At its #MadeByGoogle event, Google has announced multiple products in its hardware portfolio. Apart from the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, the company also announced its Daydream View VR headset and controller, the Google WiFi smart router, Chromecast Ultra, and Google Home smart speaker.
Daydream View VR
The Daydream View is Google’s first Daydream-ready headset and controller. The headset is inspired by clothing and features soft, breathable fabric claims that the new device is comfortable to wear and 30 percent lighter than competing devices. It is hand-washable and works over spectacles too. Users just need to insert their Daydream-ready smartphones in the headset, and it takes care of alignment by itself. The Google Daydream View virtual reality headset and controller is priced at $79 (roughly Rs. 5,300). It will go on sale in the US in November. It comes in Slate, Snow, and Crimson color options.
The Daydream View controller can fit into the headset for easy storage. The Bluetooth-powered device features motion tracking sensors and a volume button.
Google Home with Google Assistant
The Google Home speaker features a three-speaker setup with a dual passive radiator design for ‘crystal-clear highs and deep lows’. It also sports two Omni-directional microphones and neural beam-forming to hear the user despite background noise. It features a capacitive touch surface. The base will come in several color options and finishes.
The smart speaker comes with the company’s ‘Google Assistant’ feature. It combines the features of Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. It allows you to search for information and even make purchases online via voice commands. The voice-based virtual assistant answers questions, manage tasks, set up alarms and calendar events, control devices in homes, stream videos, audio casting, etc. It can be activated by just saying ‘Ok Google’. It also features a mic mute button, to offer privacy.
The Google Home can connect with third-party IoT devices and platforms such as Next, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT. A Google Assistant SDK will be released later this year. It will allow developers to create compatible bots. The speaker can also be paired with Chromecast Audio and ChromeCast-enabled speakers for multi-room support. It is priced at $129 (approx. Rs. 8,600). It is available for pre-orders on Tuesday. Shipping starts from November 4 with a 6-month subscription to the ad-free YouTube Red.
Chromecast Ultra
The new version of the Chromecast Ultra comes with support for 4K video streaming along with HDR and Dolby Vision. Google claims that the new Chromecast Ultra comes with major WiFi improvements that can load videos up to 1.8 faster than previous Chromecast editions. It comes with an Ethernet port. It also supports the new Google Home smart speaker hub. The Chromecast Ultra will be available in November for $69.
Google Wifi router
The smart router uses mesh Wi-Fi technology to support modularity. It lets users distribute several of the small routers across their home to ensure a widespread Wi-Fi network. Google states that the new router uses machine learning-based Network Assist tech to let connected devices intelligently switch between one router to another, with a hand-off time of less than 150 milliseconds. The 3-pack is meant for users with a bigger houses.
The router is managed by a smartphone app for both Android and iOS. It includes administrator settings like parental controls and bandwidth prioritization. It comes with privacy and security features such as verified boot and auto updates.It sports an Ethernet port, a USB Type-C port , and a LED light. It supports dual-band 5GHz Wi-Fi and AC1200 standards, with additional support for the Bluetooth Smart specification. The Google Wifi router is priced at $129. A 3-pack of the router will cost $299 (roughly Rs. 19,900). It will be available for pre-orders from November. Shipping starts in December in the US.