If you've been following the leaks in various websites days before the launch of Google's Pixel phones, yesterday's announcements would have held few surprises, except one - the pricing of the smartphones. The Pixel phones will be starting from ₹57,000 in India, competing directly with Apple's iPhone 7 and will be available for pre-ordering from 13 October.
The iPhone 7 base edition is priced at₹60,000.
The search giant ended the long streak of Nexus phones by announcing Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. While the Pixel has a 5 inch full HD screen, Pixel XL sports a 5.5-inch QHD screen. The phone, made by HTC, bears no logo of the maker.
Interestingly, Google has kept the front Bezels pretty significant even though there is no dual front-facing speakers like Nexus 6P. The back has a dual tone colour with no camera bump.
Both the smartphones run on Snapdragon 821 which is clocked at a higher level for Pixel XL than Pixel. The processor is supported by 4 GB of RAM. There are two variants of 32 GB and 128 GB for the internal storage.
The rear camera has a 12 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture. While there is no Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), the camera has Phase Detection Autofocus(PDAF) for better imaging. Even though Google proudly presented the 89 score from DxOmark, real life performance is a big question mark. The front camera is of 8 MP with f/2.4 aperture.
Pixel has a 2770 mAh battery while Pixel XL has a 3450 mAh battery. Both will be supporting fast charging through a USB C port which gives seven hours of battery life within 15 minutes. Note that Google didn't miss the chance to flaunt the 3.5 mm headphone jack.
There are some exclusive features for the Pixel phones at the launch time. That includes full Google assistant integration, unlimited full resolution photo storage, smart burst capture to get the best image and more. It will also have a 24/7 support baked into the system for the customers.
Flipkart is the exclusive online partner for at the launch while Pixel phones will be available offline through Croma, Reliance Digital, And Vijay Sales.