it for 7 thousand rubles or something similar and not written about this suffering, which will still be crap in the comments.

I understand that there is no logic in gigahertz, gigabytes and ppi, but I can’t help my nerdy nature. What difference does it make whether a smartphone scores 70 or 100 thousand points in AnTuTu? In both cases, the performance is excessive, but the battery somehow lasts a day.

And Google still hasn’t realized that a front-facing fingerprint sensor is more convenient. Apple understood right away. Meizu understood. Xiaomi has already shown a model with a front sensor. Everyone understood, but Google didn’t.

One of the best cameras according to DxOMark?

Have you heard anything about this before Google marketers started talking about it? Are you familiar with analysis methods? How applicable are they in real user scenarios? There was always only one test that was indicative: I took a photo, looked, and evaluated it. And guess what? All flagships now have excellent cameras. Absolutely everyone.

Who, besides aesthetic mobile photographers, cares about the small nuances of a particular photo sensor, if in the end the photo is mercilessly compressed and ends up on a social network or viewed from the screen of a smartphone, on which little can be seen at all?

High-quality optical stabilization, fast smart focus - these are really good things, and the status of “the best camera according to someone out there,” like other marketing noodles, will never break through the barrier of sanity of a reasonable person.

Humor?

Oh, Google is such a jokester! We tried to play with the names of the colors. “Pretty black,” “very silver,” “really blue.”

They would have said: “We can’t do black, because metal sucks when anodized with this color. Silver was a great success, because aluminum itself gives a good metallic shine. Blue will be expectedly unclaimed, but it turned out to be a better color than black!”

Now I'll joke too. I had a dream. I ended up at the “Field of Miracles” game, ended up in the “prize” sector, and Yakubovich began to sell me a certain amount of money so that the contents of the black box would remain a secret. I go into complete refusal, the mustachioed man understands that there is no point in bargaining, he opens the box and takes out.

My next smartphone will indeed be from a Chinese brand, and I will most likely go for the Mi5s unless Meizu releases something even more attractive by the time it goes on sale.

Why Xiaomi Mi5s? Let's just compare it head-to-head with the Google Pixel in key parameters, and everything will become clear.

That is, instead of one Google Pixel, I will buy two Xiaomi Mi5s - one for myself, the other for my wife - and there will still be $49 left for external batteries or new headphones.

Not for Russia

While I was writing this text, information appeared in the news that Google Pixel smartphones would not be officially sold in Russia. Well, it didn’t hurt and I wanted it. Topic closed.

As expected, Google today unveiled its new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. By and large, the company only had to confirm the characteristics published by the operators the day before, and during the presentation the main focus was on the new Assistant and the capabilities of the camera, which received the highest rating from the DxOMark team. No Nexus, no mention of partners. Pixel is Google. Let's move on to the details.

Google Pixel has a 5-inch AMOLED display with Full HD resolution of 1920x1080. Inside, there is a powerful quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with a frequency of 2.15 GHz, 4 GB of RAM, and a flash drive of 32 or 128 GB, depending on the version. Memory card support is not provided. The main camera of the smartphone is 12.3 megapixel, with an f/2.0 aperture and large pixels measuring 1.55 microns. In Smart Burst mode, it takes several shots at once and automatically selects the best one, and the HDR+ function is enabled by default and works without delay. The camera records smooth 4K video, thanks to the gyroscope-based image stabilization system. The front camera is 8 megapixel. Google Photos allows you to store all your photos and videos in the cloud in original quality. The 2770 mAh battery supports fast charging via the USB Type-C port.

Google Pixel XL also received a metal body with a glass insert and a fingerprint scanner. The display diagonal is 5.5 inches with a resolution of 2560x1440. All other characteristics are identical: Snapdragon 821, 4 GB of RAM and 32 or 128 GB of internal memory, 12.3 and 8 megapixel cameras. The battery capacity has increased to 3450 mAh. The smartphones are available in three colors: "pretty black", "really blue", which is available in limited quantities, and "very silver". As for Google Assistant, it takes into account the context and is called at any time by long pressing the “Home” button. Android 7.1 Nougat comes with a new Pixel Launcher skin. Pixel smartphones will be the first to receive operating system updates.

The new products are the first smartphones to support the Daydream virtual reality platform. At the presentation, the search giant also presented the Daydream View VR helmet with a remote control. Another feature of the Pixel is that using the special Quick Switch Adapter included in the package, the device can be connected to an iPhone or Android device to transfer all data to a new gadget.

The price of Google Pixel and Pixel XL starts at $650 (and happiness was so close). Pre-orders for smartphones are already open in some countries.

This is not the first or second year that Google has been producing its smartphones, but perhaps for the first time it has decided to take this process under greater control than before. Where do these conclusions come from?

Firstly, the new models are coming out under a completely new name – Pixel. The Nexus line, created back in 2010, could well continue its development now, but there was one problem with it. From year to year, “nexuses” were produced by different manufacturers. At one time these were HTC, Samsung, LG, Huawei, Motorola, and it so happened that each brand brought some kind of zest to the series from itself. More precisely, this was declared on paper, but in fact, almost every new Google Nexus was a copy of a certain smartphone from a certain manufacturer. Here's what it looked like in the early years:

Google Nexus One = HTC Desire
Google Nexus S = Samsung Galaxy S
Google Galaxy Nexus = Samsung Galaxy S3
Google Nexus 4 = LG Optimus G
Google Nexus 5 = LG G2

With the Nexus 6 model, the situation began to change, and we can say that further “nexuses” began to get their own face and individuality. Google Nexus 6, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P were no longer copies of certain smartphones from manufacturers. However, the connection to the manufacturer still remained, and if you now try to search, for example, Google Nexus 6P or Nexus 6, you will find the Huawei Nexus 6P and Motorola Nexus 6 smartphones. It would seem that there is nothing wrong, but Google’s original idea was behind these years has long been transformed, and today a smartphone from Google should be exactly a smartphone from Google, which brand makes it is a completely internal story. Therefore, abandoning the name “Nexus” and choosing another, “Pixel” is the correct and logical decision.

Secondly, the company produces two devices with standard parameters, differing, by and large, only in screen diagonal and some small details. Everything from the platform, memory capacity, cameras to design is exactly the same for Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL. The choice comes down to the size of the display and the size of the smartphone itself, respectively.

Let's take a look at the first "pixels" in Google history.

Specifications of Google Pixel (Pixel XL)

Case materials: metal, glass
Operating system: Android 7.1 (Nougat)
Network: GSM/EDGE, WCDMA, LTE Cat 6 (nanoSIM)
Screen: AMOLED, 5", 1920x1080 pixels (441 ppi), automatic backlight level adjustment, screen temperature adjustment, Gorilla Glass 4 glass (AMOLED, 5.5", 2560x1440 pixels (534 ppi), automatic backlight level adjustment, screen temperature adjustment, glass Gorilla Glass 4)
Platform: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 (MSM8996)
Processor: Dual-core 2.15 GHz (Kryo) and dual-core 1.6 GHz (Kryo)
Graphics: Adreno 530
RAM: 4 GB
Storage memory: 32/128 GB
Main camera: 12 MP, pixel size 1.55 microns, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, dual LED flash, 4k video recording
Front camera: 8 MP, pixel size 1.4 microns, f/2.4, video recording in FullHD
Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n/ac) Dual-Band, Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP, LE), USB Type-C connector (USB 3.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset, HDMI (via Type-C), DLNA, NFC
Navigation: GPS/A-GPS, Beidou, Glonass
Additionally: fingerprint scanner
Sensors: accelerometer, position sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, barometer
Battery: 2770 mAh (3450 mAh), supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging technology
Dimensions and weight: 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6 mm, 143 grams (154.7 x 75.5 x 8.6 mm, 168 grams)

The new Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL smartphones are manufactured by HTC; in fact, this is where the mention of the Taiwanese brand ends. It’s impossible to draw parallels with the HTC 10 here; as I said above, the Pixel is not something similar to the “ten”, these are completely different devices.

The idea of Google Pixel is a simple and understandable smartphone for everyone. The company itself identifies five main advantages of “pixels”:

These are the first smartphones with Google Assistant pre-installed.
These smartphones take very good photos.
With these smartphones you get unlimited Google Photos storage
Pre-installed Google Duo and Allo services
Daydream VR support

What do we have in practice?

Google Pixel design is controversial. This is not another Samsung, which can only be criticized for copying itself, not Meizu or Xiaomi, which can be criticized for imitating Apple and also copying itself, not HTC or Sony. In all these cases, there are complaints about the design, but it can hardly be called controversial and ambiguous; everywhere there is balance and a sense of beauty, a certain universality. Google Pixel doesn't have it. You will either like the smartphone and find it amazing, or you will not like it at all. There are unlikely to be neutral assessments here. I don't really like the Pixel. It has a strange “patch” of glass on half the body at the back, it has huge indents at the top and bottom of the screen, where there are no elements and it is unclear what causes them, it has no zest. Apart from the controversial issues described above, of course.

The body materials are all excellent here. A combination of metal and glass Gorilla Glass 4, what could be better?

Screen – Pixel uses AMOLED with a 5" diagonal and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Pixel XL has AMOLED with a 5.5" diagonal and a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. I can't judge the quality.

Platform – everything is good here, Snapdragon 821, 4 GB of RAM, 32 or 128 GB of internal memory.

The moment with the cameras is still unclear to me, to be honest. At the “pixels” presentation, it was said that smartphones had the highest camera ratings on the DxOMark portal, which is already a bad sign. At various times, the top cameras on dxomark.com were both the Sony Xperia Z5 and the Moto X Style, and this is all with the then-current Apple iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S6 and LG G4, let me remind you. So I don't know. The camera characteristics of the Google Pixel don't excite the imagination at all: 12 megapixels and an increased pixel size, but that's all. There is no optical stabilization, no laser focusing. The aperture value is f/2.0, which is also quite ordinary and unremarkable for the second half of 2016. Front 8 MP camera with f/2.4 aperture, no special features here either. Perhaps Google has made every effort and the camera is capable of producing masterpieces thanks to the software, but, to be honest, it’s still hard to believe.

I won’t talk about working hours, the topic is fertile for debate. Google claims 13 hours of operation in Internet or video mode. There is fast charging; a powerful charging unit (18 W) is included in the package, which is good.

To be honest, while preparing this text, I find myself trying to think of something else to talk about in relation to the Google Pixel. And I don’t find it, except for the background history of the emergence of the Pixel brand itself. There is nothing in the devices that you can cling to, and this is upsetting. $650 for the Google Pixel and $770 for the Google Pixel XL are quite “flagship” prices, roughly on par with Apple and Samsung. But why buy Google Pixel when there are proven Apple and Samsung? Yes, there used to be a good reason - new versions of Android, the ability to install developer versions of the OS, and “play” with the device. With the release of the Pixel, Google abandoned the idea of smartphones for developers. Moreover, on the official website in the characteristics of Google Pixel there is a note “Operating system updates for 2 years.” Of course, this does not mean that exactly on October 4, 2018, “pixels” will stop receiving the latest versions of Android, but the very fact of such a comment is indicative. This is not a smartphone for the elite, Google fans and developers, it is a smartphone for the masses. From Google's point of view.

From my point of view, Google Pixel is a strange smartphone for everyone and no one. There are no two cameras, there is no curved glass, there is no “smart” multifunction key, the thinnest body, sleek design, incredibly capacious battery, and so on. This is just a smartphone with strong characteristics and a pure Android OS. And they will choose it specifically for Android, as it seems to me, because there are no other “wow” features here.

P.S. Zhenya Vildyaev will talk about Google Assistant and other new things, but I want to grumble just a little. The company took its Google Now service, renamed it Google Assistant, added a couple of features, and rolled it out as something new. And for the past year, the presentation has shown us how cool it is to book a table in a cafe, get directions from point A to point B, send a message by voice, or schedule an event on the calendar. Hello, Google, you already showed all this a year ago!