Alphabet Inc’s Google (GOOGL.O) on
Wednesday unveiled the second generation of its Pixel smartphone along with new
voice-enabled home speakers, redoubling its commitment to the hardware business
as it competes with a surge of devices from Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Amazon.com
Inc (AMZN.O).
Google’s new products, including a
Pixelbook laptop, wireless earbuds and a small GoPro-like camera, showcase
Google-developed operating systems and services, notably the voice assistant.
That means usage of those devices should stoke the company’s core ad sales
business as buyers of the hardware use Google services like search and maps.
Speaking at the launch in San
Francisco, Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh said the new products “perfectly
demonstrate our strategy of re-imagining hardware from the inside out.”
The Pixel 2 smartphone comes in two
sizes, with comparable features, including aluminum bodies and no traditional jacks
for headphones. Prices for the base model start at $649, while the high-end
version starts at $849. The phones will be available Oct. 19.
The Pixel phones lack the brand lustre
and market share of similarly priced smartphones such as the Apple iPhone or
Samsung Electronics Co’s Galaxy S and Galaxy Note smartphones. Still, the
original Pixel’s camera and software drew acclaim from reviewers, many of whom
expect the line to become a robust competitor at the high end of the Android
smartphone market.
Pixelbook, priced at $999, is the first
laptop powered by Google Assistant and will support Snap Inc’s (SNAP.N)
Snapchat, the company said. The keyboard folds behind the screen to turn the
12.3-inch touchscreen into a tablet. It will be available in stores from Oct.
31.
Google Home Mini, one of the new
speakers, is priced at $49 in the United States and would rival Amazon.com
Inc’s (AMZN.O) popular Echo Dot. It will be available Oct. 19. The Home Max,
with dual woofers for more powerful sound, is priced at $399 and with
availability by the end of the year.
The Pixel Buds, which are priced at
$149, arrive in November. Clips, which is pocket-sized camera with object
detection and automatic recording capabilities, “soon” goes on sale for $249,
Google said. Videos last only a few seconds and do not contain audio.
The Pixel smartphone debuted a year
ago, with analysts estimating sales of more than 2 million, pushing Google to
record amounts of non-advertising revenue.
Google’s “other” revenue category,
which includes both hardware and sales of online storage services, accounted
for about 12 percent of overall sales in its most recent quarter.
Last month, Google expanded its
hardware development capabilities by picking up a 2,000-person smartphone
engineering team at HTC (2498.TW) for $1.1 billion.
“It’s
pretty clear Google is serious about hardware,” said Avi Greengart, research
director at consumer data firm GlobalData. “Given that there is a Pixel 2, and
given the financial investment, there must be a longer-term strategic intent.”
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