Google Fall Event Liveblog

[HardOCP News]

The Google fall event is in full swing and the crew at Engadget are liveblogging the whole thing. The nice thing about this live blog is that, if you are just now joining the event, you can scroll back to the beginning and catch up at your own pace.

 

[Deleted member 245375]

Google really needs to take a cue from Apple in terms of presentations. I mean, I'm sitting here watching this thing off Google's direct YouTube channel, and one guy comes out and spends almost 10 minutes talking about Google Home. Then when he's done presenting all that information, he then introduces someone else to come out and then do a demo - that second guy comes out and the first thing he says is "It's really difficult to replicate an actual home environment here on the stage so, we're going to play a video of an actual home setup with Google Home..." and then he proceeds to do a demo there on the stage with Google Home (and some prepared video inserts based on what he's telling "Ok Google" to do).

One guy that could do the entire product demo doesn't, passes it off to another person that says we'll play a video of it in action, then presents the demo anyway there on the stage. As if Google Home or Google Now or Google Assistant or "Ok Google" gets you an answer or a response in .5 seconds, right, right.

Seriously?

For all the things I dislike about Apple, I have to give 'em props for their presentations because while they're basically full of shit more often than not but there's nobody on the planet that can make shit so pretty, shiny, and glossy and nicely packaged as Apple.

 

[raz-0]

Ok, soo... For all the apple haters where they bitch apple copies other peoples shit and yadda yadda.

1) pixel phones. Looks VERY iphone-ish, even to the point of copying the space wasting top and bottom borders. Has "unlimited" storage.. to go with your unlimited data bandwidth right? Got it. It's kind of like the iphone meets the amazon phone. Basically bringing nothing to the table you can't get on a cheaper yet just as nicely built 3rd party android offering.

2) chromecast 4k. So like the firestick 4k and roku whatever 4k and all the other 4k streamy thingies. Leading the pack by being near last on that boat.

3)Google cardboard becomes google textile. You blaze that path google. It looks like a more upholstered version of samsungs stuff.

4)Google home, which looks a lot like shit amazon sold us already with more google snooping and less ability to order shit form amazon. Got it.

5)And their mesh network router trying to be like eero and ubiquiti but with more google data mining. At least they offer a slight price discount for snooping and selling your data.

Super original line up guys.

 

[pfc_m_drake]

$649 for the base model Pixel?
There's nothing in that phone to justify that kind of price tag. But the good news is that the price only goes up from there...
Time to grab a Nexus 5X on Swappa.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

I've commented this before, but in other older threads, so I'll repeat it here...

This is my take on today's announcements:

Pixel Phone:


Things I Like:

• Fast Snapdragon 821 CPU
• 4GB RAM
• Fast charging
• Retains 3.5mm jack

Things I Don't Care About:

• Games
• VR
• Fancy Camera (I'll get better pics from my SLR when I need them. My phone cam just needs to be basic)
• Fingerprint scanner
• 128GB option. (I don't use much storage. I've never filled a phone in my life, and I've had only 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models. Luckily there's a 32GB model)

Things I Don't Like

• No SD card slot
• Non-removable battery
• Round icons
• G logo
• Primary colors on white color scheme
• Price
• Large Eyebrow and chin bezels
• Not a basic Android ROM

Things I Hate:

• AI and photo interpreting BS
• Assistant BS
• Cloud Integration including photo storage (I want no cloud ever in any device or computer)
• Google Photos. (Please for the love of God just give me a basic Gallery folder browser back. I don't want any of this over-complicated database based Photo application crap.)

I went ahead and preordered a black 5" in 128GB. It's not the ideal phone, but it is the only new phone out there with regular secutity updates, so as far as I'm concerned, it's this or nothing. 32GB probably would ave been sufficient for me. My current phone is a 32GB model, with 24GB free for storage, and out of that I have 16GB available, but who knows how it will go with time, especially with that massive 12MP camera. Since there is no sdcard or in between slot, I figured it safer to just go with the 128GB model. At least that's only a $100 (or $4 per month) difference, unlike the massive overcharging some other brands to for uprated storage.

I wish they would offer an alternative basic Nexus-like Nougat image. Would be awesome if someone could alter the Nexus 5x image with drivers for the Pixel, yet still retain OTA security updates.

Did anyone catch if the boot loader is unlocked?

Rest of the Presentation:

As far as the rest of the stuff, no. I won't be getting google WiFi, google hub, a chrome-cast or anything else they annoyance.

I wish companies would stop trying to offer entire eco systems, so it would be easier to implement a "best in class" for each device that plays nice together. I hate eco-systems.

 

[The Cobra]

Will pickup one the new Google Pixels in a few months when the hoopla dies down and the price (hopefully) heads south a bit. I am still chugging along with my Nexus 6 which has served me amazingly.

 

[jwcalla]

Did anyone catch if the boot loader is unlocked?

It's been confirmed that on Verizon it is not unlockable.

Not sure about the other carriers.

Can't wait to see what kind of Google info Assange is going to drop. Time to tear into this rotting carcass of a company.

 

[the_servicer]

At least they offer a slight price discount for snooping and selling your data

Is there a trade off for security in exchange for privacy?