September 30th gave us the big gadget and gizmo announcements from Google, in what they slightly tongue in cheek called "Launch Night In." The night full of announcements was not the innovative part of Google's launch for their upcoming tech. Still, the fact that they had their launch the last day in September and before Apple launched the next version of the iPhone is definitely a first for the company.
In fact, not much that they announced was all that innovative. Much of it was simply upgrades on existing tech, and their upcoming phones really were not up to par for what they usually release. Let's get into it to see what Google will be offering their tech-hungry fans.
Chromecast With "NEW" Google TV
Google kicked off its event with what they had to know was their least impressive announcement - the updated Chromecast. Now, Google's Chromecast more resembles its existing rivals and comes with a remote, including voice control, for the viewer to use to interact with the device, instead of simply running the app off of their phone.
Also, Google announced that the Chromecast would now come with their own television interface called Google TV. Google TV is like most similar interfaces and takes the Chromecast from simply being a device to project your phone screen onto the television to its own standalone streaming device.
Users can now turn on the device and go to whatever streaming app they want directly off the Chromecast. The other big update for the Chromecast is that it is now offered in three colors - Snow (a brilliant white), Sky (light blue), and Sunrise (a pale pink).
The new and improved Chromecast is on sale online and in stores now for $49.
Nest Audio
The next announced gadget coming up from Google was its new Nest Audio - a streaming smart speaker that seems likely to be the eventual replacement for Google Home. Nest Audio can be easily linked to other Nest devices, but its big sell is that it has a more natural sound that is clearer, fuller, and louder.
The speaker has 50% more bass and 75% more volume than any audio device Google has put out up until now. Using the Nest Audio, users can outfit their entire house to be one cohesive, smart home sound system. Staying true to its commitment to producing greener products, the Nest Audio is made out of 70% recycled material and boasts a fully sustainable mesh cover.
YouTube Music will be adding what is known as Nest Audio Sessions to its library of over 70 million songs to stream. These sessions are one of a kind, featuring at home recording sessions from musical artists worldwide.
The Google Nest Audio became available to purchase on October 5 for $99.
Google Pixel 4A 5G
The Google Pixel 4A 5G is similar to its 4A predecessor, with 5G capability and a bigger screen. A much bigger screen. The 4A 5G, in fact, has the biggest screen out of any Google phone currently released and even bigger than the Pixel 5.
The phone also steps up in processors, going from the 730G in its predecessor to the Snapdragon 765G. However, that is really it for technical upgrades as there is no fast refers to the display, nor is there any waterproofing on the model.
Google has upgraded its video calling app, Google Duo, and you can video call anyone on any phone with it. Users can now also use the app to share their screen. This will come in handy as many people continue to have small circles due to the global pandemic, and they can now watch videos together with this feature - in high definition!
The Google Pixel 4A 5G will be available in either black or white. It will cost $499, making it the cheapest 5G capable phone on the market and out in most places this November.
Google Pixel 5
Coming to the USA on October 29 is Pixel 5. This is not your typical flagship phone, sharing the Pixel 4A 5G's Snapdragon 765G processor - which on the former is a step-up, but for the next-generation Pixel 5, the midrange at best. The 8GB of RAM will help it be slightly faster, but not as quick or powerful as most next-gen phones released in the past year.
Google is hoping to win the market over with its lack of power by focusing its upgrades on the phone's specific features, along with the 5G functionality. The display has 90 HZ for its refresh rate. This will make watching things on the phone very smooth. Pixel 5 is also not only waterproof but also dustproof.
The camera is supposed to be improved with an ultrawide lens. The camera software has added the portrait mode Night Site - which will let you adjust lighting post-process. There were many updates to its recording software as well, including cinema mode.
The phone will be offered in black and green and comes in with a $699 price tag.