Device Advice – Google Pixel 4
Quick off the heels of Apple and Huawei, the annual “Made by Google” event took place on Tuesday 15th October, which saw the announcement of the long-awaited Google Pixel 4, alongside several hardware products including a new Nest Smart Speaker, Pixel Buds and a refreshed Pixelbook Chromebook.
The device itself had been leaked online in the months running up to the launch, but it was the radar motion sensing system and dual-lens camera that stole the show on Tuesday.
Powered by Google’s Soli radar technology, users of the Pixel 4 will be able to dismiss a call simply by waving their arm, thanks to the onboard radar chip, embedded into the bezel of the device. With a 180-degree field of vision, the Pixel 4 will be responsive to situations where users cannot access the screen of their smartphone safely. Gestures will also be supported by a small number of applications including YouTube and Spotify.
Whilst the design of the Pixel 4 is not too different from its predecessors, this is the first device by Google to have more than one lens on the rear of a handset. Whilst an additional rear camera is nothing new in the smartphone world, it is the development of the software that has caught the attention of critics. The Pixel 4 contains Live HDR+ which will show the user any adjustments made in real-time through the viewfinder, rather than once the photo has been taken. There are also improvements in Night Mode making it possible to now capture images of stars in the night sky – thanks to astrophotography mode.
The device carries a Snapdragon 855 chipset and an increased 6GB of RAM, whilst the latest version of the company’s operating system – Android 10 – brings Google’s smart assistant front and centre to the device, now accessible via a swipe-us gesture, in addition to voice command.
For heavy users, the device contains a 2,800mAh battery, claiming all-day life, whilst Pixel users will also have access to free, unlimited cloud storage for all photos and priority upgrades when it comes to security or software updates. The display will support a refresh rate of 90Hz, creating a smoother and more comfortable viewing experience for users.
Priced at around £557.50 (ex VAT) for the 64GB device, and £680.83 for 128GB, the Pixel 4 is a great flagship for those who value the stock Android experience and want to be first in line to receive software upgrades and security patches from Google.
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