World News – CA – Google unveils latest Pixel phone, rolls out new TV service

SAN RAMON, Calif .– Google will try to make more noise in the smartphone market with a cheaper high-end model while also aiming to expand its presence to larger screens with a new television

The products unveiled on Wednesday focus on two areas where Google has struggled to make significant progress Google also used a half-hour showcase broadcast online to showcase a $ 99 speaker that reportedly better acoustics for playing music than the cheaper ones he sold mainly as a command center for his voice-activated assistant

Google’s latest smartphone represents the fifth generation of a device that was supposed to prove that the Mountain View, Calif., company can make hardware as well as software after the brand debuted in 2016

Although Google’s software is used by billions of people on their smartphones, its Pixel phones have barely entered the market Sales have been disappointing despite overwhelmingly positive reviews, especially for the camera technology that prompted Apple to introduce similar features in iPhones

Google has sold a total of 19 million Pixel phones to date, including just 3 million of the latest model released a year ago, according to estimates from research firm International Data Corp By comparison, Apple sold twice as many iPhones in just three months – from April to June – amid a pandemic, when millions of people were stranded at home, IDC estimates

The company is trying to turn things around with the Pixel 5, which offers a few new features including the ability to work with the new super-fast wireless networks called 5G which are still under construction. The new phone will also have several new camera features including a tool for taking portraits in low light conditions and a wide angle lens

But perhaps the Pixel 5’s biggest selling point will be its price – $ 700, a reduction of $ 100 from last year’s model

The phone, available October 15, will be released two months after Google introduced a budget version, the Pixel 4a, which sells for $ 350 Google also revealed on Wednesday that it will produce a 5G version of the Pixel 4a which will will sell $ 500 aimed at consumers who want faster connections while watching their budget during a pandemic-induced recession

Google has had more success with a line of hardware called Chromecast, which streams videos online to TVs, but Chromecast also faces a wide range of competition from similar streaming devices made by Roku, Amazon and Apple

In an attempt to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack, Google’s upcoming Chromecast will include a new service linking together several of its services in a way designed to make it easier for viewers to browse TV channels and streaming services. something they want to watch

The service, called « Google TV, » includes the company’s other big-screen software, Android TV, along with its leading search engine, Chrome browser, and YouTube TV, a suite of programs similar to those cable and satellite providers have long been providing The new Chromecast, which will cost $ 50, will also come with a small remote control for the first time

Google has tried various methods to make its services more accessible and attractive on TVs for over a decade, but so far it hasn’t seen the same success on larger household screens as on personal computers and the phones that have become the primary vehicles for delivering digital ads that generated $ 135 billion in revenue last year

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Google Pixel, Chromecast, Android, 5G