Pixel Stand, Google Home Hub, Pixel Slate: All The Devices Launched At The Made By Google Event

The star of the Made By Google event on October 9 may have been the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, but they were by far the only players. Google has also launched a smattering of other products, some of which we¡¯re seeing from the Android giant for the first time.

Google Home Hub

First things first, we have to talk about the Google Home Hub. Think of the Google Home IoT hub we already know, and throw a display on it. In essence, that¡¯s what the Google Home Hub is, but it¡¯s so much more too thanks to the company¡¯s tweaking and development.

¡°Imagine not just hearing a response,¡± says Google¡¯s Diya Jolly, ¡°But being able to see a response too. That is the power of Google Home Hub.¡±

It¡¯s available in four colours and features a floating display, so you can control all your devices or use the Google Assistant purely by voice or with touch as well. The thing Google is quick to stress early on though is that there was a conscious decision to not include a camera. While some might be bummed it means no video chat, most users would probably me much more at ease using something like this in the privacy of their bedroom.

Jayesh Shinde

To that end, the Hub responds automatically to ambient light, and also turns off the display at night. But if it sits in the centre of the house, don¡¯t worry about usage because iit can recognise multiple specific people. There¡¯s a redesigned Home View interface to control all your IoT gadgets and parental filters for kids in the home. When not in use, it can even work as a live photo album, switching through photo albums you designate from your cloud.

The Google Home Hub will retail at $149 (approximately Rs 11,000) when it hits shelves in the US on Oct 22. Of course, allow for inflation after customs and the like here in India.

Pixel Stand

The Pixel Stand is Google¡¯s first official wireless charger for the Pixel 3. It¡¯s a simple vertically-aligned dock. When you slot your phone in, the UI changes to resemble something more akin to a digital clock and it basically changes the whole device to a baby version of the Google Home Hub, with all its capabilities. The Pixel Stand retails at $79 (approximately Rs 6,000)

Pixel Slate

The Pixel Slate is the very first Chrome OS tablet from Google. It features a 12.3-inch display with a cool 2000 x 3000 resolution at 293 ppi. Two 8MP cameras adorn the front and rear panels (one each) with both optimized for low light and video calling. Dual front-firing speakers should keep you happy, but the problem is you have no option. Yeah, for some reason no headphone jack here either. On the plus side, the power button also acts as a fingerprint reader for unlock, and the device has built-in virus protection, automatic updates, and the new Titan security chip.

Meanwhile, there¡¯s a special Pixel Slate keyboard you can tack on. It¡¯s a full-sized keyboard with backlit keys, that are again perfect circles for some reason, as well as a full feature trackpad. It¡¯s a simple snap-on system, with no pairing or charging of the keyboard required. It comes with an adjustable flap to prop up the Pixel Slate, and the whole thing folds up into a protective folio for the tablet.

Jayesh Shinde

The Pixel Slate starts at $599 (Rs 44,000) for the basic version with an 8th Gen Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB storage. Instead, the highest option of $1,599 will fetch you an 8th Gen Core i7, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage. The keyboard meanwhile will be priced at $199 and the Pixel Pen stylus at $99.